Tag Archives: backyard

Making a Safe Place for Wildlife

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Whether or not you have pets of your own doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the wildlife around you! You can turn your backyard into a mini-refuge for local wildlife who may be losing their regular habitats to development. First, ask yourself a few questions: What kind of wildlife do I want to attract? Are you interested in birds or butterflies? Do you want bug-eating guests like toads and bats? What kind of wildlife already lives in the area? What kind of plants can thrive in my yard? How will I provide food for the wildlife? How will I provide water … Continue reading →

Identifying Backyard Birds: Mourning Doves

In the previous article, I shared the antics of our backyard cardinals, very regal birds, in my opinion. Now I’ll talk about another visitor to our backyard. This is one (well, many) bird that is really king of the bird feeder. All of the other birds make way. The mourning doves that come to visit our bird feeder are are gray-brown color. They aren’t much to look at as far as appearance, but they still entertain us with their antics. Perched in the trees, they often snuggle up to each other. And now that spring is on its way, we’ve … Continue reading →

Identifying Backyard Birds: Cardinals

Before moving to our current home last year, our ability to identify the wildlife in our backyard consisted of squirrels and street cars. Now, in our wooded yard, we are finding plenty of little critters that visit. We have been having fun identifying the birds, especially. I’d like to share some of the birds that come up to our dining room window. Do any of these birds visit you, too? Northern Cardinal The cardinal was the easiest bird for us to identify, and really the first one that grabbed our attention. The brilliant red color is hard to ignore. It … Continue reading →

What Is Hardscaping?

Here is another home-related question that came across my keyboard the other day. “I keep hearing the term “Hardscaping. What is that? Is it related to Landscaping?” Hardscaping is indeed a landscaping term. It is a division of landscaping that refers to the solid inanimate or non-living elements for landscaping, such as rocks, wood (not living trees), brick, concrete and more. it gets it name from the usually hard materials used in hardscaping projects. Typical hardscaping projects might include a brick walkway, a wooden deck or patio or a stone wall. It also refers to small objects, such as fountain … Continue reading →

The National Great Backyard Bird Count

Don’t miss out on the chance to participate in the National Great Backyard Bird Count. Not only will you be helping scientists determine migration patterns and breeding of wild birds, but you may also win a prize. So take some time to stop and view the birds, whether it is from your dining room window, like mine, or from a walk in the park, you’ll be sure to find a few to count. The Great Backyard Bird Count is taking place today through the Presidents Day weekend. You can participate by finding at least 15 minutes during the weekend to … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Pavers

This spring, I think one of my projects is going to be to put in some walking pavers in our backyard. The yard is sloped and can get a bit slippery for the kids, when they walk down to it. Pavers might be a nice way to create a little walk that is practical and attractive at the same time. I started pricing out pavers. They can run from $4 a piece to $10 a piece, depending on the style. Since I think I might need at least ten of them, that expense could really add up. Next, I thought … Continue reading →

Woman of the Woods

What happens when you take a city girl and put her into the middle of the woods? This morning, after my eldest got on the bus for school, I decided to survey the property immediately around our home. There had been a fierce wind storm yesterday afternoon, and we spent the day indoors, listening to all of the thumping as limbs and branches came down outside. As you may already know, our home sits on a wooded lot. It sort of resembles a forest to be truthful. Through the summer and fall, we have been hard at work clearing some … Continue reading →

A Thief in the Garage

Have you ever heard of the proverbial thief in the henhouse? Well in our home it is a little different. We have a thief in the garage. My eldest son has been religiously collecting acorns practically wherever he goes. He spends part of his precious outdoor school recess time collecting them from the playground. He stops on walks to collect them. He visits botanical gardens and searches for any that the gardeners might have missed. His goal, he tells me, is to plant an entire stand of oak trees once spring comes and the ground thaws. Of course, I am … Continue reading →

Our Backyard Birds

This afternoon as I write this, my two youngest children are taking their naps after a busy morning of crafts and a play date, my eldest is still in school, and all is quite in the house. I am watching a soft snow fall around the evergreens in our backyard and the birds come up to the bird feeder to grab some sustenance. Bold red cardinals snap the shells and gobble up the seeds, and a large but quiet morning dove nestles in the corner with its beak tucked in its wing. Every so often, it shakes the fat flakes … Continue reading →

Life Without A Fence

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I feel bad sometimes, that I took my dogs away from their big, fenced backyard at home in New Jersey. Here in Oregon, we have a lovely apartment, and the complex has lots of walking paths for us to explore. But I no longer have the luxury of opening the back door and letting the dogs out to romp and sniff and play in the yard. It takes some getting used to. I was definitely spoiled; Lally and I could play ball while Moose watched the neighborhood kids play and nobody had to worry about leashes. Now, unless we go … Continue reading →