Spring Valley Roses

Best way to attract birds to your yard!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 22:23:00 +0000

Northern Cardinal perching on an Aronia shrub

What can you do to get birds to visit your yard and garden? Plant trees and shrubs! Specifically, evergreen trees and fruit-bearing shrubs.

Bird feeders and bird baths attract birds, but you'll have fewer birds without trees and shrubs for birds to perch, rest and hide from predators.

This makes sense when you think about it. And recent research showed that yards with more evergreen trees and fruit-bearing shrubs had more native bird species.

Researchers studied 25 sites near Chicago to record bird and plant species, and they surveyed over 900 residents about plants types in their yard and whether or not they bird feeders. The researchers found little connection between the number of bird feeders and the number of bird species present. But, those yards with evergreen trees and fruit-bearing shrubs had a much higher number of bird species.

Northern Cardinal resting in a Western Cedar tree.

We've found that feeders placed near evergreen trees and shrubs attract a lot more birds than feeders in more open areas. They feel safer and can quickly escape from predators like hawks. And they have places to perch and scope out the area before they visit the feeder.

Northern Cardinals at a busy bird feeder near a Cedar Tree.

Evergreen trees also offer shelter from the weather. When it's cold and windy, the birds will perch in the evergreens where it's sheltered from the wind.

Bluejay perching on a snow-covered Cedar branch.

The variety of birds in our gardens really increased when we planted fruit-bearing shrubs. The flowers in the spring bring in insects that the birds eat. And the fruits attract all kinds of birds that would never visit a seed feeder, such as Cedar Waxwings.

Cedar Waxwings eating Winterberry fruit.

Conifers also add alot of interest in the winter when there's little color in the garden. And their vertical structure provides focal points and frames your garden.

A variety of evergreen trees and shrubs add interest to the winter garden.

Fruiting shrubs are beautiful in bloom and often the fruit can be shared with the birds, if you can get to it before they do!

Cedar Waxwings eating Amelanchier (Juneberry) fruit.

Both conifers and fruiting shrubs also offer nesting and roosting places for birds. You may see more bird species during spring and fall migration that will rest in your garden during the migratory season.

So, if you've put out bird feeders into an open backyard and haven't had many birds visit, it may be time to plant some evergreens and some fruit-bearing shrubs!

How to Prevent Birds from Crashing Into Your Windows

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 16:51:00 +0000

Thump. We've all heard that sickening sound when a bird hits a window. It's so sad! Even if a bird flies away, it's usually injured and will die.

Birds don't "see" glass, especially if it's reflecting the surrounding landscape, which is usually does. Some birds, will "attack" their reflection in the window during breeding season. Cardinals are especially known for doing this.

If you think about how a bird flies through narrow branches in a tree, it's easier to understand how they just need to "see" a narrow opening to fly through. So a window is just a reflection of their world. As an example, look at this photo of a swallow flying through a narrow opening:

Barn swallow flying through a narrow opening

Bird-window collisions have a huge impact on bird populations. Scientists estimate that a bird hits a window every 9 seconds! That means an estimated 1 billion birds die annually from striking windows.

How can we prevent birds from crashing into our windows?

What we've tried that didn't work:

Placing a hawk silhouette in the middle of the window. Birds got used to the predator silhouette and hit areas around the hanging silhouette. Here's an image of a hawk silhouette:

Sticky decals spaced far apart on a window. Birds hit the areas not covered by the decal. We didn't place the decals close enough. Here's what FLAP, a bird advocacy group, recommends for placing decals effectively:

Examples of how best to apply window decals. Source: FLAP

Window screens that are part of the window. Birds still hit the screen and then the hard window right behind it.

What we've tried that did work, but isn't the best for our windows or us:

Hanging reflective "scare" tape in long strips on the window frame. It works great! I used adhesive tape to attach the top of the strip to the window frame so the tape would move around in the breeze. But the tape left a sticky residue on the frame -- oops. And the flashing reflected back inside our house. The wind often blew the tape off the window frame. It was messy. But, it kept the birds from crashing into the window.

What we're trying this year:

Scare tape attached to suction cup hooks. Scare tape worked well, but attaching it with adhesive tape wasn't a good idea. I'll try the suction cup hooks instead. Scare tape comes in different widths and can be purchased on Amazon. Suction cup hooks can also be purchased on Amazon.
String wind curtain. This is just a row of thick string spaced every 6 inches and placed on the outside of the window. You can make your own or buy them at Bird Savers. I'll be using removable hooks attached to my window frames to hang the string curtain. You can buy suction cups with hooks also that attach right to the window.

Bird Savers string wind curtain. Source: Acopia Bird Savers

Feather guards: This is such a simple idea. Attach feathers to fish line and hang them on windows. Apparently, the feathers trigger a danger response in birds. It also breaks up the window opening and it adds movement to scare away the birds. But, like all deterents, they have to be spaced no further apart then 6 inches. You can purchase feather guards on Amazon, or make them yourself. Here's a video on how to make them - note that we'd place these 6-inches apart, not 16 inches:

Other methods from ornithology experts:

Scientists that study backyard birds have researched methods for preventing window collisions. Here's a list of what they recommend.

Bird tape. The American Bird Conservancy recommends applying a special tape to your windows to break up the reflection. It can be purchased on ABC's Web site.
Bird screen and netting. Screens or netting placed at least 2 inches from the window keeps birds from hitting the hard glass. Birds will still hit the screen, but apparently, most survive that unharmed. It's been 100% effective at preventing window collision deaths at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Here's a photo from their Web site showing the bird netting covering a window:

Bird netting covering a window at
Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Source Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Artistic window film. FLAP, a bird advocacy group, recommends this along with many other methods for preventing bird window collisions. Be sure to visit the FLAP Web site for more info. There's also a window film called "Collide Escape" that's available on Amazon.

Artistic window film. Source: ABC

Soap. Yes, soap. Take a bar of soap and make squiggly lines 6-inches apart on the outside of your windows. It works, but looks pretty funny. Eventually, it will wash off. The American Bird Conservancy has a flyer with information on how to apply the soap.

What works for you?

Have you found a method to keep birds from crashing into your window? If so, please share it with us!

Tough Winter? No Problem! Hardy Roses for Your Garden!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 17:02:00 +0000

What a tough winter we've had this year! It's one for the record books for cold and snow.

Are you worried about your plants and how they've survived this cold winter?

We're not worried about our roses! For the past 25 years, we've grown lots of roses in our gardens in Wisconsin and know which ones will survive our tough winters year after year.

We grow three different "classes" or types of hardy roses: Climbing, Rugosa and Shrub. Here's a quick list of our favorites from each class.

Climbing Roses

The hardiest of all Climbing roses is William Baffin. Its canes survive -50 degrees (Zone 2)! It has vigorous growth with canes up to 10-feet tall or more. You can attach it to a trellis, post or arbor for a spectacular show of blossoms. It has rigid canes, so it's also great for hedges. We sell a lot of these for hedges and our customers love it.

William Baffin - deep pink, semi-double blossoms; grow up to 10-feet tall with long, rigid canes. It blooms profusely in mid June to early/mid July, with clusters of up to 30 blossoms.

William Baffin rose blossoms

A hedge of William Baffin roses

We also offer other winter-hardy climbing roses, including John Cabot, John Davis and Henry Kelsey. They were developed in Canada and are named after Canadian explorers. They are beautiful in bloom and easy to grow. Try one for your garden!

Rugosa Roses

Rugosa roses are the most winter hardy of all the roses we grow. Most are hardy to Zone 3 or colder. They're also beautiful, fragrant and bloom all summer! They come in a wide range of colors from white to mauve. The blossoms can be single (5-petaled) or double (multi-petaled).

Most Rugosa roses also produce fruit called "rose hips" after they bloom. The blossoms are great for pollinating insects and you'll see lots of bumblebees on the blossoms. They're easily pruned to shape and also are great for hedges!

Here are three of our favorites that show the variety of blossom color, form and plant size in the Rugosa roses.

Belle Poitevine - pink, fragrant, double blossoms; grows up to 4-feet tall with a mounded shape. A beautiful rose with large, semi-double, medium-pink blossoms. The blooms are extremely fragrant and produced in flushes from early summer until frost.

Belle Poitevine Rugosa rose

Charles Albanel - mauve (pink/red), fragrant, double blossoms; grows up to 2-feet tall with a mounded shape. A wonderful rose in the garden and never disappoints us! Its fragrant blossoms have a mauve-red color and appear in abundance and June and then repeat until frost.

Charles Albanel Rugosa rose

Fru Dagmar Hastrup - light pink, fragrant, single blossoms; grows up to 4-feet tall with a mounded shape. A lovely rose that's always a great addition to any garden. Blossoms are a light-pink color with delicate-looking petals that have a wonderful rose fragrance. It blooms all summer, with large, colorful rose hips following the blossoms.

Fru Dagmar Rugosa rose blossoms

Rugosa rose hips

Shrub Roses

Shrub roses are a very diverse group with colors from white to reds. Not all Shrub roses are winter hardy, though, so be careful to choose one that is hardy to your area (see the hardiness Zone map). We've grown alot of Shrub roses over the years. Here are two of our time-proven favorites for winter hardiness, healthy foliage and easy growth:

Morden Blush - light pink, double blossoms; grow up to 2-feet tall. This rose has beautiful, light-pink buds that have a delicate hybrid-team form. It blooms continuously with large clusters of double, cream to light-pink, slightly fragrant blossoms that appear all summer and into fall.

Morden Blush Shrub rose blossoms

Sunrise Sunset - pink-yellow, semi-double blossoms; grows 2-3 feet tall. A lovely rose that's always in bloom from June to frost. Its blossoms are just beautiful -- the color is a blend of pinks with apricot yellow in the center.

Sunrise Sunset Shrub rose blossoms

Winter can be tough, but we have lots of roses that can handle tough winters and bring lots of beauty to your garden! See our catalog of plants available to order now for spring delivery!

Winter Birds Brighten the Winter Landscape

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:18:00 +0000

Watching our backyard birds is one of the joys of our long, cold winters!

Cardinals at the sunflower seeder

Even though the landscape may look bleak in February, the birds add lots of color and life to our gardens.

Bluejay

Birds flock to yards and gardens when they have what they need:

shelter
food and
water.

And we think that's the order of importance to birds, too.

If you've put out food and water, but don't have a place for birds to perch or hide from predators or take shelter from the weather, then you may not have many birds visiting your feeders.

The photo below shows food that we've scattered on the ground next to a large Spruce tree. We watch the birds dart in and out of the tree to hide and to rest between feedings. A mix of trees and shrubs is great for attracting birds -- especially if the shrubs also have fruit that the birds eat. At least one conifer is great for offering shelter to birds in the winter.

Bluejays stopping by for breakfast on a cold winter morning

Water is really important for birds in the winter. We keep a small pond running all winter by placing a small heater in the bottom. This really brings in the birds!

Water brings in the birds! A Red-bellied Woodpecker shares the pond with a Cardinal and a Goldfinch

After shelter and water, food obviously brings in the birds. Here's a mixed flock eating sunflower seeds:

Bluejays, Cardinals, Juncos and a squirrel share sunflower seeds at a feeder in winter.

A mix of food helps to attract a variety of birds. Black-oil sunflower seeds will bring in the most seed-eating birds. Goldfinches and Juncos really like thistle seed. And Woodpeckers can't resist suet!

A Redbellied Woodpecker shares a feeder with a Bluejay

Watching your birds will teach you alot about their behavior. Some are aggressive, some are meek. Some are almost tame and will let you approach if they're used to you. Bluejays may be bullies, but they also warn other birds about any dangers with their alarm calls.

A Nuthatch and a Goldfinch

The winter makes great opportunities to watch our birds and to take some pretty photos of them in the snow.

Bluejay in snow

Cardinal in the snow

If you enjoy watching your backyard birds and would like to learn more, visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Backyard Bird Web site. They have information on all of our backyard birds, and you can sign up to participate in Citizen Science project to help learn more about our birds to help protect them.

Be sure to visit our Web site to learn more about Plants for Birds that we offer. These plants are great for attracting fruit-eating birds like Orioles, Cedar Waxwings and a variety of other birds.

A beautiful male Cardinal in winter.

A cute little Junco

New Plants Offered for 2014!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 01:03:00 +0000

We're excited about the new plants that we're offering this year! We're always looking for new, hardy, easy-to-grow plants that are great additions to your garden.

Here's a quick list with photos of the new plants available this year. All of these plants are available to order on our Web site at http://www.springvalleyroses.com/catalog/

Roses

Head Over Heels - a newer Shrub rose with clusters of light-pink blossoms that cover the plant most of the summer.

Head Over Heels Shrub Rose

Navy Lady - rich, dark-red velvet blossoms. It blooms profusely in the early summer and repeat blooms until frost.

Navy Lady Shrub Rose

Flowering Shrubs - Plants for Birds

Aronia m. 'Viking' - A fantastic shrub with beautiful white flowers in the spring, followed by edible dark-blue/black fruit.

Aronia m. 'Viking'

Ilex verticillata 'Wildfire' Winterberry - offers multi-season interest in the garden with tiny white flowers in the spring, dark-freen foliage, and abundant bright-red fruit in the fall.

Wildfire Winterberry

Philadelphus 'Snow White' Mockorange - this plant all the great traits of a mockorange, but in a compact size. And it blooms more than once! The beautiful white flowers are incredibly fragrant.

'Snow White' Mockorange

Prunus tomentosa 'Nanking Cherry' - the easiest cherry to grow in northern climates!

Nanking Cherry

Rhus typhina Staghorn Sumac - adds four seasons of interest to your garden.

Staghorn Sumac in the Fall

Salix discolor Pussy Willow - A classic pussy willow with soft, silvery catkins that emerge on the branches when the weather starts to warm in early spring.

Pussy Willow

Tree Peonies

High Noon Tree Peony - beautiful, very large, bright-yellow blossoms with ruffled, satin-like petals.

High Noon Tree Peony

Renkaku Tree Peony -large, white, fully double blossoms that cover this plant when in full bloom.

Renkaku Tree Peony

Vines

Kintzley's Ghost' Honeysuckle Vine - showy, yellow, tubular flowers that cover the vine in June. The flowers are held above by silvery grey bracts that look like Eucalyptus leaves.

Kintzley's Ghost Honeysuckle Vine

Wildflowers in Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 16:36:00 +0000

We are really lucky to have a wide variety of native wildflowers growing in the woods at our nursery. What's interesting, is that many of these are now in our gardens. We didn't plant any of them -- they just showed up! We're thinking the birds must be bringing in the seeds. Or, they're showing up in the mulch that we put on the garden beds.

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) - a hummingbird magnet! Grows 1-2 feet tall and self seeds when it's happy.

Our area has wet soils and is heavily wooded, so it's great habitat for native wildflowers. Most of these are rare and protected species (illegal to dig up), so we value them even more!

Enjoy the photos of these lovely native wildflowers. If you want wildflowers in your garden, please buy them from a licensed nursery that has propagated these plants to ensure that the wild populations aren't destroyed. That way, our treasured native wildflowers will be available for generations to come to enjoy!

Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquifolia) - a low-growing spring ephemeral that blankets the ground in our woods.

Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum). The leaves look like speckled trout, hence the name. Nodding flowers that form seed pods that will expand the area of this plant quickly in the right conditions.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). The flowers appear first above the deeply lobed, fan-like foliage. The roots have a red sap, which is how this plant got its name.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum). These are amazing flowers! It has one or 2 very large leaves that are divided into three leaflets. The flowers are followed by a cluster of red seedpods or fruit. Just amazing.

Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica). We first noticed these growing in our lawn! They are about 3-inches tall and have strap-like leaves. The flowers are so dainty and beautiful!

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum). These blanket the woods in the spring! The leaf characteristics are in the name "tri" or three that appear in what's called a whorl. The large flowers start out white and then fade to pink. Just gorgeous!

Wood Violet (Viola sororia). The pretty little violets are all over our garden and woods. They self-seed readily to the point of becoming weedy in our vegetable gardens! But, even though they are common for us, they're still uncommon where their habitat has been lost.

We're so glad to share these photos of our native wildflowers. Please remember that if you want these rare and protected plants in your garden, please buy them from a licensed nursery that has propaged these plants so that the native plants are not destroyed and are available for future generations to enjoy!

Clouds of Amelanchier Blossoms

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:29:00 +0000

The Amelanchiers are at their peak right now in mid May here in Wisconsin. The shrubs are covered in blossoms! They surround you in blossoms -- it's like walking through clouds.

Amelanchiers in full bloom in May

There are many species and varieties of Amelanchier. Some are shrubs and some grow as small trees. As you can see, they're covered in white blossoms in the spring, which are followed by blue fruits that birds absolutely adore!

Blossoms cover these plants in May

It's hard to describe what it's like to be surrounded by these plants when they're in full bloom. It's like walking in the clouds.

Amelanchier grandiflora 'Princess Diana' in full bloom

Amelanchier canadensis on the left and Amelanchier grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance' on the right

Amelanchier arborea - the most tree-like of the Amelanchiers

The blossoms aren't just beautiful. They're an important nectar source for insects in the spring.

Amelanchiers are commonly called Juneberries ('cause their fruit ripens in June), Serviceberries and Saskatoons. As noted above, birds go crazy for the fruit.

Amelanchiers are most often grown for its sweet fruit that is relished by birds. Over 42 species of birds eat the fruit! The fruit is also good for eating out of hand and for jellies. Native Americans used Amelanchier fruit in making Pemican, a staple of their diet.

Amelanchier fruit

Amelanchiers are very winter hardy and easy to grow in average garden soil from Zone 3/4 to 8. Most aren't bothered by disease and insects. And, they're native to North America!

They're also very showy in the fall with orange to red foliage.

We offer a wonderful shrub version of Amelanchier canadensis, called 'Regent'. See our Web site for information about this variety.

Here's a video of the Amelanchiers in bloom. Enjoy!

Daffodils!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:04:00 +0000

If there's one bulb to plant in your garden, it should be daffodils!

Daffodils!

Why? Rabbits and deer don't eat them. They are available in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors -- not just the common yellow trumpets, not that those aren't fabulous!!

Here's a few examples of the varieties we have in our gardens. We just adore these flowers and desperately need to see them in the spring!

Oh, and did we mention that daffodils come back reliably every year? And they multiply over time, so one bulb will grow to many bulbs? Oh yeah, and they make great cut flowers!! What's not to like?

We also adore Narcissus, which are in the Daffodil family. These have incredible fragrance. The common "paper whites" that we start indoors in the winter are Narcissus. They are similar to Daffodils in appearance, but the fragrance puts them in a whole different category. Be sure to plant some Narcisuss, too!

Snow in May?!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 May 2013 23:11:00 +0000

Wow, what a weird "spring" we're having this year! First, lots of snow in April. Lots! Take a look at this photo from April 23:

Big snowstorm on April 23, 2013

Well, that was crazy! Then it warmed up and we thought that spring had finally arrived. Here's my dog lounging on the last snowbank a few days later when the temps got into the 60s:

Then, the forecast called for more snow. What?! We couldn't believe it. And we were in the bullseye for getting the most snow. The day before it hit, the Orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks returned! We were so worried about these tropical birds surviving the snow and cold. Here's what we woke up to on May 2, 2013 - 14 inches of snow!

14 inches of snow on May 2, 2013!

But, we heard the birds calling. It is spring and it is May after all! We made sure there was lots of seeds, suet and jelly out for the birds. And this is what we saw:

Oriole on snow-covered feeder in May

Here's a bird house with a snowcap

We're hoping for warm weather and sun tomorrow. It's in the forecast, at least! Let's hope for more normal weather the rest of this spring and summer.

Full Moon Bird Migration!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:04:00 +0000

Spring has finally arrived! The warm weather and the full moon brought in a lot of new migrating birds yesterday. They're all a few weeks later than usual, but we're so happy to see them.

Lots of birds migrate at night, especially during a full moon. The light of the moon guides their way. And they're protected from most predators at night.

We know they migrate at night because we see them and hear their songs in the morning, where they weren't there the day before. Plus, those who study bird migration have long-known about night-time migration of many birds by capturing birds in nets -- primarily at night -- for monitoring and banding.

After last night's full moon, we've heard and seen Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, White Throated Sparrows, White Crowned Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows and Bluebirds! These have joined the really early migrants that got caught in our late spring snowstorms in April: Red-winged Blackbirds, Fox Sparrows, Grackles and Robins.

Here's a photo of a Brown Thrasher taken last evening. It was trying to get suet out of the feeder. They're hungry after a long flight to get here.

Brown Thrasher

The male Brown Thrasher has a beautiful, long and variable song that doesn't seem to have a definitive beginning and end. It sounds a lot like a mockingbirds type of call. Some describe the call with the words, “plant a seed, plant a seed, bury it, bury it, cover it up, cover it up, let it grow, let it grow, pull it up, pull it up, eat it, eat it.” So, lots of people know it's time to plant their gardens when the hear the Brown Thrasher singing! I like that idea.

Here's a video we took last year of a male Brown Thrasher singing in our garden:

We're always so happy to hear the twittering of the Tree Swallows as they fly like dolphins in the sky around the pasture. Pairs of these acrobatic birds go from birdhouse to birdhouse as they establish their territory, renew mating bonds and claim a nestbox. They line their nests with feathers. If you're patient and lucky, sometimes you can offer them feathers by throwing them up in the air. They'll swoop in a grab the feather in their mouth and fly off. It's an amazing experience -- try it!

A Tree swallow on a nest box

Another beautiful bird that nests in birdhouses in the pasture is the beloved Bluebird. They have a sweet, faint call that reminds me of a Robin call. Actually, they're related! These birds really need our help, so providing nest boxes really makes a difference in their population. Be sure to keep the box protected from predators and monitor them throughout the summer. They'll raise two clutches of babies each summer here in Wisconsin.

Bluebird

We've also heard the first Chipping Sparrow. I got a glimpse of him this morning as he was announcing his arrival. They nest in our rose bushes and make a grass-lined nest a few feet off the ground. They'll also nest a few times each summer and raise batches of babies. We regularly check the nests for Cowbird eggs to ensure that the little "Chippies" don't end up raising a parasitic Cowbird instead of their own babies!

Chipping Sparrow

And one of our favorite migrants is the White Throated Sparrow. It stops at our gardens for about two weeks each spring and fall on its migration north and then south. I can't wait to hear their song, which sounds like "Old Man Peabody, Peabody, Peabody."

White Throated Sparrow

We highlighted this sweet little bird in a posting last year: White Throated Sparrows.

To learn more about bird migration and the birds we've highlighted on this posting, be sure to check out All About Birds at Cornell University. It's a great resource for those who want to learn more about their backyard birds!

Where's Spring?!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:18:00 +0000

Winter just doesn't want to let go of it's grip on us this year. We got another snowstorm last night and today it looks like January instead of April!

Here's what our gardens looked like last year on April 2, 2012:

We've had four weekends in a row with snowstorms in late March and through April. Spring just can't make any headway here in Wisconsin.

So, what might be causing this "stuck" weather pattern that we're in? One theory for this is called "arctic amplification."

I first heard about this from meteorologist, Paul Huttner in his blog. His quick explanation of arctic amplification is that it works like this:

A warmer Arctic reduces temp contrasts between the poles and tropics.
Less temps contrast = slower jet streams.
Deeper, more "amplified "Rossby Waves" (that change weather patterns) get stuck in place for longer periods.
Stuck jet streams = fewer changes and more persistent droughts, floods, cold outbreaks, etc.

Next time you watch the weather report, take a look at the maps showing jet streams and fronts. They're always in curvy, wavy lines. So, the longer and wider the curves of the jet streams, the slower they move, apparently.

As gardeners, we set our gardening patterns on the weather patterns for planting, pruning, harvesting and enjoying. Who knows, maybe this arctic amplification theory is right? Or maybe it's just one of many reasons to explain the late spring we're having. Either way, I can't wait to see the daffodils again!

If you'd like to learn more about arctic amplification, here's a really good and fairly easy to understand video by Jennifer Francis of Rutgers University.

Fox Sparrows and April Snowstorms

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:37:00 +0000

A Fox Sparrow in the snow during an April snowstorm in Wisconsin

This spring has been tough on the early migrating birds. We had a brief warm-up in early April, which brought in the first of the early migrants: Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles, Robins, Song Sparrows and Fox Sparrows.

And then winter returned. We've had blizzard-like conditions the last two weekends that dumped another 6 inches of snow on the gardens.

As a result, the bird feeders are really popular with lots of frantic bird activity. We've never seen birds in such a hyper-active mode at the feeders as they gobble up the seeds and suet.

But, this has given us a chance to see migrants up close and in flocks. We usually see only one or two Fox Sparrows, but this year, we're seeing flocks!

Fox Sparrows are larger than most sparrows and they have an orange-color to their feathers. They like to scratch around in the dirt for bugs and other good things to eat. You'll see them kicking their legs back and forth as they forage for food.

And, they've been singing! We've had lots of opportunities to hear their beautiful call. To hear the song, go to the Fox Sparrow All About Birds page (Cornell University).

We're on the migration path for these birds from their winter homes in the southern U.S. to their breeding grounds way up in Canada to Alaska.

The snowstorms and cold weather had us worried about these migratory birds. Imagine having to fly hundreds of miles and then land in the middle of winter with little food to recharge your energy! We're glad that they readily ate the black-oiler sunflower seeds at our feeders. We hope that helped them get through the late snowstorms here in Wisconsin.

They'll be leaving for their summer breeding grounds soon -- if our weather ever warms up! Yup, another snowstorm is in the forecast. Sure hope the snow melts sometime in May!

The Secret Cardinal Song

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:19:00 +0000

The Cardinals are really starting to sing now that the days are getting longer.

Male Cardinal

They start to get territorial once spring really arrives. But, they're still showing up in large groups at the feeders in the early evening.

A gathering of cardinals in the evening.

This week, I filmed a male Cardinal getting his song back. If you listen carefully at the end of the loud call, you'll hear a secondary trill. It's very subtle and not loud. It's like a "secret call" that only attentive listeners (and other Cardinals) can hear. You can see his beak moving as he sings the secondary trill.

The Cardinals are wonderful to have in our gardens. They're the first to sing in the morning and often the last to sing at night. And they sing from March through September!

They love black-oiler sunflower seeds and nest in the many of the shrubs we have in the garden. Of course, year-round water is a must and really attracts the birds to the garden!

House Finches!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:58:00 +0000

A male House Finch showing off his beautiful red color in the winter garden

House Finches are wonderful to have in your yard and garden. The males show pretty reddish colors on their head and chests. Both males and females have brownish stripes on their bodies.

The males have a beautiful song that they sing throughout the year, but mostly in the spring and summer.

These birds have recently moved from the Western U.S. to the Eastern U.S. and are now common in rural to urban areas.

House Finches eat mostly seeds and fruits, and are one of the few bird species that feeds its young seeds and other plant material -- no bugs!

House Finches on a tube feeder eating black-oiler sunflower seeds

An interesting fact about House Finches is that the red color of the male depends on the food it eats! Some foods make the colors redder and some make it more a lighter color, from pink to orange! That's why there's so much color variation in these birds.

The female House Finch is primarily brownish color with brown stripes on its head and chest.

A female House Finch

Purple Finches are closely related to House Finches but have less stripes on the males. It's hard to tell these apart sometimes.

House Finches are very social birds and are almost always seen in flocks. They'll nest repeatedly throughout the summer - in some places up to 6 broods a season!

If you're fortunate to have these pretty birds in your garden, be sure to keep your feeders clean -- especially the tube feeders. These may spread an eye disease that are affecting House Finches. We actually take down the tube feeders in the summer to protect our House Finches.

To attract these birds to your yard and garden, use black-oil sunflower and thistle seeds in feeders. Since they love fruits, be sure to plant fruit-bearing shrubs like Aronia, Juneberry, Viburnum and Winterberry. These provide food, shelter and nesting spots for House Finches and other birds. And be sure to provide water. Sometimes water attracts more birds than anything else -- especially in the winter.

Learn more about House Finches and hear their lovely song at Cornell University's All about Birds Web site.

New Roses for 2013!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 18:08:00 +0000

Harlow Carr a beautiful new rose!
Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses

It's only 8 degrees above zero this morning, so we're dreaming of spring!

And there's nothing better than seeing colorful photos of beautiful roses to help brighten a cold winter day. So, here's a highlight of the new roses we're offering this year.

New English Roses

We've grown the lovely English roses for years and are so excited to offer some of the best to our customers this year. English roses are developed by David Austin and have the best characteristics of Old Garden roses, along with all features we really want in roses today: repeat bloom, fragrance, hardiness and healthy foliage.

Until recently, most of the English roses weren't hardy enough to get through our supercold winters here in Wisconsin. But, David Austin and his team put alot of work into developing "gardener friendly" roses that are much hardier and easy to grow. And, lucky us, that included some yellow-blooming varieties!

So, here are the new English roses we're offering this year.

Charlotte

Charlotte is one of the most beautiful of the English Roses and one of the most winter hardy! Did we mention that it's also wonderfully fragrant? Oh, and it repeat blooms all summer, too!

Charlotte Rose, photo courtesy of David Austin Roses

Charlotte is also "gardener friendly" in that it's very easy to grow. It has healthy foliage and is very winter hardy. It grows well in the cold regions of Zone 4 with minimal cane dieback. All you have to do is prune the canes back to green growth in the spring and get ready for a summer of blossoms. If you live in the nothern part of Zone 4 or up in to Zone 3, be sure to cover the crown in the fall with a layer of mulch up to about 6-inches to protect the plant from really cold temperatures.

Charlotte was named after David Austin's granddaughter. So, you know it's a great rose to be worthy of that name!

Charlotte has compact, bushy growth to about 4-feet tall and 3-feet wide. Plant size will be smaller in colder climates. This is a great choice for a hardy, yellow-blooming shrub rose.

Charlotte Rose, photo courtesy of David Austin Roses

If you're interested in ordering this rose, it's available to order online on our Web site.

Crown Princess Margareta

Crown Princess Margareta has beautiful and wonderfully fragrant blossoms in a lovely apricot color. The blossoms appear in clusters all summer long, since it repeat-blooms 'til frost.

Crown Princess Margareta, photo courtesy of David Austin Roses

Over the years, we've had so many customers ask us for a climbing rose that has yellowish, fragrant blossoms. We told them they had to move to a warmer climate or be prepared to do some major work to protect the plant from the cold. Well, this rose is pretty close to what we've been looking for!

Crown Princess Margareta has tall, arching growth, that makes it suitable for a low climber for those who are looking for that elusive winter-hardy yellow-blossomed climbing rose! This rose grows to about 5-feet tall and 4-feet wide. So, the tall canes can be attached to a trellis or pillar where you can "train" it to grow up the support.

Crown Princess Margareta, photo courtesy of David Austin Roses

Crown Princess Margareta is also very healthy and hardy, and thrives in a range of climates and growing conditions. It is winter hardy to Zone 4 with minimal cane dieback -- just prune in the spring and it quickly regrows to bloom all summer

This rose was named after Crow Princess Margareta of Sweden, who was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was also an avid landscape gardener and loved roses.

The Crown Princess Margareta rose is a great choice for those looking for a fragrant, apricot/yellow rose with taller growth. One of our new favorites!

If you're interested in ordering this rose, it's available to order online on our Web site.

Harlow Carr

Harlow Carr is a beautiful and very fragrant rose that covers itself in pink blossoms all summer! It is noted as being one of the most free-flowering of all the English Roses.

Harlow Carr, photo courtesy of David Austin Roses

To make this lovely rose even more wonderful, its healthy foliage and winter hardiness make it very "gardener friendly."

Harlow Carr is is winter hardy to Zone 4 with minimal cane dieback -- just prune back a little in the spring and get ready for a summer of blossoms. This rose blooms best when spent blossoms are removed (called "deadheading").

Harlow Carr has compact, mounded growth to about 4-feet tall and 3-feet wide. It's great for adding to your mixed border or as a low hedge.

Harlow Carr, photo courtesy of David Austin Roses

This rose was named after the Royal Horticultural Society garden in Yorkshire, UK.

The Harlow Carr rose is a great choice for a hardy, pink-blooming rose that has wonderful fragrance and the charm of an old garden rose.

If you're interested in ordering this rose, it's available to order online on our Web site.

New Rugosa Rose

Marie Bugnet

Marie Bugnet is one of the first roses to bloom in the garden. The fragrant blossoms are a beautiful pure white that appear in clusters all summer. As you can see in the photo below, the buds have some pinkish-red color on the petal edges.

Marie Bugnet Rose

Marie Bugnet is a Rugosa rose, but has lighter-colored leaves and not as deeply veined leaves as a typical Rugosa rose.

Marie Bugnet is the sister of another lovely rose, Therese Bugnet, and has the same winter hardiness but is smaller in size.

This beautiful rose grows into a mounded shrub with light-green foliage with red canes that are attractive in the winter. Marie Bugnet has healthy foliage and is completely winter hardy. Winter hardy to Zone 3.

If you're interested in ordering this rose, it's available to order online on our Web site.

We hope these colorful photos of roses gave you an enjoyable break from winter!

Tree Peonies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:55:00 +0000

The Tree Peonies have started to bloom! The flowers are huge and incredibly beautiful. Tree Peonies originated in China, where at one time, only the Emperor was allowed to own one. One look at the blossoms and I can understand why!

Shimanishki Tree Peony

Tree Peonies aren't "trees." They're a woody shrub. Unlike garden peonies, these plants have hard, woody stems that don't dieback in the winter.

Tree Peonies are easy to grow, but take awhile to get established. But, these plants have been known to live over 100 years!

Tree Peonies blossoms come in a wide range of colors, from white to dark purple. Here are a few of our favorites:

Yachiyotsubaki

Yaezakura on left and Godaishu on right

Kamatanishiki

Kinshi

Shimanishiki

Yachiyotsubaki - see how big the flower is!!

How to Grow

Tree Peonies do best in a sunny to partly shady site, in average, well-drained, evenly moist garden soil that has a neutral pH. Space plants 3-feet apart for a hedge. Tree Peonies rarely need pruning, except to maintain a desired shape and size or to remove damaged canes.

Oh, and one great feature. The deer and rabbits don't eat Tree Peonies! Hooray!

Learn more about Tree Peonies on our Web site at http://www.springvalleyroses.com/catalog/treepeonies.html

Daffodils in Bloom

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 May 2012 02:28:00 +0000

Daffodils are the stars of the garden this time of the year! We've planted so many different varieties over the years, that we've forgotten the names of most. But, every year, there are more and they seem more glorious each spring.

The fragrance is intoxicating on many of the varieties, especially the late-blooming "Jonquil" type Daffodils that have multiple blossoms per stem.

What's the difference between a Daffodil, a Naricissus and a Jonquil? Narcissus is the Latin or botanical name for Daffodils. According to the American Daffodil Society, a Jonquil is a type of Daffodil that has multiple flower and rounded foliage.

There is so much diversity in Daffodil varieties, from color to form to bloom time. We've managed to add varieties to our gardens that give us a bloom time of over 6 weeks! The blossoms can handle temperatures in the 20s at night and still keep blooming. And the deer, rabbits and mice leave Daffodils alone. They seem like the perfect plant!

Here are more photos of Daffodils in the garden. Enjoy!

Bird of the Week: White-throated Sparrow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Our favorite bird this week is the White-throated Sparrow.

We see this bird twice a year as it migrates through in spring and fall. Like most birds, we hear it before we see it.

The White-throated Sparrow has a very distinctive call, with the first two notes clear and straight and one note apart on the scale, which is a followed by a slurred-stacato on the same note, repeated three times. When translated to English (haha), the call sounds like the bird is saying, "Old man, peabody, peabody, peabody." Others hear the words, "Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada." I personally like "peabody," so I call them the "Mr. Peabody birds." Either way, it's easy to identify the call.

Like many of our native sparrows, White-throated Sparrows have beautiful feathers with easy-to-recognize markings. The name fits the markings! Many times, the name given to the birds doesn't match at all, but this time it does.

In the spring, White-throated Sparrows show up at our nursery just after the Juncos leave. The Juncos are our winter birds they stay until Spring, then migrate up to northern Canada to nest. The White-throated Sparrows also nest in Canada and Alaska. They winter in southern U.S. and Mexico. With their long migration, it's no wonder why they stay for two weeks at our place to recharge their batteries before they head to their nesting area!

In the fall, the White-throated Sparrows arrive before the Juncos and stay again for another two weeks. They don't call as often, but they still call -- probably to keep the flock together (we assume). After they leave, the Juncos show up and we know that winter is just around the corner.

These sparrows will readily eat sunflower seeds, but you'll only see them foraging on the ground. They'll scratch the soil and grass for things to eat: usually seeds and bugs.

To help these birds during migration, the dense shrub plantings in our garden provide shelter from predators, roosting places to rest during the day and night, and food sources. We also have ponds and bird baths for the all-important water. It's easy to make your garden attractive to birds by planting a mix of deciduous and evergreen shrubs, seed and flower-producing perennials and a bird bath.

Learn more about these wonderful birds at All About Birds, Cornell University Web site.

Bird of the Week: Robin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:06:00 +0000

American Robin

Wow, spring is early this year! It's forecast to be in the 60s all next week, which is crazy for Wisconsin.

In "normal" winters, the first sign of spring is seeing a Robin. Most people can recognize an American Robin -- the red breast of Robins is unmistakable.

But, this year, I saw flocks of Robins all winter! They rarely overwinter here in Wisconsin (at least in the olden days!). It must be that if they can find enough to eat, they'll stick around.

Robins hang out in flocks throughout the winter and then go their separate ways to stake out breeding territory in the spring. They're one of the first birds to start nesting in the spring and can raise two broods each season.

Robin nest with blue eggs

Robin nests are made by the females out of mud and grass and have a deep grass-lined cup containing three or four blue eggs. Watch for the broken blue eggs shells on your lawn during nesting season. The parents dispose of them far away from the nests.

It's common to find Robin nests in evergreen shrubs next to our houses. They prefer evergreens for protection -- especially from cats. A well-forked branch in a shrub or small tree is also a common place to find a Robin nest.

But one year, a Robin insisted on building her nest on a tire of our old truck. The wheel-well provided good shelter. We couldn't drive that truck until the babies fledged!

When the young first leave the nest, they are very vulnerable to cat predation. So be sure to keep your cats inside where they can watch the robins from a window.

Robins are one of the first birds to start singing in the morning and the last to stop in the evening. So, listen for them in the morning and at dusk.

Robins eat insects and fruit. The classic picture we all have in our minds is watching Robins hunting for worms on our lawns. They also like to eat grasshoppers, beetles, termites and other insects.

In the winter, Robins live primarily on dried fruit, so be sure to have lots of shrubs and trees in your garden that retain the fruit all winter. Good choices are winterberries and crabapples.

If you want to attract Robins to your back yard, here are some good plants for food and shelter for Robins: crabapples, dogwoods, elderberries, hackberry, hawthorns, sumac, serviceberries, wild cherries, wild grapes, wild raspberries, winterberries, viburnums, wild roses and evergreen trees and shrubs.

Spring Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:17:00 +0000

It was 60 degrees outside for a week in mid March! That's crazy weather for Wisconsin. But, it made for a great opportunity to clean out the ponds.

Ick. Talk about pond scum! It really took some scrubbing to get the pond-scum smell off my hands!

But, it was so well worth it to see the clean ponds all ready for the frogs and toads. And it was important to get the water cleaned for the birds. The water attracts more birds than anything else in our garden. So, having clean water for them is super important, especially for the migratory birds. They really need water after their long migration.

Enjoy the photos!

Spring is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:18:00 +0000

What a difference a week makes! Last week I was freezing, and this week, it got into the 50s and we had a thunderstorm -- in March!

With warmer temperatures and snow melting, it's time to clean out the bird houses. While I was outside, I heard a flock of migrating Sandhill Cranes overhead. What a rare treat to hear a flock of them. They're so rare.

And the Redwinged Blackbirds are back! They're the first birds to return each spring. Flocks of robins have returned also. But, the Cardinals knew that spring was coming. They've been singing for over a week now.

This is the best time of the year. It's so great to see the ground again and to hear the familiar songs of the birds.

Spring is here!

The Orioles are Back!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:53:00 +0000

The Orioles came back yesterday, April 30! That's one day earlier than last year. Here's a picture of a male Northern Oriole eating grape jelly at a feeder in our garden.

I heard a House Wren calling this morning, too. So, spring is really here.

For anyone interested in phenology, the Toads are really early this year. They usually don't start singing until mid May or later. This year, they're about a month early. Here's a photo of what they're up to in our pond. The eggs are the long, squiggly black strings.

The wildflowers are blooming early, too. Here's a picture of Bloodroot in bloom. It's one of the spring ephemerals. It blooms quickly and then the foliage dies back and the plant goes dormant in late June, only to remerge again the following spring. They're called "Bloodroot" because the inside of the root is red.

The Birds are Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:58:00 +0000

Spring migration has started! I always hear the birds before I see them. The first migrant I heard was, of course, a Robin. But, they've been sort of overwintering here in Wisconsin the last few years. So, who knows where they "migrated" from.

The first true migrant I heard was the Bluebird. It always takes my brain a few seconds to process the familiar sound as something I haven't heard in 10 months! The Bluebirds first showed up at the end of March.

Bluebirds were followed by Song Sparrows and Killdeer. The Woodcocks started calling in the fields in the evening the first week in April.

Trumpeter Swans migrated overhead for a few weeks from late March through early April. We'd sometimes hear them at night.

The Phoebes came back on April 10. And on April 11, the first Tree Swallows showed up! Now, I really believe that winter is over.

A Field Sparrow called this morning. I love it's slightly mournful, but beautiful, call.

The White-Throated Sparrows should be showing up any day now.

Often, it's hard to see the birds well enough to identify them. But, their calls are unmistakable.

Get a good CD of bird calls to learn how to "bird by ear." Anything by Lang Elliot is worth every penny.

Help Track Climate Change in Your Backyard!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:15:00 +0000

Do you keep track of when the robins come back each spring? I started jotting notes on my Weather Calendar each year for when I saw the first bluebird or heard the first spring peeper.

Now, there's an opportunity for all of us to send in our nature notes to a Web site that will track all of our data nationwide. It's a great opportunity to see what might be changing over the years by enlisting an army of citizen volunteers.

It's easy to sign up (I just did it). Go to http://www.usanpn.org/?q=content/participate and sign up. They provide a list of the plants that they'd like you to monitor.

What they're looking for is when do leave emerge, flowers open and fruits ripen.

They'll be adding more features in the future, like a place to upload any phenology data that you've recorded over the years. That will be posted along with Aldo Leopold's data!

They'll also be adding more species of plants and animals in the future.

So turn that hobby into a contribution to science!

Redpolls and Siskins and Crossbills, Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:20:00 +0000

It must be a bad winter in Canada this year 'cause we have alot of birds at our feeders that usually don't come this far south.

For the first time in 20 years, we have White-Winged Crossbills! I'd heard that they were spotted in our area, so I was watching for them. When I finally spotted one in the heated bird bath, I was surprised at how big they were. They're just a little smaller than a Cedar Waxwing, but larger than a finch, junco or sparrow.

You can't miss the males -- they're a ruby red color with white bands on their wings. It was hard to see the crossed bills with my binoculars, but once I got a look, that was strange to see, too.

The Pine Siskins and Redpolls are occasional winter visitors to our feeders. But, this year, we have flocks of them.

All of these northern birds eat spruce seeds, so the seed crop in Canada must have been pretty small this year. When there's no food to eat, the birds migrate south in search of seeds.

We have lots of spruce trees in 50 acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land. As we walk through the woods, we hear and see the Siskins and Redpolls.

So, keep an eye on your feeders -- you never know what you might see!