Garden Wildlife

Beautiful wildlife – flying monkeys and garden art

April 1, 2011 By HelenYoest 2 Comments

“Lily, we aren’t in Oz anymore.” This conversation came hard one day as I explained to Lily why our neighbors might not be too keen on the idea of attracting beautiful wildlife flying monkeys to the neighborhood.

When we lived in Oz, flying monkeys were as common as a horse of a different color. On summer evenings, flying monkeys could be observed flying the skies; sometimes with determination in their wings, but more often than not, just frolicking about doing nose dives, relays, and various other antics. On evenings with a full moon, their silhouettes were particularly impressive. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Garden Wildlife Tagged With: flying monkeys, Garden Wildlife, gardening

As the children play, a box turtle chomps away

March 12, 2010 By HelenYoest 8 Comments

On a swing-set located in a suburban backyard, two little children, Lily and Aster, play. They have great adventures on their swing-set. Each day after school, time is spent with each other; often, they are joined by their wildlife friends.

There are bluebirds and cardinals and a black-capped chickadee. The robin dances on the ground looking for earth worms. A bumble bee’s bottom is all they can see with her nose so deep in the flower. But today was extra special. It was almost missed. Lily and Aster spied a box turtle (genus Terrapene) chomping her way through the compost pile.

The visiting box turtle was unmistakable, with her domed shell, hinged at the bottom.This hinged bottom allows the box turtle to close herself off from predators. Lily and Aster remember reading on the internet about the box turtle’s life span lasting a average of 40 years. They wonder if this visiting box turtle has been in the garden all this time.

While Lily and Aster reel in delight, they bestow a name on their new wildlife friend, Boxy. They know a box turtle can easily be confused and not know where they are. They know not to touch the box turtle, remembering that even though they’re cute, they are a wild creature. Too much handling by humans and being re-located can cause too much stress for the box turtle.

When box turtles are young they eat meat. Their enhanced ability to see and smell, helps them find their favorite foods like snails, insects, fish and frogs. Aster worries about the frogs he has in the fountain basin, but Lily reminds him that life abounds, all around and Boxy needs to eat too.

When box turtles get older, they tend to eat more fruits, roots, and flowers. They also like tomatoes.

As Lily and Aster watch Boxy, they relish this time together. Even keeping a box turtle for a short period of time is not healthy for a box turtle. They understand and respect this. As with so many of their wildlife friends, their “pets” run and fly free in the garden. Each day bringing a surprise of who may stop by for a visit. As they run off to share the new of Boxy with their mom, Lily and Aster hope Boxy will be back tomorrow.

Book of Six© Six Garden Pest a Box Turtle Eats

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Filed Under: Garden Wildlife Tagged With: Box turtle, Garden Wildlife, gardening

The Garden of Denny and Georgina Werner

September 3, 2009 By HelenYoest 6 Comments

Werner Garden

With drifts of purple coneflower, spikes of orange Canna, and the spilling of yellow coreopsis morphing the straight edge of the border, a garden is formed. And not just any garden, but the garden of Dr. Dennis (Denny) Werner, plant breeder North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, NC.

Since 1988, with the support of his wife, Georgina and their children, Denny has been making a home garden similar to what might be found in an arboretum. Our goal was to create an expansive border that would allow us to grow a large diversity of species, that would provide a regular supply of cut flowers, attract wildlife, and a border that would have high visual impact when in flower from March through frost, says Denny.

His 160 foot border (2,800 square feet in all) has been tweaked, maintained, watched and wondered by visitors in flight and on foot.

July2009 Southern Living Visit 139
The Werner’s like to entertain in the garden finding that even non gardeners gravitate to the border. As a focal point in the yard, The border is a great way initiate conversation with visitors, Denny says.

This border is a haven for wildlife, attracting an incredible diversity of butterflies, moths, birds, bees, and other insects. As visitors are drawn closer, they are inevitable amazed at the abundance of wildlife fluttering and flitting about. An Eastern bluebird above is eyeing yellow and black swallowtail butterfly larvae feeding on fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Monarch larvae munching on milkweed (Asclepias spp.) and spicebush larvae serving up on their namesake, (Lindera spp.) Later, as these larvae form chrysalis and the respective butterflies emerge, they don’t have far to go to find their favorite nectar plants waiting.

Gaillardia aestivalis var. winklerii

Watching the birds feed on the garden is also a source of entertainment. The goldfinches alight the flowers of tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) causing the flower heads to sway as they feed on the seed; hummingbirds visit the Cannas, and towhees forage the ground. These birds share the garden with jays, robins, chickadees, mockingbirds, and crows.

More than wildlife benefit from the garden; the Werner’s share bouquets of fresh cut flowers – often times paired with a pint of blueberries – with friends and neighbors.

To others, the task of selecting the plants to go into a border this big might have been daunting. Not so with Denny. With his distinct advantage, selecting plants for his Zone 7b garden to perform well in the south’s hot, humid summers was all in a day’s work.

Working with clay is a common problem for gardeners in the south. Before the border could be built, it was necessary to improve the soil structure and drainage.

Deeply plowing and amending the soil by adding large amounts of compost and PermaTill to the site, prepared it for planting.

Some may find it surprising to learn the garden requires very little routine maintenance, Weed problems are minimal, as the growth of the plants is so vigorous that annual weeds have little chance to compete, says Denny.

In mid winter, the plants are cut down to remove dead growth. Then a covering of 1 -2 inches if shredded pine bark is applied to renew organic matter, control weeds, and to help retain soil moisture.
For most years in the Raleigh area, there is as little as three months between last frost and first flower. During this time, the garden sleeps. The Werner’s don’t have long to wait for the garden to begin again.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Filed Under: Garden Travel Tagged With: Denny Werner, Garden Wildlife, gardening

Mid-Atlantic Garden Maintenance – September

August 31, 2009 By HelenYoest 5 Comments

GARDENING WITH CONFIDENCE™

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

September Maintenance Guide

Helen's Haven Summer - Mixed Bed

INTRO
September delights. With the dog days of summer behind us, September opens with cooler air creating a fresh scent and a sense of excitement. The source of this excitement may be for no other reason than it being bearable enough to be out of doors once again.

Here’s some September Inspiration in case you need it.
BULBS

Hopefully, bulb selection was already done while the selection was good. Buy what you fancy while they are available. Avoid mushy, soft, moldy bulbs; buy from a reputable supplier. And it is good to know that bigger IS better.
October is a better time for planting, but purchase in September while the selection is best.
Plant fall-blooming bulbs, such as autumn crocus.

HERBS

Continue to harvest basil and use for cooking. Continue to pinch back flowers.

ANNUALS

Sowing seeds of California, Iceland, and Shirley poppies, sweet alyssum, and larkspur this fall for spring color and fun.
If your Zinnia’s have powdery mildew, they will come out soon, as such, no need to worry about them. Next year, look for mildew-resistant strains.

PERENNIALS

Towards the end of the month, as the weather cools, the best time to plant and divide perennials begins.

TREES AND SHRUBS

Our native Dogwood is a fantastic four-season tree making it a choice for all those zoned to have one. As the leaves turn from green to red, excitement ensures.

ROSES

Roses make a big comeback in September and October. Be sure to stop fertilizing your roses 6 weeks before the last expected frost. In Raleigh, we have a 90% chance of a frost by Halloween. Therefore, stop fertilizing by mid-September. If you have rose varieties with nice hips, this is also a good time to stop deadheading to allow the hips to remain. To tidy up your rose garden, remove the pedals by hand. Letting the hips to grow to signal the rose to go into dormancy.

PESTS
Watch where you reach. Black widow spiders are plentiful.

Black widow spider

SEEDS

Save seeds for planting next year or let plants self sow.\’a0 Also consider leaving seed heads on the plants for the wildlife to enjoy.

WATER
September and October tend to be dry months, unless we have a hurricane.\’a0 Plan to water any new plantings, including bulbs.
WILDLIFE
Don’t be to tidy in cleaning up the garden and deadheading. The wildlife will enjoy the seed.
Encourage pollinating insects in your garden, such as bees and butterflies, by providing them a tasty treat. This fall, plan to plant nectar-rich plants. Nectar, the sugar-rich liquid many flowering plants produce, sustains bees and butterflies.
For the Bees: Add clover, cotoneaster, golden rod, heliotrope, Eupatorium cannabium, Lunaria annua, love-in-mist, asters, and Echium vulgare
For the Butterflies: Alyssum, Ajuga reptans, Iberis amara, catmint, echinops, verbena rigida, Rededa ororate, Joe-Pye weed.
Did you know:

80% of the world’s food crops need a pollinator at some stage in their life cycle; many require multiple visits.
Stick with the species. Many double flowers are usually sterile with no value to insects. The petals of the second flower replaced the anthers and nectarines leaving the plant unable to be fertilized.
Many pollinating insects ingest protein-rich pollen before they can breed and some use pollen to feed their young.
Plant in en masse making the plants easier to find through grouped color and scent.

David and Lara Rose putting up a screech owl box

Filed Under: Garden Maintenance - Mid-Atlantic Region Tagged With: Garden Maintenance, Garden Wildlife, gardening

The Birth of a Hummingbird

August 29, 2009 By HelenYoest 1 Comment

This is truly amazing. Hummingbirds are such tiny, wonderful creatures.

Remember, protein makes up 60% of a hummingbird’s diet. The source? Soft bodied insects. Think before you use pesticides. Then put your spray away.

The Birth of a Hummingbird

Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence

Filed Under: Garden Wildlife Tagged With: Garden Wildlife, Hummingbirds

Wisdom from Edwin Way Teale

August 27, 2009 By HelenYoest 4 Comments

Manteo 2009 025r
In the words of Edwin Way Teale: “You can prove almost anything with the evidence of a small enough segment of time. How often, in any search for truth, the answer of a minute is positive, the answer of the hour qualified, the answers of the year contradictory!”

Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence

Filed Under: Garden Wildlife Tagged With: Edwin Way Teale, Garden Wildlife, gardening

Six garden practices to be wildlife friendly

August 20, 2009 By HelenYoest 6 Comments

Six garden practices to be wildlife friendly:

Wildlife 154c FOOD

To attract wildlife, provide the kinds of food wildlife need either naturally or with supplements.The more variety of food sources provided the greater variety of wildlife you’ll attract. Various seeds, nuts, berries, fruits, nectar, sap, and pollen are all good food sources. The use of regionally native plants is also recommended, providing 10 to 50 times more food to the wildlife’s likings. Food can also be supplemented with feeders to hold seed, suet, and nectar.

WATER

A clean, reliable water source is a key part to creating a wildlife habitat. Water is needed for drinking and bathing. Locating the water source within an easy view also makes it entertaining for the homeowner. Providing water can be as simple as adding a birdbath. Give multiple locations at varying heights to attract a variety of wildlife. It is important to provide water year round, even in the winter and, of course, during times of drought.

COVER

Wildlife needs cover for protection against the elements and predators. Having a place to escape the threat of pending danger attracts more to the garden. A variety of plant life ranging in size, height and density with trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and ornamental grasses, will increase your chances of attracting more kinds of wildlife.

PLACES TO RAISE YOUNG\

The cover provided also gives your wildlife a safe place for reproduction and nurturing wildlife young. In a backyard, dense shrubbery or birdhouses provide safe areas for birds to nest. Different animals have different needs, including certain wildlife requiring water to raise their young such as salamanders, frogs, toads, and dragonflies.

SUSTAINABLE GARDENING PRACTICES

Sustainable gardening practices will also benefit your wildlife habitat such as controlling non-native and invasive species, eliminating or reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers, use of mulch and reducing lawn size.

ADD COLOR TO ATTRACT WILDLIFE

Red for hummingbirds, yellow for bees, and purple for butterflies. Color is a surefire way to attract wildlife. It doesn’t all have to come from flowers either. Garden accents add never wavering color. Once in the garden, most colored flowers are game, but to draw them in, give them their favorite color!

October 23, 2008 Red Bed 014c Helen Yoest

Gardening With Confidence

Filed Under: Garden How-tos, Garden Wildlife Tagged With: Garden Wildlife, gardening

Six Garden Pest a Box Turtle Eats

August 10, 2009 By HelenYoest 8 Comments

Abundant wildlife in the garden not only brings great joy, they also helps keep nature in balance.
Wildlife 120
60% or more of a box turtle’s (Terrapene sp.) diet is composed of animal matter.
Six garden “pests” box turtles eat are: