Flowering Red Currant, Daffodils,
Pulmonaria (Lungwort), Pieris Japonica
Today in the Garden
Flowering Red Currant, Daffodils,
Pulmonaria (Lungwort), Pieris Japonica
Flowering Red Currant, Daffodils,
Pulmonaria (Lungwort), Pieris Japonica
Birds in the Garden
The following is a summary of Wild Birds Unlimited owner, Laura Fleming’s, talk on “Birds in the Garden”
There are 4 key elements to attracting birds to your yard.
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- Water 2. Shelter 3. Nesting Spaces 4. Food
Photo from Wild Birds Unlimited – Nature shop
- Water 2. Shelter 3. Nesting Spaces 4. Food
Water: it’s VERY crucial to birds, so providing a birdbath with fresh water, or a saucer of water on the ground is very beneficial in attracting birds to your yard.
Shelter & Nesting Spaces: Different types of birds need different types of habitat, so planting a variety of plans in your gardens encourages birds of all kinds to visit your garden. By planting a mixture of deciduous and conifer large trees, small trees and shrubs in your yard provides natural shelters and nest building areas. Birds are attracted to edges where they can escape, so a plant hedgerow and/or a variety of small & large shrubs & trees on the perimeter of your yard.
Read here: Plants for Birds
Food: Many kinds of flowers and grasses provide food and also nesting building materials. Some natural food sources in your yard should be: Seed-producing flowers, berry-laden shrubs, a healthy insect population living in leaf litter and fruit trees. Be a messy gardener; leave leaf litter and dead trees (snags) in your yard to enhance your bird habitat. Supplement food sources with bird feeders. Different birds like different foods so supply a variety of foods in many feeders throughout your yard; hanging at a different heights.
* Read here: Seed Preference Guide
Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas
Red-Flowering Currant
Plant Name: Ribes sanguineum
Common name: Red Flowering Currant
Plant type: Deciduous Shrub
Height: 3-9 feet
Spread: 21/2 feet
Bloom Time: February – April 
Flower Color: Deep Pink to Red
Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Requirements: Fertile, Well-drained
Water Needs: Moderate
Attributes: Elegant showy fuchsia-like flowers, Drought tolerant, Deer-proof, Plant for pollinators, Foliage eaten by Zephyr and other butterfly larvae, Small black berries are eaten by songbirds and small mammals
Uses: Dry Open Woodlands, Native Plant, Cottage Gardens, Perennial Garden,
Mixed Shrub Boarders
Native to: Pacific Coast
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-10
Spring: Crocus vernus
Spring is only a week away and crocuses are popping up in the garden.
Plant Name: Crocus vernus
Common name: Spring Crocus, Giant Crocus
Plant Type: Crom
Height: 3 inches- 6 inches
Spread: 3 inches- 6 inches
Bloom Time: March- April
Flower Color: Purple, White, Yellow, Mixed with stripes
Exposure: Full sun to Part shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Showy flowers, Early spring flowers
Note: Dutch Crocuses are bred to produce larger flowers.
Protect from squirrels when freshly planted
Tolerant: Deer, black walnut, and clay soils,
Uses: Cottage Garden, Rock Garden, Coastal Garden, Prairie & Meadow Gardens, Naturalize, Early spring color
Native to: the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Balkans
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8
Today in an Ashland Garden
Even though the temperature was below freezing this morning, but these plants are blooming!
Hellebore, Bergenia cordifolia, Daphne, Witch Hazel, Crocuses 
Photos were taken this morning, March 1, 2019, in AGC member Carlotta Lucas’ garden.
Willow Water
Why & How to make Willow Water
Willow bark contains a natural plant growth hormone called, auxin hormone. You can use this hormone to stimulate root growth on propagation cuttings by making a home-brewed solution called, ‘Willow Water’.
Willow Twigs
First, you collect first-year twigs from any willow species (Salix spp.); these twigs will have green or yellow bark. Older willow growth has brown or grey bark, so don’t use those. The willow leaves are not used, so remove all the leaves from your twigs and toss them into your compost. Take these willow twigs and cut them into 1-inch to 3-inch long pieces. You will need approximately 2-cups of twigs to make ½ gallon of willow water.
Extracting growth hormone from willow twigs:
Steeping Willow Twigs
Method A – Place the 1-inch willow twigs in a container and cover with ½ gallon of boiling water, let them steep for at least 24 hours, then strain the liquid into another container to remove twigs.
Method B– Place the 1-inch willow twigs in a container and cover with tap water. Let twigs soak 48 hours, and after 2 days strain to remove the twigs.
The willow water is now ready to use.
How To Use:
First method: Pour some willow water into a small jar, and then place the cuttings you want to root into the willow water like flowers in a vase, soak the ends overnight. After soaking, plant the cuttings in a propagation medium. Planting medium suggestion is ½ vermiculite and ½ Coir (coconut fiber) or peat moss. Please note: coir is a sustainable planting medium, while peat moss is not.
Second method: Plant the cuttings you want to root in a propagation medium, then use willow water to water these cuttings. Watering the cuttings with willow water twice should be enough to help them root.
How To Store Willow Water:
Store willow water in a jar with a tight fitting lid and keep refrigerated. Label the jar with Contents, Brew Date, and Expiration Date. Willow water keeps for up to two months if refrigerated, but freshly made willow water is more potent, therefore the longer it is stored the less effective it becomes.
Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas
Resources:
Deep Green Permaculture https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/home-made-plant-rooting-hormone-willow-water/
Garden Know How https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/making-willow-water.htm