Got Plants?

My husband and I were given a copy of Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy a few years ago by his Uncles Chris and Bob. It truly changed our outlook on gardening and put us soundly on the side to plant native. Native plants have so many advantages; they are suited for the climate of your area, able to better defend against local pests, and gobble up less resources like water or fertilizer. We have never had to water a native past its first season while it is getting established, even during dry spells. How's that for xeriscaping?

We ran into one problem, though. Our local garden centers (even the non-big-box store varieties) didn't carry New Jersey natives. Apparently, the Asian varietals (miserable invasives like Japanese honeysuckle, for example) are far more popular. I was told that no one wanted the native hydrangea, which makes white blooms instead of the pink/blue of the Asian ones.

The white blooms of Hydrangea arborescens can get as big as my head!


My parents have one of these, Hydrangea macrophylla. It is a glutton for water and needs to be soaked daily during the heat of the summer.

Enter Forest Farm, a spectacular business all the way out in Oregon. It was so exciting to receive an enormous catalog chock-full of NJ natives (plus tons of other things) from all the way out west. So, we placed an order to give them a try. Four orders and four garden plots later, we are very satisfied customers.

I can honestly say that the quality of plant matter that they sell is superior to anything else I have been able to purchase, whether locally or through mail order. Ray, one of the owners, has been really helpful over e-mail when I need assistance selecting a plant. Everything is delivered on time, in excellent condition, with detailed instructions on how to care for the plant.

If you are looking for a plant you can't get in your area, please try Forest Farm - you will be glad you did.

Meet the Neighbors

I love our backyard birds, and I can't believe that I didn't know enough to appreciate them earlier. My husband got me a birdfeeder for Christmas 5 years ago, and that was it. I am now a Sibley-ite (devotee of all things David Sibley, especially his superior field guide) and proud birder. It just adds to my geek chic.

I'd like to introduce you, over a few posts, to our local avifauna. You will recognize many of them, and might think they are nothing special. However, I have never learned so much about birds than by watching their behavior day in and day out. I greet them as friends.

European starling, Sturnus vulgaris. Vulgar indeed. They knock each other off perches, Hoover edibles with a speed and abandon to rival the Nathan's hot dog eating contest, and resemble a marauding swarm of locusts. There's something to be said for the uncivilized, however; they make our next neighbor look positively genteel.
American goldfinch, Carduelis tristis. This male is just getting into this year's breeding plumage, but wait. The combination of their cheery yellow feathers, looping flight, and sweetly talkative feeder chatter is winsome and adorable. Our goldfinches are all personality and light up the yard.

Black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapilla. I read a lot about people feeding chickadees from their hands, and I think I'd die of cuteness if that happened to me. Ours are drive-by artists; they flit in, grab a seed, and flit out. And then another one comes, and then another one...or was that the first one again? Who knows - we can't tell them apart. But a bird that announces itself by calling "chickadee-dee-dee" when it gets to the feeder must have a healthy ego.

Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis. He (sometimes accompanied by his ladyfriend) is always the last one at the feeder each night, and you can hear him approaching because he chips and chips. In fact, he chips while his mouth is full, too. He also chips while feeding said ladyfriend during mating season. Then, he chips while hanging out in the tree. You get the idea; he has a lot to say.

Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata. He is the first at the trough in the morning, but spooks so easily that his meals are short-lived. Isn't he kind of big to be run off by sparrows? I used to think he was a tough guy like the mockingbird, but he's just a gentle giant...compared to the sparrows, anyway, who are like gossipy and pushy 6th grade girls. More about them later!