• Home
  • Meet Mary
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Contact
  • Northern Gardener Book

My Northern Garden

December 2, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Book Review: Birdscaping in the Midwest (and others)

Books/Writing· How to

A Gardener’s Reading, Fourth of 30

By Mariette Nowak (Itchy Cat Press, 2007)

I’m not a big-time birder myself, but I have a friend who is, and I’ve learned enough over the years from conversations with her and her husband and posts on her blog to have an appreciation for birds, their diverse beauty and their place in the environment. The presence or absence of birds (as well as bees and butterflies) in a yard seems like a good measure of the overall health of the environment you have nurtured. If birds want to nest in your trees, eat the bugs from your yard or garden, munch on the berries you grow and hide out in your shrubs – you must be doing something right.

birdscaping coverBirdscaping in the Midwest is not the only book available on gardening for birds, bees and butterflies – far from it. A couple of others that I like are the Xerces Society’s Attracting Native Pollinators  and Best Ever Backyard Birding Tips, by Deborah Martin. What is most appealing about Nowak’s birdscaping book is its focus on the Midwest, which she defines as everything east from Ohio to Minnesota and north from Missouri to the Canadian border.  She also brings great detail to the topic.

This well-illustrated guide encourages a deep understanding of birds and their needs. Nowak recommends using native plants entirely and learning about the plants and birds of the specific eco-region in which you live. The book offers plant lists, of course, but also sample garden designs, maps, photographs and descriptions of sample bird gardens, and an in-depth description of the various bird garden types. My location near a pond in an area that is on the border of the savannah and the prairie means I could plant for prairie birds, such as the chickadees and sparrows we see frequently, or for the waterfowl that come through our area at migration time. I could use her hummingbird designs to attract more hummers or follow the guides for attracting winter birds to bring more year-round birds to the yard. The choices are plentiful, and Nowak gives you enough information to ensure success.

While the book has lots of depth, it’s never overwhelming, which I attribute to the design of the book with photos, graphics, pull-out sections and lists throughout. My only quibble with Birdscaping in the Midwest is that it is printed on very shiny paper, which I found difficult to read for long stretches. I expect to be nipping in and out of it all winter as I plan a new garden area that will be for the birds.

Tomorrow: Home Outside

Related posts:

  1. Book Review: Attracting Native Pollinators After almost 50 hours of Master Gardener training this month,...
  2. Book Review: A Gardener’s Latin A Gardener’s Reading, third of 30 By Richard Bird (Salamander...
  3. Book Review: Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education A Gardener’s Reading: First of 30 By Michael Pollan (Grove...
« Book Review: A Gardener’s Latin
Book Review: Home Outside: Creating a Landscape You Love »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed for Posts

Grow it, Minnesota Podcast

Now Available!

My Northern Garden book

mynortherngarden_mary

New podcast episode and giveaway! Dill is one of t New podcast episode and giveaway! Dill is one of those plants that brings in all sorts of beneficial insects, creating a productive, healthy vegetable 🍅 garden. On this week’s Grow it, Minnesota podcast, I talked companion planting with local food advocate and gardener Michelle Bruhn from @forksinthedirt. 

We’re both fans of a new book by @jessicawalliser called Plant Partners that looks at the science behind companion planting. A lot of it boils down to creating healthy soil and a welcoming environment for bugs, bees and pollinators. My review of the book is over on the My Northern Garden blog (link in bio) and I’m giving away a copy of the book. To be eligible for the giveaway, just comment below — do you use companion planting methods? What combinations work in your garden? What flowers do you plant near your veg garden? The winner will be chosen March 10 (US and Canada only)
.
.
.

#companionplants #garden #mygarden #plantpartners #mynortherngarden #newgardenbook #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort #dill #pollinators 
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b #growwhatyoueat #growyourown
#growyourownfood #vegetablegarden
#foodgarden #eatwhatyougrow
Obsessed with this water drop. . . . #houseplants Obsessed with this water drop. 
.
.
.
#houseplants #boredgardener #echeveria #wateringplants #plantcare #mngardener #whenisspringcoming
In normal times, we’d be in our first week in Fl In normal times, we’d be in our first week in Florida right now, which would mean a visit to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on our first full day there. Always great art and gardens to see. Then some beach time and plans for our first preseason game. (Twins, Pirates, Orioles, it’s all great.) We were very lucky to get the trip in last year and hope to be in Sarasota again this time next year. Meanwhile I’m indulging in some Insta-nostalgia and feeling grateful for longer days and sunshine here in Minnesota. Which vacations are you remembering fondly these days? 
.
.
.
#gardentravel #florida #sarasota #publicgardens #marieselbybotanicalgardens #tbt #mngardener #longwinter
New issue of Northern Gardener and a cup of tea— New issue of Northern Gardener and a cup of tea—great way to pass a gloomy late afternoon. This issue is full of ideas for spring from @jenniferrensenbrink @monarchgardensbenjaminvogt @gbrownhudson @seedtofork and more. Stunning cover image from @riedelphoto.  Available March 1 on newsstands or subscribe through @mnhort! 
.
.
.
#northerngardener #mngardening #coldclimategardening #calibrachoa #gardenforfrogs #perennialgarden #gardentips #nativeplants #nativeplantgardening #growyourownfood #iceberglettuce #growasalad
Winter ❄️ sowing? Have you tried it? Today’s Winter ❄️ sowing? Have you tried it? Today’s guest on the Grow it, Minnesota podcast is Michelle Mero Riedel, who introduced me and readers of Northern Gardener to the concept more than a decade ago. It’s been one of  our most popular articles ever. 

In winter sowing, you create mini-greenhouses out of milk jugs and other recyclables. Perennial flowers 💐 can be planted in February and March, while annuals, vegetables and herbs can be set out in April. Mother Nature does most of the work. It’s a budget friendly way to grow lots of plants! 

For more info, check out the podcast or a new blog post over on mynortherngarden.com. Links to all in bio. 
.
.
.
#seedstarting #seeds #wintersowing #wintersown #gardeninspiration #howtogarden #garden #mygarden #growyourown #mynortherngarden #gardeninfo #mnpodcast #gardenpodcast 
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
What is this? Like day 10 or 12 with temps below z What is this? Like day 10 or 12 with temps below zero? Time to ramble back to June when the penstemon was covered in bees and the veronica looked so pretty. June is my second favorite month in the garden (believe it or not, September is number one for me). What’s your favorite month? P.S. only 14 weeks until June! 
.
.
.
#garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
Oh boy, check out the bucket hat and shades. I was Oh boy, check out the bucket hat and shades. I was digging through some old family photos and came across this one of me circa 1990s, I’d guess, weeding at our first house. I had a lot to learn (like A LOT) about gardening, and little did I know then that I’d be writing about gardening for a living someday. Lots of good thing happen in the garden. 
.
.
.
#tbt #mygardenstory #mynortherngarden #gardenwriter #weeding #oldphoto #buckethatsareback
Somebody brought me a bouquet! Thank you, @resawit Somebody brought me a bouquet! Thank you, @resawithoutherspoon 
.
.
.
#flowers #bouquet #flowersmakemehappy #plantsmakepeoplehappy
The latest episode of Grow it, Minnesota is all ab The latest episode of Grow it, Minnesota is all about plants with medicinal uses.  I interview author and herbalist Matthew Alfs about his new book on Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of the Midwest. We talked about a few of my favorite plants such as wild geraniums and anise hyssop and also about what we call weeds that have other uses. 

It was a fascinating discussion with a real expert. Matthew recommends consulting multiple sources before using any plant medicinally and his book would be a good one to start with. 

Listen to the podcast at growitminnesota.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 
.
.
.
#gardenpodcast #anisehyssop #geranium #geraniummaculatum #dandelion #herbalist #plantsareamazing #minnesota #mnhspress #mnplants #mnpodcast
I love ❤️ that my local grocery store has plan I love ❤️ that my local grocery store has plants in the temptation spot near the 10-items or less lane. They’re better for you than chips and just as enticing. I resisted this time but plant impulse buys happen to all of us! 
.
.
.
#houseplants #babyplants #succulents #impulsebuy #mystpaul #stpaul #mngardener #minnesota #wintergardening #indoorgardening #toocute
Leaving plants up in winter gives you something to Leaving plants up in winter gives you something to look at, but helps pollinators and birds more. As the sun gets stronger in late January, these are a few of my favorites for winter interest. 
.
.
.
#winterinterest #mnwinter #boltonia #anisehyssop #littlebluestem #birdfriendly #pollinatorgarden
#garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
What’s a northern gardener to do all winter? In What’s a northern gardener to do all winter? In these pandemic times, I’ve been having fun making quilts. Small, easy, no stress quilts. And, these garden themed fabrics on discount through Etsy were irresistible. 

I’m a beginner quilter and learned the craft through YouTube! (My favorite tutorials are the scrap buster quilts from @justgetitdonequilts) This fabric bundle included 21 different half yard prints, so I’ll probably have fabric left over for next winter too. 

How are you keeping sane/busy this winter? 
.
.
.
#gardenlife #gardenfabric #modafabric #offseason #beginnerquilter #winter #minnesotawinter #minnesota
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to Pollinate a Meyer Lemon Tree
  • Plant Partners: Book Review and Giveaway
  • Mushrooms Growing in Straw Bales
  • Winter Sowing for Flowers and Vegetables
  • Big Changes in Minnesota Hardiness Zone Map
  • Squash Custard
  • How to Grow Lemons in the North (Plus a Recipe)
  • Weed of the Week: Stinging Nettle
  • What to Do with Not-Quite-Ripe Winter Squash? Recipes Included
  • The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias

Post Categories

  • Books/Writing
  • Climate
  • How to
  • Plants
  • Recipes
  • Uncategorized
  • Why We Garden

Copyright © 2021 · captivating theme by Restored 316