Your Own Butterfly Garden

One of the most popular ways of assisting with butterfly conservation is by planting lots of suitable food plants in the garden. The most “helpful” plants are those which flower late in the season, these can make a real difference to those butterflies which roots or hibernate, as they need to build up their fat reserves for the long winter ahead. The flowers need to be rich in nectar and also attractive to butterflies in the first place. 

Good examples include the Iceplant (Sedum Spectabile), Valerian (Valerianaceae Spp), and the Michelmas Daisy (Aster novi-belgii). It is not so important to have plants that flower during the summer as there are usually plenty around for the butterflies to choose from. However, if like most people you want to encourage butterflies whenever possible, it’s a good idea to plant a wide range of flower species to maintain a food supply at all times. Those that flower early in the year will help the winter’s survivors in early spring. 

Some people also plant things which will be suitable for larval food plants as well as for the adult butterflies. Nettles are very god for many of the “Nymphalids” so it is common for several well-meaning gardeners to leave a patch somewhere out of sight. 

Unfortunately this is only too often behind a shed or under some overhanging trees where they won’t get in the way. They then feel justified to say that they have “done their bit” in the cause of conservation; sadly though the patch is usually damp and lacks sunlight. This will nearly always be rejected by discerning female butterflies, as they will not lay eggs where they are likely to fall victim to fungal problems caused by lack of warmth ventilation and light. 

 Source: Charismatic Planet

Acrobatic Blue and Great Tits

Acrobatic blue and Great Tits

Well, the colorful agile little blue and great tits which frequent our gardens in winter area a delight to watch as they cluster round a bag of peanuts. Blue and great tits, both colloquially known as tomtits, are popular garden birds which visit bird tables regularly in winter. Both are widespread throughout the British Isles and you will see them in deciduous woodland, scrubland, hedgerows and farmland everywhere. The blue tit is an agile, aggressive, always excitedly active little bird which specializes in hanging at awkward angles to feed, while the great tit, larger than the blue and twice as heavy often prefers to feed on the ground like a finch. Male and female blue tits are very similar in appearance. Among great tits a distinguishing features between male and female is the black line which runs down the Centre of their primrose yellow breasts. This is faint in the female but very bold and wide in the male. 

Seasonal foraging; 

Well, in summer blue tits feed mainly on insects searching for them at the tips of twigs and shoots. In winter this diet is supplemented with occasional nuts and seeds. Since insects are neither active nor easily visible in winter, blue tits have to spend considerable time peering and probing round buds and under flakes of bark to find hibernating adults and larvae. If you observe the apparently aimless you will see that it is in fact purposefully searching every potentially rewarding nook and cranny. In the garden the boldness and agility of blue tits as they attack peanuts hung in a plastic mesh sock is a delight to watch. They feed on almost everything put out on a bird table except bird seed, but above all they prefer nuts and fat. Great tits eat much the same food as the blue, but take more vegetable food in winter particularly seeds and nuts which have fallen to the ground. 

Feeding for breeding

The breeding season for great tits begins in late March and for blue tits in early April. To get into peak condition for egg laying as early as possible earlier broods tend to the larger and healthier than later ones the female must eat prodigiously. In the three weeks before laying begins, she puts on weight at an extraordinary rate, increasing her normal weight by at least a half and sometimes more. Then over 10 or 12 days she produces almost her own weight in eggs, laying one each day. This remarkable feat cannot be achieved by the female unaided. The male must feed her. The behavior called courtship feeding may be essential if breeding is to be successful.  The female tit does all the best building, choosing a hole or crevice in a wall, tree or garden nest box. The nest a cup of moss, grass, wool, leaves, roots and spiders webs is lined with hair or feature. 

All Eggs in one Basket

In summer in deciduous woodland, both great and blue tits often rely heavily on just one species of insect as food for themselves and their young. In oak woods this is the winter moth which frequently produces huge numbers of caterpillars. The parent birds need to synchronize the maximum food demands of their young with the single, short lived peak in the caterpillar food supply. They therefore produce a single large brood each year. This is unlike most other small birds which rear two or even three broods a year and thus have two or three chances if anything goes wrong. It is almost literally a case of the tits putting all their eggs in one basket!

One in Ten Survive

In spring each breeding pair of tits is generally composed of one adult bird which bred the year before and is at least 21 months old, and one young bird which is about nine months old and breeding for the first time. One half of each breeding pair dies each year. For the population to remain steady, only one youngster would need to be reared per pair to replace the dead adult. On average, however, ten youngsters leave each nest in summer. This means that nine die by the following spring a staggering 90% mortality rate. Gruesome though it sounds, this is an insurance against catastrophe and is quite usual in the bird world. Indeed, if one extra youngster per brood were to survive each year, the whole countryside would soon be overrun by hordes of tits eating up all available resources and precipitating a disastrous drop in the population. 

Plenty of Predators

The high mortality rate is largely the result of natural causes, especially starvation, since inexperienced young birds have difficulty finding enough food in winter. Moreover also at the start of the season, competition for nesting holes is fierce. Larger birds such as the starling may oust tits from the bigger holes, and tit may oust tit from smaller ones. The larger great tit does not always succeed in evicting the smaller but more aggressive blue. Tree sparrows can squeeze through an entrance apparently only just large enough for a blue tit, and often build their untidy nest on top of a clutch of tit eggs or as tree sparrows are late nesters, even on top of a flourishing brood of chicks. 

Predators also play a significant part in the high mortality rate, and may account for a third or more of the deaths. Great spotted woodpeckers have a taste for tit eggs and young and can easily open up a nest hole with their strong beak. Woodpeckers capitalize on the fact that well grown tit chicks are alerted by a shadow falling across their nest hole and jump up to the entrance to grab the expected food from a returning parent. As soon as the unfortunate chicks appear, the woodpecker catches them. In the early days after fledging the inexperienced youngsters may fall easy victims to hunting sparrow hawks. 

Strangely enough wood mice and sometimes voles climb trees readily and enjoy any eggs they happen to find. The prime predatory mammal however, is the weasel which can squeeze through the nest hole without much difficulty. Often the weasel will gorge on young birds to such an extent that it has to sleep off the meal until it slims down enough to squeeze out again. Weasel predation is particularly high in summers when the weather is poor and the young tits are underfed. The hungry chicks squeak noisily for more food and are heard by patrolling weasels on the lookout for prey. 

Irruptions

The general trend in tit numbers is more or less steady, but there are some fluctuations from year to year. Often, after a series of good summers and mild winters especially on the continent), mortality is lower than usual and consequently tit numbers far higher than average. In this situation, the sudden onset of a severe winter, or a shortage of natural food, produces a massive westward movement called an irruption as hungry birds move about in search of food. When these hordes cross the channel, autumn numbers in the eastern counties of England reach spectacular levels. Strange reports sometimes appear of tits eating the putty round window frames and even entering houses and tearing strips of wallpaper off the walls. Irruptions occur irregularly, perhaps only once a decade. 

Ringing results show the at most of the birds in irruption are of continental origin, coming from as far away as eastern Poland. Winters in mainland Europe are generally more severer than in much of Bri9tain and Ireland, so Continental blue and great tits migrate south and west in autumn to escape climatic hardship and to find easier feeding .British birds, on the other hand, tend to stay close to home, and although they may roam around several parishes, rarely make journeys of more than 30 miles. Many establish a circuit of known good feeding spots and visit each in turn. 

Mixed Flocking

Anyone walking in deciduous woods between August and March is likely to encounter a tit flock. These roving bands of birds operate from ground level to the top of the tree canopy, probing for food and flying from perch to perch. In late summer young willow warblers and chiffchaffs, fattening up before migration, may join the tits. Later gold crests, nuthatches and chaffinches also turn up, as well as wrens and tree creepers. Wrens tend to search the ground for food, while tree creepers probe the tree trunk for concealed insects. The small coal and blue tits favor the ends of twigs high in the canopy, as do the even smaller, warblers which hover in front of the twigs, picking off insects. Lower on branches and trunk, you will see great tits and nuthatches whose greater weight excludes them from the canopy. Great tits often feed with chaffinches on the woodland floor, picking up seeds and nuts. One advantage of mixed flocking is that a large group of birds has many eyes to watch for predators and give the alarm quickly. Another is that the trees are exploited for food on every level.

Source: Charismatic Planet 

Harvesting, Drying and Storage of Herbs

The oils which give herbs their delightful aromas and flavors are volatile, i. e they’ll readily escape from leaves, stems, seeds, or other parts once these have been injured, and will then be further reduced by evaporation. Moreover, any cuts bruises or other injuries to plants result in oxidation of the injured surface by the oxygen in the air, thus also changing the aroma and flavor. 

How Herbs are harvesting?

Well, one of the most important points to note in harvesting herbs for storage is to avoid injuring them as far as possible. Gather the part required gently, and the cut whole stems rather than single leaves or flowers; lay them in single layers on trays, racks, or in shallow wooden vegetable boxes, and take them into the storage area quickly, otherwise cover with dark cloth or paper. Try not to pile them up to any degree, as it does not take several minutes before even a small heap warms up, and starts the process of fermentation and decomposition. Try to keep each species separate in the tray, so that they do not contaminate each other, and pick only the quantity that can be dried in the drying area comfortably, without crowding. You need to pick herbs which are clean, free from pest or disease and not discolored or damaged in any way already. If they’re dirty, sponge them quickly and lightly with cool water and pat dry with kitchen paper.

When a Harvest Herbs?

 A second point to remember for maximum flavor and oil content is the time at which to harvest herbs: the time of day, the season, and the stage of growth. During the day, the morning is best, when the dew has evaporated so that the plants are dry, but before the sun is at its most intense, i.e. the early morning when the temperature is merely warm. Choice of season depends to some extent on the part and species to be harvested, but is mostly from early summer onwards. Leaves have their greatest oil content just before the flowers open; flowers are at their best when barely opened. Seeds are collected just as they ripen, and roots dug in early mid-autumn as growth ceases and when they contain the food manufactured through a complete growing season.  Well, so summer and autumn is considered see the the harvesting of some part of one herb or other every week, but there’re exceptions, and these’re well described. 

The leaves are the part required for the majority of culinary herbs, but the seeds often have highly individual flavors. The flowers contribute dyes in some cases as well as perfume; roots can be eaten as a vegetable, or contain the essential medicinal constituent, and there’re instances where the stems are the important part. Sometimes it is necessary to use the entire flowering plant, but whichever part is employed, is also best described. 

Herbs which are to work for their living and are not grown purely for garden decoration will be wanted for use all year round, not a difficulty in warm temperate and tropical climates. But there’re quite a number in cool temperate areas which either die down in autumn, for instance herbaceous perennials, are annuals or biennials which die completely at the end of summer. Those which are grown for their foliage and which retain it all year are not a problem, and there are some which come into leaf as early as late winter and continue until late autumn, and yet others whose top growth can be kept growing for most if not all the year with the help of a gently heated conservatory or greenhouse. But flowers and seeds are only available at certain seasons whatever the climate and roots can only be obtained at the expense of the top growth. Some form of preservation is necessary for several herbs whether it is drying or freezing, and the techniques involved from the harvest to final storage should be carefully followed for full conservation of the essential oils. France herbs are harvested and dried commercially, mostly for export when buying dried herbs. It is worth seeking out Provencal herbs since they’re more aromatic than those grown in northern regions. 

Drying Herbs

In order to dry the plants with minimum loss of volatile oils they need warmth, darkness and air. Temperature should ideally be between 21  and 33 C ( 70 to 90 F) Never above 36 C (96 F) that is always slightly below body temperature. Herbs dry at different rates and one has to keep an eye on them to prevent them drying too quickly. The time will vary from two to three days to a week, depending on the part and the species. An airy place is important, so that the moisture evaporating from the herbs can be dispersed quickly and darkness is essential to prevent oxidation of the material with consequent change in flavor and oil content. The domestic airing cupboard, an attic immediately under the roof in summer, provided it does not get too hot, an oven with a low temperature setting and the door ajar, a plate warming compartment an electric dryer for washing or an outhouse with a warm air fan, are suitable drying areas provided the temperature can be maintained between the limits noted.

Material should be spread out in single layers on trays or on slatted wooden racks covered with muslin or netting and the trays or frames placed in the drying area so that they have air circulating beneath as well as on top. The shallow wooden boxes with raised corners used fort tomatoes and other vegetables or fruits such as peaches or grapes are ideal as they can be stacked on top of each other and still allow for ventilation. 

Alternatively the stems roots or flowers can be tied in small bundles and hung, upside down in the case of stems and flowers from a clothes line, provided there is still good air circulation. The length of drying time varies from herb to herb and in general a good guide to completion of the process is in the state of plant material.  Leaves will be brittle and crisp, and will break easily into small pieces, but should not be reduced to a powdery state when touched. Stems should break sharply if they still have a tendency to bend, they need further drying. Roots must be brittle and dry right through any softness or sponginess means incomplete drying. 

Seeds are slightly tricky to harvest as the final ripening occurs very quickly and they fall off and are scattered round the parents. If a few seeds fall when the plants are tapped, then they are ready for collection. Change in color is also an indication of approaching maturity, and some also change their aroma. Seeds should be dried without any artificial heat in an airy place. The almost ripe seed heads can be hung up in paper bags so that the majority of the seeds will fall into the bag as they mature. Seeds need to be thoroughly dried before storage and this can take up to two weeks. 

Some Quick Drying Methods

Some herbs can be dried in the oven in a matter of three to six hours. The oven temperature should be no more than 36 c and for sensitive herbs such as basil and chervil it should never exceed 30 c. Herbs should be placed on perforated sheets of brown paper and the oven door should be left ajar to allow moisture to escape. Check the drying herbs regularly to see that they are not overheating. Microwave ovens have also have used for herb drying. Herbs with small leaves such as rosemary and thyme take about one min while larger moist leaves like mint and basil dry in about three minutes.

Storing Dried Herbs

It is often advised that dried leaves be broken into tiny pieces before storage, but even this can deplete the content of volatile oils, and it is better to store dried material as whole leaves, or in as large pieces as possible until the time of use. Before storing, remove all the unwanted material, chaff from seeds, loose pieces of stem; use a fine-mesh sieve if necessary. If leaves have to be reduced to tea leaf size at once for making herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint a coffee-bean grinder or the grinder attachment to an electric mixer, or just crushing them with a rolling pin, will do the job.

Dried material must be stored in the dark, so containers which exclude light completely are ideal; dark brown bottles or jars are suitable and it is worth keeping medicine bottles, and other dark colored jars which are right for size and coloring. They must also be airtight, and containers should be filled completely initially, and plain paper used to fill the space that appears in the container as the herbs are used. The herbs should not kept longer than six months or so, as even with all these precautions, they will lose most of their potency, and will begin to smell hay like after this time.

Store each herbs in a separate container, unless they are to make up, for instance, mixed herbs, houquet garni, or your own favorite mixtures for marinades or fines herbs. Label the containers at once and put the date on them. If light excluding containers cannot be found, paint the containers you do have black, or cover them with black paper, or keep the boxes or bottles in the dark, in a drawer or cupboard. 

Freezing Herbs

The modern alternative to drying if there’s a deep freeze available is to freeze the herbs in a variety of ways. This has the advantage that they can be done as soon as picked and the rapidity of the freezing also ensures better retention of the flavor or aroma, but it does only apply to leaves, flowers and soft stems. Sprigs of the herbs to be frozen can be put in small loose bundles in polythene bags immediately they’re cut and before they wilt. They should be labelled, the bags sealed and put straight into the freezer and there is no need to blanch them first. If they’re to be used as mixtures, as suggested earlier, they can be frozen already made up for convenience, and all can go into the casserole, marinade or other dish without thawing. Alternatively they can be chopped up while still frozen, and then used, although such herbs are not suitable for garnishing as they will have lost their crisp, fresh appearance. But herbs can be chopped up fresh and then frozen, if preferred in water contained in the ice cube making tray. Cubes can then be used separately as required, and these can also be put straight into the dish concerned. Single whole leaves or flowers can be frozen in each cube, and the cubes added to winter wine punches and cordials for decoration and flavoring. 

Source: Charismatic Planet 

Mountain Ash “Sorbus” is Most Widely Grown Plant

Though vulnerable to pests and diseases in some areas, mountain ashes are still popular ornamental or shade trees because of their size (most are under 50 feet), their repaid growth their flat clusters of white flowers in spring and in particular their showy, long-lasting red-orange berries, which the birds like as much as we do. Mountain ash even has showy red orange foliage in fall. In short, it is worth trying, though perhaps not a safe bet for mass plantings. There’re a number of garden worthy mountain ashes, some of them native to the U.S European mountain ash, or rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia), is the most widely grown. However, it is hardy to zone 3 and grows as tall as 45 feet, with rather fernlike leaves “Fastigiata” is an upright variety, and “Xanthocarpa” has yellow berries, Korean mountain ash (S. Alnifolia), hardy to at least Zone 5, can sometimes grow as tall as 60 feet and has a round ed head that can extend all the way to the ground, though you might want to remove lower branches so as to view the smooth, gray bark of the trunk. Both the berries and the autumn leaves are extremely showy, though the foliage is not as finely cut as that of European mountain ash. 

How to Grow Mountain Ash

You can plant the trees balled and-burlapped in full sun and a moist but well drained soil. Newly planted trees benefit from staking. Fire blight may blacken the ends of branches, especially in the south. Affected branches should be pruned out. Young trunks may need to be protected from sun scald in the north. Borers may be found in the trunk near the ground in some regions in the east and can be destroyed by probing their burrows with a wire laborious, but a labor of love if you have a fine tree. (Korean Mountain ash is somewhat resistant to borers). Older trees rarely need pruning, but young ones can be pruned in winter or early spring to produce one central leader and to remove crossed or vertical branches or ones with weak crotches. You may prune multi trunked trees to a single trunk while they’re young, if desired and remove lower branches to allow headroom. 

 Source: Charismatic Planet