Jane McKeon

summer’s humming right along

Written on August 13, 2010 at 3:42 pm , by Jane McKeon

Summer ends in a whir of wings in my yard. While some gardens are winding down for the season, mine is revving up with late-season flowers that cater to the sweet appetites of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. Perennials such as hyssop (Agastache), butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), and cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), join the 24/7 dessert buffet provided by long-blooming annuals, including begonia, lantana, cardinal climber, Pentas, petunia, salvia, and zinnia.

Where have these thumb-size iridescent cuties been all summer? No doubt they’ve been noshing on native blooms and bugs in fields near my home. Just this week, though, I spotted a female hummer hovering in front of my kitchen window as if to say, “Hey, you! Didn’t you have a feeder hanging in this very spot last year?” It’s true: Hummingbirds have amazing memories. They return to the same nectar-rich gardens each year.

August and September bloomers are especially important to the Ruby-Throated (the only hummingbird species that resides east of the Rockies) because they fuel a marathon migration to Mexico and Central America that begins a few weeks from now. The males leave first, followed by the females and offspring. Hummers double their weight for the 2,000-mile trip, taking time to top their tanks in gardens that also serve sugar water, the avian equivalent of an energy drink.

After spotting my first dazzling diner, I wasted no time filling my collection of hummingbird feeders and hanging them within view of every room of my house. One of my favorites is a window-mounted model available at Wild Birds Unlimited. It adheres to glass with suction cups, awarding closeup views. You can purchase packaged instant nectar, but I prefer mixing up small homemade batches made from 4 parts water (boiled, then cooled) to 1 part sugar. Contrary to popular belief, the solution need not be tinted with red food coloring. I clean feeders every few days and refill with fresh sugar water.

By Labor Day, most Rubies will be gone. In the meantime, I’m going to relish these final days of summer, the sweetest season of all.

birthday bloom

Written on March 30, 2010 at 4:30 pm , by Jane McKeon

I celebrate two flowers on March 30th every year. On this date, without fail, Hepatica blooms in my yard. One of the earliest woodland wildflowers to emerge in spring, its tiny cup-shape purple, pink, or white flowers grow just 6 inches tall, often appearing before the foliage unfurls. This native is so delicate in stature that its arrival each year often brings me to my knees for a close-up view. Unlike woodland ephemerals that die back to the ground after they bloom – such as spring beauty, Dutchman’s breeches, and Virginia bluebells – the heart-shape, three-lobe leaves of Hepatica keep growing during the spring and summer months. My little clump never requires attention other than my yearly gestures of appreciation. The leaves that drop on the plants in autumn act as both blanket and nourishment.

The other flower I rejoice on March 30 requires a little more upkeep. On this day 14 years ago, my daughter Jayne came into the world. Jayne’s birth was every bit a miracle for me as Spring’s rebirth is each year. She’s a beautiful bloom in her mother’s eyes.

Welcome back, Hepatica. And happy birthday, Jayne.

spring unleashed

Written on March 19, 2010 at 2:07 pm , by Jane McKeon

Spring unleashes the inner puppy in gardeners. With boundless joy, we can’t wait to get down on all fours and dig in the dirt as soon as the ground thaws. Thanks to a new German Shepherd pup in my house, our first signs of Spring this year were muddy paw prints on the living room carpet.

With house-training little Apollo as my main motivator, I spent a lot of time outdoors this past month examining every square foot of our property, several times each day. Nose to the ground, Apollo follows scent trails of rabbits and deer while I inspect the tree and shrub damage those hungry critters have caused.

Yesterday, I discovered a pair of cheerful yellow winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) blooming in my woodland garden. Nearby, a clump of jonquil (Narcissus hybrids) sprouts were muscling their way through the leaf litter. Fortunately, the rabbits and deer find these tender morsels distasteful.

Before too long, I’ll be digging in the garden. I hope Apollo doesn’t get any ideas.

got water?

Written on February 26, 2010 at 9:39 am , by Jane McKeon

Birdbaths are big draws for feathered visitors in every season. Set out a saucer of fresh water and you’ll soon have an avian party in your backyard. Birds need water not only for hydration, but also to clean their feathers for optimal insulation and flight. I used to store my birdbaths in the garage in winter. Now I know that providing birds with fresh water can be even more important than food handouts during cold months. Around my home in central Iowa, most natural drinking sources for wildlife—puddles, creeks, and pond edges—have been frozen solid for weeks. Birds will resort to eating bits of snow when they’re thirsty, but they prefer to wash down their meals of seeds with water. Wouldn’t you rather drink a glass of cool water than chomp on ice cubes?

To keep water in a birdbath ice-free, purchase one of the many heated birdbaths available. I use one that I found at my local Wild Birds Unlimited store. Mounted to my deck railing, the 20-inch-diameter plastic bowl features a built-in, 150-watt grounded heater that keeps water at 40-50 degrees F. The bowl tilts for easy dumping and cleaning. In warm months, the chord coils out of sight inside the base. If you already have a birdbath, you can augment it in winter months with a commercial water heater, available at many garden centers and wild bird supply shops. Use a heavy-gauge outdoor power cord plugged into an outdoor power source. Because water heaters increase the rate of evaporation, check your birdbath daily and add fresh water as necessary.

Birds will flock to your yard in winter if you serve both food and beverages. Before we know it, nature will release its icy grip, making life easier for all of us. I’ll drink to that!

beak counters

Written on January 29, 2010 at 9:50 am , by Jane McKeon

Counting is one of my quirky character traits. As a young girl, I would silently count my footsteps on a mountain path, the number of petals on a flower, the stars as they first appeared at dusk. It was only natural when, as a 10-year-old novice naturalist, I put this skill to good purpose by making tally marks with dates in the page margins of my first field guide to birds.

With the self-designated title “Counter of All Things” on my resume, I feel more than qualified to join fellow bird enthusiasts in the Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual four-day event in which folks from every region of the United States and Canada record the number of birds spotted in backyards, in city parks, in woodlands or fields…anywhere we choose to look. This year, the event takes place on February 12-15, just before spring migration. Data is compiled online by the project’s co-sponsors, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.

A lot of environmentally important information is gleaned from this grassroots effort, such as how winter’s cold and snow influence bird populations; how the timing of migrations compares to previous years; how bird populations differ among suburban, rural, and natural areas; and which bird species are declining because of disease or habitat loss.

You don’t have to be an expert to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. You need only to be able to identify the common birds of your region. An excellent online resource is The Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds. One of my favorite take-along reference books is Field Guide to Birds of North America, by Kenn Kaufman. For iPhone and iTouch users, a great new interactive resource is Audubon Birds, A Field Guide App to North American Birds, created in alliance with the National Audubon Society.

To help you keep a tally of the birds in your area, fill out a printable bird checklist for your state or province. Online data entry for 2010 will be available beginning February 12. It’s that simple. Start counting!

The Creatures Were Stirring

Written on December 30, 2009 at 10:48 am , by Jane McKeon

All was quiet inside the McKeon house as we slumbered through the predawn hours of Christmas day. While reindeer danced through our dreams, white-tail deer partied the night away in our backyard. We awoke to, not the sound of hooves on the roof, but to the sight of tracks in freshly fallen snow. And to our wondering surprise, four does were lingering in the garden—a flower border planted last summer for birds and butterflies, not grazers.

We had no eyewitness accounts of rabbits, but dozens of telltale hopper trails were all the evidence we needed to prove that a family of cottontails was spending the holiday sleeping off their midnight meal in the cozy warren of our brush pile.

In the wild, deer and rabbits survive cold winters by nibbling on the tender branches from the previous year’s growing season. Called browsing, this method of search-and-devour is Mother Nature’s way of providing food for her flock and pruning crowded vegetation. For gardeners, however, losing plants to hungry critters can be a lot harder on the pocketbook than window shopping, the more common definition of browsing. If left unprotected, young trees and shrubs can be nibbled to nubbins in no time.

I’m all for creating backyard wildlife habitats. Selfishly, though, I like to protect my landscaping investments. The secret to a landscape that caters to both people and wildlife is to reach a respectful balance. I figure if I can successfully keep deer and rabbits from dining on new plantings for the first few years, the trees and shrubs will grow big and strong enough to tolerate a chewed-off branch here and there.

Many gardeners use barriers, such as cages made of stakes and chicken wire, to keep winter browsers at bay. This method is very effective, especially if you have just a few specimens to protect. For large numbers of trees and shrubs, a good alternative is one of the natural wildlife deterrents, such as Liquid Fence and Messina Wildlife Products. These manufacturers offer formulations for just about every critter. The trick is to apply them regularly (every 30 days) when temperatures are above the freezing mark.

What Earth-kind methods do you use to protect your plants from wildlife damage? We would love to hear from you!