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Charlotte ScottBirds that eat safflower seed have become a favorite topic among backyard birdwatchers looking for a feeder option that attracts desirable songbirds while deterring less welcome visitors like squirrels and certain nuisance birds. Safflower seed has a notably bitter, thick outer shell that many squirrels and blackbirds find unappealing, yet a surprising number of songbird … Read more
Birds that eat snails have developed some of the most specialized feeding techniques in the animal kingdom, ranging from precision beak strikes to the clever use of tools like rocks and hard surfaces. Snails offer a dense source of protein and calcium, the latter being especially valuable for birds during breeding season when eggshell formation … Read more
Animals that walk slowly have evolved this pace for reasons ranging from energy conservation to camouflage to sheer body design, and the animal kingdom offers far more examples of unhurried movement than most people realize. While a cheetah can hit 70 miles per hour in short bursts, many creatures thrive by doing the exact opposite, … Read more
Pine trees have a reputation for toughness, and in many ways they’ve earned it, surviving drought, poor soil, and harsh winters that would kill more delicate ornamentals. That reputation, though, hides a less convenient truth: pines are host to one of the longer pest and disease lists of any common landscape or forest tree, and … Read more
A healthy cherry tree can produce fruit for 15 to 20 years, but very few cherry trees make it through a full growing season without encountering at least one pest or disease along the way. Extension services tracking backyard and orchard cherry trees consistently report that fungal diseases and fruit-feeding insects account for the large … Read more
Most people picture a cherry tree the same way: white or pink blossoms floating above bright green leaves in early spring. Cherry trees with dark red leaves flip that image on its head, holding onto deep maroon, plum, and near-black foliage from the moment the leaves unfurl until they drop in autumn. Ornamental purple-leaf cherries … Read more
Cherry trees are usually associated with cold climates, but some varieties require far fewer winter chill hours than traditional cherries. These low-chill types can be a better choice for gardeners living in regions with mild winters. Low-chill cherry trees can flower and produce fruit without experiencing the long periods of cold required by many standard … Read more
Ornamental trees can completely change the character of a garden. A carefully chosen tree may provide spring flowers, colorful foliage, attractive bark, autumn color, unusual shapes, berries for wildlife, or welcome shade. Unlike many short-lived flowering plants, a well-placed ornamental tree can become a permanent feature around which an entire landscape is designed. The term … Read more
Ornamental Kale Plants: Beautiful Varieties for Fall and Winter Gardens Ornamental kale is one of those garden plants that becomes more interesting as the weather gets colder. While many plants lose their leaves or stop flowering in autumn, ornamental kale develops intense shades of white, pink, purple, red, and green. Its tightly packed leaves form … Read more
Types of Plums: Popular Varieties, Origins, and What Makes Each Unique Plums are among the most diverse stone fruits grown in temperate and subtropical regions. Although many people picture a dark-purple fruit when they hear the word plum, plums can also be yellow, green, red, almost black, or even mottled. Their flesh may be yellow, … Read more