County Color

by Joel Wilson

What better way to spice up your garden or yard than with a dazzling display of color compliments of Mother Nature?  This may be easily accomplished by using some simple techniques to attract the prettiest birds and butterflies to your homestead.  You won't be disappointed with the results! 

Butterflies are certainly among the most beautiful visitors to be found in any yard, and thus it's no wonder that  butterfly gardening is currently enjoying widespread popularity.  Many local gardeners establish plants that attract butterflies, such as butterfly bush, sedum, black-eyed susan, asters, summer phlox, bee balm, purple coneflowers, and verbena, all of which grow well in Sussex County.  To complete the picture, provide butterflies with bright, quiet spaces that are protected by wind breaks such as tall shrubs.  They also frequent natural puddles of water, enjoying the nutrients that collect there.  Shelter is provided by broad leaf plants or even commercially available butterfly houses, both good roosting alternatives.  Plants like milkweed are also attractive to butterflies, providing stout support on which to lay eggs and provide nourishment for resulting caterpillars.

Another visitor that always causes excitement in the backyard scene is the hummingbird, a small, energetic bird that's fond of nectar and other sweet tasting liquids.  Many hummingbird feeders are available on the market, and may be filled with an easy-to-make liquid lunch that will keep the little fellers coming back for more. In a saucepan bring four cups of water to a boil and then add one part of sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Let this mixture cool down (you can store a supply in your refrigerator) and then fill up your feeder as necessary.  Hang the feeder near a window and wait for the little buzzers to appear.   Don't be surprised if you mistake your first hummingbird for a bug -- they're awfully small! 

Bluebirds are another colorful guest that may be established in many county yards, especially wide open spaces where there is an abundance of bugs (almost everywhere it seems) and accommodating shelter.  Bluebird houses are one way to bring in these colorful birds, and quite simply may be constructed of any type of non-treated lumber (cedar and redwood are the best) with a 1 1/2" round hole and no perch. The boxes need to be watertight, well ventilated, and kept clean.  The box should be five feet or so from the ground, with plenty of perching possibilities available nearby.   If you have the property, position boxes 100 to 150 yards apart -- if you don't have this much room then ask a neighbor or two to set up boxes on their property.  You might also consider putting two boxes close to each other (5 to 10 feet) to discourage other species from moving in.  Birds of the same feather do not flock together in such settings (you won't typically get two sets of sparrows in boxes that are close together) yet bluebirds and other species often do exist side by side.

If you would like to kick it up a notch (as Emeril would say), you might consider a garden pond to really add a nature magnet to your yard.   Water is a common need for all wildlife, and a natural, well designed pond can really bring in some interesting visitors.  My father's pond was so successful that last year he ended up with a Great Blue Heron stopping by -- for lunch! and dinner!   And a snack!  It was not too humorous considering the fact that the meal du jour was my father's prized koi goldfish. 

There is plenty of information out there on any of these topics.  Local gardening shops can make specific recommendations regarding what plants might work best in your yard, and many nature stores sell products that can enhance your ability to attract and keep wildlife in your neighborhood.  Also, check out these links for some very comprehensive and enjoyable information that will help you make your yard a mecca for colorful guests!

Links

The Nest Box : A Home Page Celebrating Nature

Birds & Blooms Magazine : This magazine is a very nice resource for backyard naturalists.

The North American Bluebird Society

Unless otherwise noted, all works contained on this page are
(C) Copyright 1999, SmallTown Web Works, All Rights Reserved.

SussexCounty.Com
Is Proudly Published by the Folks At:

SmallTown Web Works
928 Cedar Ridge Road, Newton NJ 07860
(973) 383-5041

Contact Us Today for A Full Range of Web Site Services