Birds and Blooms Extra

What’s cool about birding is that we all have different experiences with birds—and that’s OK! In fact, it’s kind of fun to have friendly banter about those birds we love and those we, well, love a little less. For example, I sometimes feel frustrated with house finches when they very quickly find the oranges I put out for the orioles. For days, I watch the finches nibble them right down the peels while hoping the orioles find them too. The bright orange birds always end up discovering the fruit and nicely sharing it with the finches. And at my house, red-winged blackbirds frequently spend time near the many swampy ponds in my neighborhood, and regularly stop by my feeders. And although they’re big and loud, and they eat a lot, I…

Miss Piggy Pigsqueak Bergenia cordifolia, Zones 4 to 9 Miss Piggy is new from Proven Winners, and is ideal for shady spaces. Try it in a pot or as a border plant or ground cover, but remember to snip a few blooms for a DIY bouquet. Miss Piggy is also known to resist deer and rabbits. Attracts: Light needs: Part to full shade. Size: 18 inches tall and 32 inches wide. Grown for: Bright pink bloom clusters that might appear as early as April. Foliage: Thick, dark green leaves that are attractive even after the blooms fade. Soil needs: Well-draining, moisture-retentive soil. TRY IT AT HOME Rub a pigsqueak leaf between your thumb and finger to hear the sound that gave this plant its common name!…

Red-winged blackbirds are one of the most widespread birds in North America. This is evident come early spring, when the glossy black males claim territory near water, issuing loud songs to chase away rivals and intruders, including the occasional human. To defend their home base, they extend their wings to highlight their red-and-yellow shoulder markings. Top males may mate with up to 15 females. “Males that are really healthy and competitive can control more resources than lower-quality males, which likely means they can get both more food and more mates,” says Sarah Winnicki, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Low Nests Smaller streaky brown females issue their own scolding calls—though mostly toward other females. Close to the surface of the marsh, they build deep cup-shaped nests lined with dry grasses.…

1 ColorBlaze Royale Pineapple Brandy Royale Pineapple Brandy has beautifully serrated, elongated leaves that are chartreuse with burgundy-bronze hints along the edges and stems. It’s a superb border plant at 20 to 30 inches tall and 12 to 16 inches wide. Heat tolerant, it can be planted either in sun or shade. It is also picture-perfect in a container on the patio. Why we love it: Besides being deer resistant, this coleus can become an excellent houseplant once the heat of summer is over. 2 Wildfire Blaze The bright red of Blaze’s leaves, along with vibrant yellow edges, can’t be missed. It’s eye-catching in a border garden as a repeating pattern, or grow it anywhere else to add a bold design. This coleus can also be a great low hedge on a garden’s edge.…

Growing herbs in containers has its perks, in both the kitchen and the garden. In fact, it’s easier to grow herbs in pots than in the ground, because you have more control of what’s going on in the container, says Sue Goetz, a garden designer and author of Complete Container Herb Gardening. “What I love about container gardening with herbs is that you can put them anywhere—on a balcony, patio or windowsill, or tucked in a corner of the garden,” Sue says. She also notes that pots just outside the kitchen offer easy access to fresh herbs while you’re cooking. CHOOSE YOUR GREENS Only select herbs you want to cook with. “Grow what you love. If you don’t use sage, you’re not going to want it taking up space,” Sue says. Because some herbs…

TRUE BULB True bulbs (in other words, they are not rhizomes, corms or tubers) contain a plant’s bud, stem and leaves inside a compact unit with layers that resemble the inside of an onion. RHIZOME This type of stem structure has the ability to stretch underground horizontally. Some invasive plants and weeds spread out via rhizomes to quickly dominate a landscape. TUBER The best-known tubers are potatoes. Tubers are underground stems and can bud from multiple spots. They can be divided to grow more. CORM Resembles true bulbs but is a solid unit of tissue, unlike a bulb’s layers of developing leaves. New corms often grow on top of spent ones. TULIP BULB, OXALIS, FREESIA: IBULB; DAFFODIL, HYACINTH, IRIS, CROCUS: COURTESY BRECK’S BULB CO.; TULIP, ANEMONE: BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY; RHIZOME: KHORZHEVSKA/SHUTTERSTOCK; CANNA LILY, CALADIUM: COURTESY OF PROVEN WINNERS…