• About
  • Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Disclosure

Garden Experiments

Gardening tips, experiments, product reviews, and stories from my backyard.

  • Plants
    • Vegetables
    • Flowers & Plants
  • Projects & Ideas
  • Wildlife
  • Reviews
  • Recipes
  • Gardens & Butterfly Houses
    • Directory of Butterfly Houses by State
    • Garden Tours
You are here: Home / Archives for backyard habitat

January 21, 2020

Give Birds Water Not Ice in Winter: Unfreeze Your Bird Bath

Frozen bird bath with bird sitting on the edge

Winter is here and the birds in your backyard are thirsty. Sure, they can get liquid from snow, but in order to process it, they have to warm it up. Birds have to expend precious calories and use the warmth of their bodies to melt the snow. When the temperature drops below freezing, how do you keep your bird bath from freezing over? Birds need fresh water even in the winter. Use these tips to keep your bird bath filled with water in liquid … [Read more...]

/ Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, wildlife, winter

May 21, 2019

My Favorite Plant-It-And-Forget-It Flower: Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan

If you're looking for a plant-it-and-forget-it type of plant that still produces lots of flowers AND attracts pollinators, then look no further than the black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). This easy-to-grow wildflower is found throughout North America where you can find it alongside roads, in grassy openings and prairies, and even along the edge of forests. They bloom in mid to late summer through fall and vary in height from one foot to … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / backyard habitat, butterflies, flowers, native plants, plant identification, wildflowers

September 12, 2017

A Weekend Surprise: Butterfly Hatching

Recently emerged Gulf Fritillary butterfly

The Friday night air had hints of fall weather to come and Saturday morning, I opened the windows to my house, letting the fresh breeze in. I love being able to open my windows and let the fresh air blow through the house. This weekend was full of cool breezes and sunny weather. It was a perfect glimpse of the fall weather to come and a great time to get outdoors. We Mississippians give up being outdoors for much of August. We just can't stand … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies / backyard habitat, butterflies, native plants

August 30, 2017

How to Attract and Feed Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterflies

Female black swallowtail butterfly feeding on zinnia

One of the greatest joys I get out of my garden is watching the insects and wildlife that is attracted to the flowers and plants. I know that some of my plants will be consumed by these critters, but I’m willing to share. This week, I stumbled across this little black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) munching in my carrot patch. These little guys have such a bright green color and the yellow and black spots on them seem to hint at … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies / backyard habitat, butterflies

April 15, 2017

Why Keep a Dead Tree In Your Yard?

As I was heading out to work this morning, I looked up at the large pecan tree in the backyard and saw both the male and female wood duck who have been hanging around our yard for a few weeks. The male was flying off and the female was flying into a cavity in one of the large branches of the tree. This large branch has a nice cavity in it, perfect for nesting animals. It looks like we're going to have some ducklings in the yard this … [Read more...]

/ Trees, Wildlife / backyard habitat, trees

July 23, 2016

The Dramatic Baby Bird Rescue

Jenny wren baby bird

Generally I have a policy of leaving nature to take its course. I am unable to care for baby critters - so if I see one that is by itself or looks a little in need, I may provide it some food or water, but I refuse to bring them indoors or try to 'save' them. This may sound a bit harsh, but you would be surprised how many wildlife babies are actually doing just fine and are separated from their parents by well-intentioned humans. Read the … [Read more...]

/ Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, wildlife

July 22, 2016

Backyard Wildlife Summer 2016

Eastern box turtle

This summer has been full of weird and wonderful backyard wildlife. From a nest of barred owls to frogs to snakes and turtles, I've seen a lot in my garden and backyard. Watching wildlife is one of the things I enjoy so much about my garden and yard. It's why I work hard to create suitable habitat for wildlife. This spring started out unseasonably warm and this summer has only gotten hotter. This week in particular, my state of Mississippi has … [Read more...]

/ Wildlife / amphibians, backyard habitat, bees, birds, butterflies, frogs, reptiles, turtles, wildlife

May 5, 2016

The Stunning Beauty of a Moth – Moths from My Backyard

Xanthotype genus moth

Have you ever heard of mothing? Really, it's a thing. If you are familiar with birding, mothing is quite similar, though apparently a lot easier. With birding, you have to go out and seek the birds but with mothing, well, you turn on a light at night and wait for the moths to come to you. There are some absolutely stunning moths out there. I've had a few show up in my house and garden over the years. National Moth Week is in July each … [Read more...]

/ Wildlife / backyard habitat, moths, wildlife

April 28, 2016

Globe Cage Feeder: Bird Feeder Review

Indigo bunting at the globe feeder

This content includes affiliate links. I get a small percentage of the sale for purchases made through links in this post. However, I use each product I review and only recommend those that I like and have worked well. Read my disclosure for more information. If you would like to see more of the smaller bird species at your feeders but they keep getting chased away by the larger birds or they are in need protection from birds of prey while … [Read more...]

/ Reviews, Wildlife / backyard habitat, bird feeders, birds

April 28, 2016

Droll Yankees Songbird Plus Feeder/New Generation Feeder: Review

Droll Yankees Songbird Plus Feeder

This content includes affiliate links. I get a small percentage of the sale for purchases made through links in this post. However, I use each product I review and only recommend those that I like and have worked well. Read my disclosure for more information. NOTE: Although the songbird plus feeder is no longer manufactured, the Droll Yankees New Generation 15" Sunflower Bird Feeder is nearly identical. I am familiar with the Droll … [Read more...]

/ Reviews, Wildlife / backyard habitat, bird feeders, birds

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

About Me

Welcome! My name is Kathy and I live in Georgia Zone 7B. Gardening has always relaxed and rooted me (literally!). It's my happy place. With more than 25 years of gardening, I am far from an expert, but I learn from all my experiments. This blog talks about the plants, backyard critters, and more that have made my garden special. Read More

Popular Posts

Purple and White Container GardenPurple and White Container Garden12K Total Shares
Don’t Throw Out that Old Bird Bath! Make It a PlanterDon’t Throw Out that Old Bird Bath! Make It a Planter6K Total Shares
Restore metal outdoor furniture to “like new”Restore metal outdoor furniture to “like new”5K Total Shares
Landscape Solutions for the Base of TreesLandscape Solutions for the Base of Trees5K Total Shares
How to Keep Your Gladiolus Flowers From Falling OverHow to Keep Your Gladiolus Flowers From Falling Over2K Total Shares

Tags

backyard habitat bees berries bird feeders birds bulbs butterflies container garden deer resistant DIY projects fall fall color flowers full sun garden pest gardens herbs how-to hummingbirds indoor plants insects moist soil mulch native plants part shade plant identification projects and ideas propagation propagation. wildflowers raised beds recipes reviews rooting shade shrubs spring spring flowers succulents Summer trees vegetables vines wildflowers wildlife winter

Categories

Plow & Hearth

© Copyright 2022 Garden Experiments · All Rights Reserved ·