My feathered friends

Wren looking for a home

                 'Poor indeed is the garden 
                         in which birds find no homes'
                                                 -Abram L. Urban

Sparrows making a home

Baby sparrows

    One of the best parts of having a yard to me is the wildlife it attracts. 

So every year I try to entice more birds with new birdhouses, birdbaths, flowers and of course food. Over the years I have tried many different seeds, Niger seed being the one I thought would bring the Gold finches and Chickadees and it did for a bit.

 It turns out though that Niger is not the favorite. It has a few downfalls, it goes bad quite quickly which I didn't realize and it also does not fair well in the rain. It is imported so depending on how long it took to ship and how long it has been sitting in the store, it has a short life span. Which in turn makes for an expensive and wasteful feed.

Chickadee

So I was on a quest to find a new feed and have been very successful.  Wild Birds Unlimited in Burlington always seemed to have a flock of birds at it's feeder outside it's store. So I inquired as to what they were feeding them. Turns out they love shelled Sunflower seeds. I bought two squirrel 'proof' (is there really such a thing!!) bird feeders, a large bag of the shelled Sunflower seeds and now I 

have a constant parade of birds in my yard.

    They line up on the wires taking turns morning and night. I have had an abundance of Goldfinches, Sparrows, two very faithful Cardinals, Woodpeckers and Chickadees.  My Doves have finally come back and peck at the seed on the ground so it seems everyone is happy, especially me. 

  For the most part the Squirrel can't get at the feed, so all is good. And without the shell there is very little mess.

Gold Finch

Woodpecker

Gold Finches

Female Cardinal basking in the sun.

   One thing to remember though is if you are going to attract wildlife to your yard don't forget the basics, food, water and shelter. Try to have a birdbath or basin and don't forget to clean the water on a regular basis. If you can have at least one tree, large or small it will provide shade and shelter. Plants and flowers also provide shade as well as food. A birdhouse or two will ensure safety for the birds and give them a reason to come to your yard. Once they know that it is there they will come back year after year.  I have had three sets of baby sparrows in my one bird house so far this year. 

Robin having a bath

Baby sparrow having a bath

                                                  
                                                         
                                                                       










  





         'Spring would not be spring
                without bird songs.'
            Francis M. Chapman

    And then of course there is the Hummingbird which over the past couple of years I have been trying desperately to lure to my yard. I might see one once a year since trying but this year I have had several visits. I keep adding plants that they like and it seems to be working. I do put out food for them but rarely does it go to it. It prefers my plants.
    They also remember one year to the next where the food is so keep your plants healthy and keep adding if you can and they will keep coming.

Hummingbird on Bee balm

     My next goal is the Oriole, which I have been working at but without luck so far.
 I will keep on trying.
    So if you want birds in your yard give them a reason to come, then sit back and enjoy your feathered friends.
    Happy Gardening!!

Hummingbird on Monkshood

Hummingbird on Penstemon

For the love of Lavender

Lavender drying

                                                      "The air was fragrant with a
                                                               thousand trodden aromatic herbs,
                                                         with fields of Lavender, and with the 
                                                               brightest roses blushing in tufts 
                                                          all over the meadows....."
                                                                                              -William Cullen Bryant
                                                     
                                                              
                                                                                         

Lavender drying

          Depending on where you live, it is time to harvest your Lavender, if that is your plan.
    I like to harvest at least 3/4 of my Lavender but I also like to make sure that I have enough left that I can enjoy it's scent for weeks to come.
      I think Lavender if one of those scents that you either love or hate. I love the scent of Lavender and have placed it in a garden attached to the deck so I can enjoy it as much as possible.
   My dog even likes the scent and will stick her nose in it a give it a gentle shake, releasing it's perfume. Of course she likes to stick her nose in anywhere that smells like food, like the mint, chives and her favorite the tomatoes.

Luna enjoying the Lavender

        It is best to cut the Lavender stalks first thing in the morning after the dew has gone or in the evening after the heat of the day. Cut the stalks just before the flowers open.
       I gather them in bunches and tie an elastic around the base and then wrap the last few loops of the elastic around a hanger making it easy for hanging. Hang it in a cool dry place for a week or two and then remove the flowers storing them in a jar or other tightly sealed container.

Dried Lavender buds

    "As Rosemary is to the spirit,
          so Lavender is to the soul."
                                   -Anonymous

My jar of dried Lavender

   Now that you have dried Lavender flowers you can use it as potpourri or bake with it.
 You can make little bags of potpourri or little potpourri pillows. These are great for scenting powder rooms or tucked in a drawer or closet.
  I like to bake with mine. In the past I have made Lavender cupcakes with Lavender icing and Lavender shortbread cookies. Last year I infused honey with Lavender. I was happy with all of them and as far as flavor goes the honey was my favorite.
  Like the scent of Lavender, the taste is definitely an acquired taste. I personally love the floral
perfumy taste and infuse the milk with Lavender before using it in my baking.
  

Blueberry Lavender Muffins

   This year I decided to make Blueberry Lavender Muffins.  As usual I infused the milk and then discarded the buds before using. Although I liked the way these turned out I like a strong Lavender taste and would therefore leave the buds in the milk next time.
  The taste of these muffins was a very subtle Lavender so if you are not sure if it is something you will like, try it without the buds first. You can use any muffin recipe that uses milk or buttermilk and if it calls for vanilla or other flavoring omit that, otherwise it will overpower the Lavender.

Blueberry Lavender Muffins

    Most of the Lavender has finished but I planted three new plants this year among my roses (my two favorite scents together) and they are just starting to bloom. I also replaced a plant that I lost over the winter and it has not bloomed yet so I may have a bit more Lavender to harvest before the season is over.
    If you dead head your Lavender you might get lucky and get a second yield. It hasn't always worked for me but I have had some success with that.
    Lavender likes a fairly dry, sandy soil and it is important to let the soil dry out before watering again. I actually forget about watering mine sometimes since it is separate from the rest of my gardens and it seems to thrive from the neglect. Now that's a plant I love.

   So treat yourself and plant some Lavender. Wether you decide to bake with, make potpourri or just enjoy it in your garden I don't think you will be disappointed.

  Enjoy! and Happy Gardening!!