This was sent to me by a friend. For those of you who love wildlife and birds I thought I would share. I wasn't sure where to post this, but thought you would enjoy it.
Be sure and click on 'Next Page' after you scroll down as there are 4 pages.
https://community-2.webtv.net/hotmail.com/verle33/HummingBirdNest/
Enjoy,
Newt
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The Helpful Gardener
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- Location: Colchester, CT
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The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
Yea, great stuff. The kind of thing that makes you realize why we as gardeners have to make sure that we are doing no harm; the DDT of the Fifties is finally behind us, but "new" perils lurk around every corner (non-native invasives, reduction of genotype due to introduction of cultivars, water pollution by water soluable nitrogen fertilizers, destruction of soil flora by chemical use; as our knowledge grows so does the list of possible dangers).
The more I know, the more I think that we screwed up getting away from organic practice. I am always besieged for advice on gardening, but when the answer I give is not a "magic bullet", (I.e., spray this, or drench with that) there is a sense of dissappointment; "I have to think about doing that." or "That won't cure it instantly!". The real problem with chemical gardening is nothing really wants to live in those conditions; we need to continually coddle and supplant good conditions with chemical corrections to whatever new problem arises. Good organic soil is the mainstay of healthy plants; the organic garden shines not when things are easy, but when things get hard, and those junkie gardens hopped up on soluable nitrogen and an overabundance of micronutrients start to crash because all they can tolerate are perfect conditions. We have got to stop raising these hothouse gardens and remember that no one is a better gardener than Mother Nature, and we should all start using her techniques (and plant pallette)...Then maybe we can all watch wonders like those hummers in our own backyard!
Thanks again,
Scott
The more I know, the more I think that we screwed up getting away from organic practice. I am always besieged for advice on gardening, but when the answer I give is not a "magic bullet", (I.e., spray this, or drench with that) there is a sense of dissappointment; "I have to think about doing that." or "That won't cure it instantly!". The real problem with chemical gardening is nothing really wants to live in those conditions; we need to continually coddle and supplant good conditions with chemical corrections to whatever new problem arises. Good organic soil is the mainstay of healthy plants; the organic garden shines not when things are easy, but when things get hard, and those junkie gardens hopped up on soluable nitrogen and an overabundance of micronutrients start to crash because all they can tolerate are perfect conditions. We have got to stop raising these hothouse gardens and remember that no one is a better gardener than Mother Nature, and we should all start using her techniques (and plant pallette)...Then maybe we can all watch wonders like those hummers in our own backyard!
Thanks again,
Scott
Scott,
I know what you mean. I respond on several forums and so many people want a magic bullet or NO bugs in their gardens! I always try to explain that there needs to be a balance, but some people just don't want to hear it. I keep trying anyway. I try and explain that healthy soil will give them healthier plants and that the good bugs will help balance the bad ones. If we get rid of all the bad bugs, we won't have anything for the good bugs to eat.
There is one forum where this person didn't want chipmonks in their garden, so they filled the tunnels with water. When the chipmonk ran up under the siding of their house for shelter, they stuck the garden hose up under the siding and now can't find the poor chipmonk. I think the critters are entertaining and they are part of the reason I garden. They enrich my garden and my life. I feed them and they usually leave my plants alone.
I live near the Chesapeake Bay and get to see what all those chemicals do to the health of the bay. We have been having our 17 year cicadas here and some stores were even trying to sell chemicals to kill them! I think they'er cute.
Newt
I know what you mean. I respond on several forums and so many people want a magic bullet or NO bugs in their gardens! I always try to explain that there needs to be a balance, but some people just don't want to hear it. I keep trying anyway. I try and explain that healthy soil will give them healthier plants and that the good bugs will help balance the bad ones. If we get rid of all the bad bugs, we won't have anything for the good bugs to eat.
There is one forum where this person didn't want chipmonks in their garden, so they filled the tunnels with water. When the chipmonk ran up under the siding of their house for shelter, they stuck the garden hose up under the siding and now can't find the poor chipmonk. I think the critters are entertaining and they are part of the reason I garden. They enrich my garden and my life. I feed them and they usually leave my plants alone.
I live near the Chesapeake Bay and get to see what all those chemicals do to the health of the bay. We have been having our 17 year cicadas here and some stores were even trying to sell chemicals to kill them! I think they'er cute.
Newt
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The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
Yea, the whole cicada thing shows just how out of step we've become with nature; when this grand mystery of nature comes into being and we try to nuke it, we've lost all touch with our natural world. The danger there is as we become less connected, we chance disconnecting from cycles and processes we need to survive. I look at the nitrogen cycle for water purification, or albedo effects on global warming and there is little done to change or even educate as it isn't politically expedient and there isn't cash to be made.
One of my goals for this site was to start that education process in a wide forum and help direct people to local sources. If any of you have ideas of sites or places for people to get the word, PLEASE post them here at the forum...
Scott
One of my goals for this site was to start that education process in a wide forum and help direct people to local sources. If any of you have ideas of sites or places for people to get the word, PLEASE post them here at the forum...
Scott
Hi Scott,
Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. I filed this one away and then forgot about it. I'm not sure where you want me to post stuff about the environment, but I do have some links. I'm off to do some errands right now and will get back to you with some. Just let me know where you want them posted or I can just send you the links and info on this thread. This site came to mind. It's about using peat moss and the negative effect it has on the depletion of the peat bogs and the environment.
https://www.ondelmarva.com/
Let me know if this is the type of stuff you're looking for.
Newt
Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. I filed this one away and then forgot about it. I'm not sure where you want me to post stuff about the environment, but I do have some links. I'm off to do some errands right now and will get back to you with some. Just let me know where you want them posted or I can just send you the links and info on this thread. This site came to mind. It's about using peat moss and the negative effect it has on the depletion of the peat bogs and the environment.
https://www.ondelmarva.com/
Let me know if this is the type of stuff you're looking for.
Newt
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The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
The new forum "From the Garden" is the right place for stuff like this from now on, but that is the kind of thhing I'm looking for...
The nursery I work for is looking to switch to coir in the near future; not only is it more environmentally responsible, but it's actually not as acidic, and it doesn't dry as quickly, so it's a better amendment, period. Good stuff!
Scott
The nursery I work for is looking to switch to coir in the near future; not only is it more environmentally responsible, but it's actually not as acidic, and it doesn't dry as quickly, so it's a better amendment, period. Good stuff!
Scott