Successes of the gardening year

The gardening year is winding down and it's time to take stock of the successes of our native garden. After removing our huge silver maple, we had enough space in our backyard to finally buy a serviceberry. It is now the centerpiece of our second native garden. Its bloom was very short this year (I didn't even get to photograph it because it was over so quickly) but I hope it will bloom longer in its second year. I missed the berries because I was out of town at the time. Its autumn color was beautiful--a russett red that added a beautiful shade to our fall garden.
We also purchased a Joe-pye weed that was a bee and butterfly magnet. I have the photos to prove it. Its blooms attracted bumble bees into October. Luckily, we got a dwarf variety. They can get taller than a man in the wild.
Our zinnias recovered after the first shoots were eaten by rabbits. With a later bloom, they provided color until the first frost killed them.
Next time I will blog about the failures of our gardening year. Luckily, there weren't many.

Birds & Blooms

I am excited to announce that my photo of an airborne Tufted Titmouse is a finalist in Birds & Blooms magazine's backyard photo contest. People can now vote online by logging on to www.birdsandblooms.com/contests.
After winning First Place in WildBird magazine's photo contest in 2005 and an Honorable Mention in Pennsylvania Magazine's photo contest 2006, this is the third time my little friend is up for an award. It even landed me on TV when Dave Crawley from KDKA Country filmed me in 2005. Now, the titmouse graces my business card and the homepage of my website, enchanting everyone who sees it. Will three be a charm? I'll keep you posted on the results.

The Wood Duck

The wood duck is one of a few ducks in North America that nests in trees near water. Many people consider it to be the most beautiful of all waterfowl. You can count me among them now. I think they look like swimming paintings.
Wood ducks readily nest in boxes, and that's how they were introduced to North Chagrin Reservation. As you can see on this photo, the head of a wood duck drake is iridescent. While the females look more drab, they also have a crest and beautiful plumage. Most remarkable is their white eye ring.
They feed off seeds, acorn, fruits, and invertebrates. At North Chagrin, they often picked up pieces of wood out of the pond.
Wood ducks pair up in January and are usually paired by the time they reach their breeding grounds. They are probably gone by now, but they'll be back in Ohio next year, ready to enchant us again with their beauty.