Can o' worms

I follow a group on FB called Indiana Wildlife. A week or so ago, I posted a pic of the bluebird house I have. O.M.G. A lot of people "reacted" to it, but I got a few snotty comments as well, specifically how the house did not meet requirements set by the National Bluebird Society (NABS). If you want to view their recommendations, go here. All I can tell you is the sparrows don't take over this nesting box, but the bluebirds do.

I was going to post the following pix on the FB site, but decided to just let it go, not fan the flames, etc.

This past week, I was looking for something on this blog and came across many summertime photos - so much color! Quite a difference to the current gray and taupe. Spotting this nuthatch at the birdbath raised my winter-worn spirits, especially since it hung around long enough for me to take its photo.

BTW, my hip is fine, no changes since the last check. The discomfort is muscular, so I've been repeating the physical therapy, taking Advil to reduce inflamation, and shortening my stride when walking the dog, all of which seem to help. It's Groundhog Day and very overcast here, so let's hope for an early spring.

Winter doldrums

Usually I get tired of winter in February, but this year I am already there, perhaps because of last week's frigid temps. This week will be milder (a relative term) but still winter-like. I'm eager to get going in the yard.

And yet I hesitate to order any plants. One issue is my hip, the one with the replacement, which has been bothering me lately. I have my five-year checkup Monday with the ortho place, so we'll see how things look. I really don't want more surgery, but better now than later, after more (theoretical) damage is done.

One bright spot in this dreary winter is the avian diversity in the backyard. Not feeding the birds during the summer has limited the sparrows, but hasn't seemed to affect the other species. In fact, a newcomer has been Carolina wrens, identified by Merlin last fall, and spotted by me in the mealworm feeder. I finally managed to get visual proof:

I tend to favor the more brightly colored birds, but I'll make an exception for this pert little guy, who is all fluffed up against the cold. Looks like a little dirty tennis ball.

Baby, it's (gonna be) cold outside! So let's look at echinacea (coneflower)

A polar vortex is on its way. Even though I knit myself a balaclava for those cold, windy dog walks, it will be too cold for doggy paws. Time to hunker down and dream about spring.

One reason I focus on native plants is for pollinators. I love seeing the bees, wasps, and whatever those other bugs are buzzing about the blossoms. My yard is a little island of nature in suburbia.

However, natives have some problems, which is why cultivars are developed. One issue I have with "straight" coneflowers is their height. I'm in search of some shorter varieties to plant out front BUT they are generally less attractive to pollinators. What to do?

My late garden blog friend gardeninacity posted about just this problem back in 2021. One future (now past) study he cited was by the Chicago Botanical Garden, but alas, their comparison of coneflower cultivars did not include their value to pollinators. While they observed visiting insects, those observations were casual rather than systemic. Boo.

The Mt. Cuba Center, on the other hand, has included pollinator attraction in their evaluation of echinacea. Their observations and recommendations (which are somewhat local to the east coast) may be found here. I sifted through their list, eliminating the taller varieties, which left five to choose from.

• Echinacea 'Julia'
• Echinacea ‘Balsomcor’ (SOMBRERO® Hot Coral)
• Echinacea ‘TNECHKIO’ (KISMET® Intense Orange)
• Echinacea ‘Snow Cone’
• Echinacea ‘Santa Fe’

I won't make up my mind quite yet, but I am not inclined to choose something white ('Snow Cone').

I'm also interested in a shorter version of rudbeckia, but the only one I have found so far is 'Goldstrum', which I have growing in the meadow. Perhaps I will just transplant that despite not being sure of its attraction to pollinators. Any opinions out there?

Dead hedges

Sometimes random stuff pops up in my FB feed. One recent post was by a gardener who had created a "dead hedge". Basically, a dead hedge is a tidy version of a brush pile. After erecting some vertical posts to retain the mess, one fills it in with downed limbs, prunings, etc. It gives wildlife a place of refuge while the contents slowy decompose.

There are still a lot of leftover trunks and branches from the removed arborvitae, so I could easily get a dead hedge started. I just need a half dozen fence posts and for the ground to thaw.

Yes, a substantial amount of snow fell like powedered sugar yesterday afternoon and last night. Not quite enough for cross country skiing (although I doubt that will stop some people), but enough to cover the grass and make everything look pretty. It should stick around all week, then we are promised a "frozen mix" - ugh.

The snow cover has upped the bird presence in the backyard. Not only are the wintergreen shrubs and hawthorn tree stripped of their fruit, even the flowering crabs are looking picked over. Usually the bluebirds politely take turns in the mealworm feeder, but I've seen as many as four crammed in there at one time. I even spotted a Carolina wren in there and at the birdbath.

And starlings. Can't forget about the starlings. There was a tub of Bark Butter in the cupboard, so I ripped the cover off that and put it out with the feeders. After seeing a photo of a feeder with a jar of peanut butter strapped on, I decided I didn't need to bother with actually applying the Bark Butter to anything. The starlings love it.

The birds

Although I have seen several "murmurations" of starlings while out and about (we're talking in the thousands), few have shown up in my backyard... until the other day.

I'm guessing there were about 200 birds there, feeding on something in the grass. Since then, the temps dropped and snow fell (about an inch or so). Still not many starlings at the feeders, but yesterday the robins stripped those winterberry shrubs in the above pic. The hawthorn tree in the front yard is looking rather bare as well.

In November, my son's girl friend gifted me with an Erva purification disc for the birdbath. I finally "installed" it the other day. It won't keep the birdbath clean of dirt from the birds, but it is supposed to have antimicrobial properties to help limit alga and other nasty things invisible to the human eye. I've read old pennies (pre-1943) also work.

On a non-avian topic, the other non-slip application on the ramp into the shed is failing. My next plan of action is to find something I can screw into the wood. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

Despite the long to-do list in my last post, there are a few more things I would like to tackle in the yard this coming season. One is to do something about my non-composting compost bin. I add mostly kitchen scraps to it, but not much is happening, probably because the contents of the bin don't get much moisture. So after I dig everything out, turn it, add some other crap, etc., I will drill some holes in the lid to let in the rain. After all, compost is black gold and free fertilizer.

My Project 2025

I managed to (mostly) achieve all three of my resolutions for this past year. Zinnias perked up the front yard, the milkweed forest is on its way to being re-established, and two of the container plants are in the ground. I tacked on another goal - have a whole house generator installed - and even that got done. Not bad.

One problem with growing natives in the yard is most of them spread, rampantly. Fortunately, my kids are interested in digging up starts for their yards. (Just spreading the disease.) Another problem with my natives is that some of them are not getting enough light, so they flop. Hence, there will be some movement within my yard.

And then there is the urge to grow some food.

Thus, I have a more lengthy list of goals for 2025. A few of these involve little or no work on my part, thankfully, but I will be a bit surprised if the bulk of them are instituted.

1. Plant (short?) coneflower in front bed
2. Plant (short?) rudbeckia in bed around serviceberry
3. Move 2.5 aromatic asters (move a small offshoot to area by south gate, next to arborvitae; give the other two away to kids)
4. Let remaining aromatic aster fill in its bed
5. Transplant pentstemon and nodding onion from front of house to backyard
6. Plant colorful heuchera where the above plants have been removed
7. Hopefully the Hopi amaranth will reseed itself - don't accidently pull it out
8. Add a butterfly bush (or two or three) to backyard
9. Add swamp milkweed to rain garden
10. Move penstemon in "meadow" so it is not blocking the view
11. Move Goldstrum rudbeckia in "meadow" so it can be seen
12. Transplant clematis from container to ground
13. Plant strawberries, garlic, and green beans

A couple of hardscape possibilities are a burn pit (not so much for fires, but for pit firing pottery) and a raised bed for the strawberries and garlic. Yes, I know I used to have a lot of raised beds, all of which have been dismantled. I'm thinking of something more upscale this time, and just ONE bed. Honestly!

The seed catalogs are arriving in earnest, so there is a lot of garden candy to drool over.

Winter wonderland... sorta

Snow has been falling half the night and all morning, but it is barely covering the grass. The temps are high enough that the streets are wet but not slick. I was hoping for a white xmas, but rain is in the forecast.

I keep waiting for the day I will be invited to xmas instead of having to host xmas. Maybe next year. Meanwhile, I have things to do, places to go, people to see. Happy holidays!

Imperfect

Last week I was happy to report that my whole house generator kicked on during a brief power outage. This week I am not very happy with it, as it lost its connection to the wi-fi and can't get it back. It has lost its connection before, but with the help of customer service, we were able to get it back. Not this time - it just can't find the wi-fi extender.

Generac sends me daily reminders, via email and text, to reconnect, but the weather has been frightful - very cold and windy. It has warmed up a bit, but it's now rainy and windy. Sorry, I am not standing out there fiddling with the damn thing until the weather becomes a bit more cooperative. The generator works fine without the wi-fi, and that is all I really care about.

It's gift exchange season, and I brought home a xmas cactus from one. As you may recall, I received one of these plants several years ago as a gift, but it pooped out after its second season of bloom. I'm hoping to take better care of this one.

This past week, I've been catching up on "Wiser than Me", one of my favorite podcasts. The interview with Alice Waters, founder of Chez Pannnise and promoter of "California Cuisine" and the farm-to-table philosophy, made me want to grow food again. I wrote about this urge before, but my follow-through has been pretty lame.

What would I grow? I have a growbag that fits into a milk crate, perfect for a few green bean plants (not a new idea on this blog; in fact, I think the seeds are in the fridge). Store-bought garlic has been particularly crappy this year, so maybe some of that. Strawberries? The ones in the grocery stores taste insipid, bred for shipping and keeping, NOT flavor. Those are all possibilities worth considering.

OR I could put on my granny pants and frequent farmers markets, at least for those things that I don't want to grow myself.

Power up

I was lying on the couch when I heard something beep, something chime, and something roar. Since I had a cat in my lap, I didn't want to get up to check on the noises. It turns out there was a brief power outage. It lasted less than a minute, but the whole house generator I had installed this past summer kicked in like it is supposed to. (That was the roar; the other noises were devices coming back online.) So at least it works.

The weather has been barely tolerable for dog walking, which means it brings the backyard birds. These photos aren't very good, but they document some of the most recent visitors.

Junco

Robin

House finch

Nuthatch

The appearance of this guy was a bit confusing at first, as I thought it was my cat Finn... but wasn't Finn inside? Yes, he was. I think this feline belongs to some new neighbors that live about a block away. Finn isn't very interested in birds, but this one was in stalking mode.

Not Finn

I'm still working on my outdoor xmas decor. The flamingo chorus is up, with a solar-powered spotlight this year. The fall wreath on the front porch is now an evergreen one (plastic - it will outlast us all). All that is left is a net of lights for the trellis.

Muskrat love

At first, I thought there was only one muskrat in the neighborhood pond, but the other day I heard three distinct spashes as I walked by with the dog. So that muskrat is lonely no more.

Photo courtesy of Indiana DNR

When I googled "muskrat", most of the hits involved muskrat removal. Apparently, they can be a nuisance. However, being mostly aquatic and awkward on land, they are not likely to be rooting around in nearby garbage cans.

While muskrats closely resemble otters, mink, and beavers, they are more closely related to mice and rats, which explains their hairless tails. In nearby marshes, I have seen their houses made from cattails, but here they have "bank dens" - homes that are above the waterline but with underwater entrances.

Muskrats are mostly vegetarian, dining on cattails and plants, both aquatic and on land, although they will eat fish, frogs, and small turtles. Our pond has all this except cattails. They also serve as a food source for hawks, owls, coyotes, and foxes, all of which live in this area. The circle of life.

For more info on muskrats, visit this Indiana DNR page, where I found most of this information.

On the homefront, the weather has definitely turned wintery. I'm fine with the cold as long it is not accompanied by wind.

Home is the sailor...

No, I'm not a sailor, but we did take a trip up to Michigan City for our early family Thanksgiving. The weather was halfway decent (for a change - we frequently seem to bring rain and wind with us), so we spent some time outside.

One stop was the Galien River County Park, which is a mix of upland and marsh. We ambled out onto the Canopy Walkway, which is 60' high and *sways*. Despite the safety fence, adults are warned to not carry children in their arms on this structure; strollers and backpacks are de rigueur. A l-o-n-g stairway leads from the upland to the marsh (we went down it, but not up), then there is a nice path that took us back to the beginning.

At a different park (don't remember the name), I was taken with this red oak tree. It could be one of many several, but I'm going to guess it's a pin oak.

While wandering around Chesterton, we spotted this vine on a chainlink fence. I was puzzled about the "flowers" until Google Photo Lens revealed that they are the seed pods from a "white clematis".

From our AirBnB, we were able to walk down to the shoreline of Lake Michigan. In the neighborhood, there were several vividly red trees. Only after I arrived home did I realize they were probably Japanese maples, just like the one in front of my dining room window.

Yes, we received some snow yesterday. It's gone already, but a good sign that winter is on its way. I plugged in the birdbath and set out the feeders yesterday. The birds have found them already, especially the blue jays who are actually fighting over the whole peanuts.

How to measure a tree

I recently finished reading a book called The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession, by Amy Stewart. It contains portraits of people obsessed with trees in one way or another. My only complaint is some of these collectors are importing trees from other parts of the world without a concern that they may be introducing an invasive species into their own habitat; one has even planted Russian olive! It's a pleasant read, if you are so inclined.

One section discussed "champion" trees - the really, really, REALLY BIG ones. Points are awarded for girth, height, and crown spread. My trees are definitely not champions, but an annual measurement would give me a more objective idea of how they are growing (besides eyeballing each one and thinking, Yep, it's bigger this year).

Rather than repeat what the books says, here are some lousy photos of the relevent information:

My trees are mostly naked right now, so I'll wait until next summer to measure them. Hopefully, that will become an annual occurance.

One holiday down

Originally, the people who built houses in my neighborhood raised families in them, so there were a lot of kids. Now these houses are considered "starter" homes or, in my case, "ender" homes. There are still a few families with children of trick-or-treater age, but not many. About 20 visited me the other night, accompanied by just as many adults, most of whom were also dressed up. It was festive but very low key.

Tonight we are getting a little rain. We have had a hard enough frost to nip some of the coleus on the front porch. Most of the winterberry bushes are *loaded* with fruit, while the flowering crabs and hawthorn tree sport their share as well.

I admit that I lose interest in the yard this time of year. I'm ready to hunker down for winter... if it ever arrives.

Not much happening

Our weather continues to be... odd. When I wake up in the morning, the lawns and rooftops look a bit frosty, but the sun continues to shine. Later this week, the predicted highs are in the 70's, 79 degrees for Wednesday. This is just wrong.

Today I cleared the spider webs from the front porch in anticipation of the Trick or Treaters that will be stopping by on Thursday. For the most part, the spiders were dead or gone. This odd thing is attached to the light fixture. I think it is a mud dauber nest.

The new car is purchased, so I can stop fretting about that. What an ordeal! I hope this is the last vehicle I ever have to purchase.

The grass is still growing, and the leaves are falling, so I'm still mowing. And so it goes.

Frosty

This past week we had several light frosts that have touched the more tender plants, but they were not what I consider killing frosts. Don't tell Mother Nature, though, as she is continuing with her plan to follow the frosts with what we used to call "Indian summer". The forecast is for warmish, dry weather in the foreseeable future.

Two of the ninebark shrubs that were planted in 2023 didn't take hold, so the landscape guy replaced them... with something different? I didn't notice the difference until the shrubs began to turn color this fall - the two replacements are not like the original one. Maybe as they mature, they will look more alike? I don't mind that they don't match, but I like to know what I have.

Original ninebark

Replacement ninebark

A while back, I posted about sticking nonskid strips to the garden shed ramp. As a follow-up, I want to report that the narrow gray strips are not adhering very well. If you are considering nonskid strips, take heed.

This past week, I've been involved with purchasing a new car. For some reason, I find it to be incredibly stressful. I'd rather have a root canal. Or three.

A patch of no-mow lawn

Even though I have been having my lawn treated the past several years, I asked them to skip the side yards. The area on the south side of the house is now almost completely no-mow, thanks to clover and creeping charlie. Most consider creeping charlie to be an invasive weed and it can choke out other plants (like turf grass), but I think I will let it go for now, to see how it holds up over time.

Would it make sense to let the whole yard become creeping charlie? Probably not feasible, as CC likes some shade and most of my lawn receives a lot of sun. While the experiment on the south side of the house continues, I'll meditate on that idea.

I don't know why this bird is called a red-bellied woodpecker; the red patch is on the back of its head. I'm glad to see it visiting, though.

I'm still mowing grass but only a few leaves. On this morning's dogwalk I noticed some of the neighborhood maples are *finally* turning. The temps are cooler and yesterday we received a surprise but short-lived downpour. Otherwise, the forecast is for more dry days, although we *might* get some frost come Wednesday. I'll believe it when I see (or feel) it.

Still not safe for elms

Ever since I planted a Triumph Elm (Ulmus 'Morton Glossy') in my backyard in 2016, I have been a fan. It's a gorgeous shade tree that grows relatively quickly and is resistant to the evil Dutch elm disease. Alas, that does not mean it is impervious to other ills.

According to a recent article in the Purdue University Landscape Report, the elm zigzag sawfly (EZS), Aproceros leucopoda, a non-native insect, has recently been detected in several midwestern states, although not Indiana (yet). Initially, the EZS larvae chew zigzag patterns into elm leaves, thus the common name of the insect; however, as it grows larger, it skeletonizes the leaves. While most trees will survive defoliation, years of feeding by EZS will weaken a tree and increase its susceptibility to other pests and disease.

If you suspect this pest is on your tree, at least in Indiana, please contact the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab for identification. There is still much to learn about EZS.

As if that were not enough, there has also been an uptick in reports of black spot of elm. It favors cool, wet conditions, so maybe our recent hot dry weather will discourage it.

On a happier note, the asters and goldenrod are not discouraged this year. Both are covered in pollinators of various sizes and types. I'm always happy to see that.

Halloween is coming. I'm not big on holiday decorations, but a few lights here, a seasonal flamingo there, is right up my alley.

Previously, our first frost date was October 6. That came and went with temps in the 70's. Today it is cooler, but still no frost in the forecast. I am SO done with summer. Bring on the hot cider!

A walk in the woods

My SO and I took a little hike in the Lindenwood Nature Preserve this past week. I'm always on the lookout for unusual fungi. Most of what we saw we had seen before, but not this blue sample. I haven't been able to identify it. Any guesses?

We also saw some fruit here and there. This is white banebarry, a.k.a. doll's eyes.

Something unusual was this beehive in the ground. (If you look closely at the photo, you can see some honeycomb in the wall of the hole.) We were puzzled about the hole, but then noticed some honeycomb scattered around it, as though something (raccoon?) had tried digging up the hive.

Closer to home, the Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' goldenrod is peaking while its taller cousin on the other side of the house is past its prime.

I attended a harvest festival yesterday and could not resist this flamingo bird house made from a gourd. It will winter inside.

We have been having some rainy days plus lower temperatures, so it *almost* feels like fall. The lawn is happier, as am I, the master waterer.

Front porch menagerie and conifers at the mall

Speaking of spiders (as I was in my last post), my front porch and yard sport quite a few funnel spiders. From the Illinois Department of Natural Resource: "They have long legs and can move quickly. The body is light brown with some dark markings. These spiders sit at the end of their funnel-shaped web as they wait for insects. Webs are often seen in late summer and early fall close to the ground and covered with dew."

Every year I debate over whether to clear these webs off the porch before or after Halloween. If I wait too long, cold weather causes the spiders to try to sneak through the front door into the house.

Foggy dewy mornings are great for spotting the webs in the lawn and beds. I am fine with spiders being OUTdoors, not so much INdoors.

I used to have a lot of paper wasps making nests on the soffits and porch roof, but updating both mostly eliminated that issue. My son pointed out that this wasp nest is probably from a mud dauber.

New topic: miniature conifers at the mall. For some reason, one of the local malls replaced some of the indoor houseplants with miniature conifers. They are in pots they will probably outgrow, so I am curious to see how long they last.

My research has revealed that just because the name of a plant includes "miniature" doesn't mean it will stay miniature in size. Sometimes it means it just won't get as big as its larger cousins, which may still be too big for its intended location.

Today we *finally* got some rain. Not enough, but maybe the grass in the lawn will become less brittle. Lots of Canada geese have been using our neighborhood as a stopover on their way south; a few mallards do the same down by the pond. Even the starlings are beginning to change to their winter plumage. Winter will be here *someday*.

(If you miss seeing ice and snow, I recommend watching "True Detective: Night Country". It takes place in Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle, but was filmed in Finland. Brrr!!!)