What Are Specialist Bees?

Among the many pollinators that benefit from these green spaces, native bees play one of the most important roles. And within that group, some bees have incredibly specific needs.

Known as specialist bees, these pollinators are native species that have evolved to feed from very specific plants. One great example is the squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa), which only visits plants in the squash family. These bees are incredibly efficient pollinators, but they can’t simply switch to another flower if their preferred plant disappears.

That’s why plant selection matters so much. Without their native plant partners, specialist bees simply vanish. Creating a garden that includes those key native plants is one of the best ways to protect these vulnerable pollinators.

How to Start Your Own Pollinator Garden

Creating a thriving pollinator garden doesn’t take a green thumb or a huge budget. With the right approach, anyone can grow a space that supports bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and more. Here’s your step-by-step guide to building a pollinator-friendly garden that works beautifully in Chicagoland’s Zone 5 climate.

Step 1: Find the Perfect Spot

Pollinators love sunshine. Choose a spot that gets at least 6 hours of direct sun each day, the more the better. Full sun encourages the best flowering and keeps nectar production high, which keeps pollinators coming back.

Think about visibility, too. If you can see your garden from a kitchen window or patio, you’ll enjoy watching all the activity it brings. Avoid windy or heavily trafficked areas when possible, and look for a location where the garden won’t be shaded out by trees or buildings.

Common Mistakes Gardeners Make When Pruning Hydrangeas—and How to Avoid Them

Even with the best intentions, it’s easy to make mistakes when pruning hydrangeas. A snip in the wrong place or at the wrong time can mean fewer blooms or a plant struggling to recover. Let’s tackle some of the most common errors and how to steer clear of them, so your hydrangeas thrive year after year.

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Life Cycles of Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetle grubs spend their winter underground beneath grassy areas like lawns and pastures. When spring arrives, grubs move to the surface of the soil to finish feeding and turn into adult beetles.

If you’re in the southern part of the state, adult beetles may emerge in late June. In the Chicago area and central Illinois, adult beetles typically emerge in July. Adult beetles can fly up to several miles as they look for their meal.

They’re most active on sunny, warm afternoons in July and August. Plants that have been fed upon will emit an odor that attracts more beetles, which means that some plants sustain heavy damage throughout the growing season, while others remain relatively untouched.

Adult Beetle Damage

Adult Japanese beetles feed on leaves, flowers, and fruits of many different plants. Adult beetles eat the leaf tissue between veins, leaving a lacy pattern of veins behind. On trees, this feeding begins high in the canopy and works its way down.

When the leaf is eaten, damaged leaves turn brown and often fall off. Most healthy mature plants can withstand the damage sustained during feedings and will not die, although they may be weakened and more susceptible to illness later. Young plants may be killed by persistent damage from adult Japanese beetles.

Hand-Picking

Hand-picking Japanese beetles can be effective on small landscaping plants when only a few beetles are present. Soapy water is good for downing Japanese beetles. (By the way, soap is not intended to kill the beetles, it is used in the water to break the surface tension, so they will drown)

Simply shake or knock the beetles into a bucket of water. Children may enjoy this exercise, or you can do it yourself. The best time to do this is in the early morning when the beetles are still sluggish. Check plants daily. Watch for new signs of infestation and remain diligent throughout the growing season.

Using Japanese Beetle Traps

Japanese beetle traps use a pheromone to effectively draw beetles away from desirable plants, but it’s important to keep your traps far away from plants that are a preferred target. When kept too close to desirable plants, you may attract more beetles than you kill. These traps can collect a lot of beetles, but careful use is required to avoid damage to your nearby garden.

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Feeding the wild birds in your neighborhood is a great way to form a relationship with them. If you do it right, you can provide them with high-quality food during the coldest part of the year, making your yard a part of their daily route. Here are the essential do’s and don’ts of winter bird feeding, including advice on the best seeds, placement, maintenance, and more! 

1. Feathered Friends: Identifying Local Winter Birds

Identifying and observing the native bird species that visit our backyards can be an incredibly rewarding daily or weekly practice. During a Chicago winter, the Northern Cardinal visits us with its brilliant red plumage, a stunning contrast against the snow-covered backdrop, while dark-eyed Juncos, small and gray, are like winter’s ballet dancers as they hop and flutter about. You should also keep an eye out for the energetic Black-Capped Chickadee, its distinctive black cap and cheerful song adding a touch of winter magic to our Chicagoland landscapes. The American Goldfinch, which, though not as flashy, still sports a subtle charm with its olive-brown feathers. House sparrows, Pine Siskins, Nuthatches, Blue Jays, and American Tree Sparrows are other common visitors. 

2. The Best Bird Feeders for the Chicago Area

Not all birds feed the same way: some like to eat off the ground, while others prefer to browse trees, shrubs, and cones for seeds. Understanding how different birds like to eat helps us create a diverse offering of feeders that caters to many different species. Here are the feeding preferences of a few common birds native to Illinois:

Northern Cardinal

Preferred Feeder Type: Platform feeders or tray feeders.

Cardinals are ground feeders by nature, and they prefer a flat surface where they can easily perch and access seeds, making platform or tray feeders the perfect options for them.

Black-capped Chickadee

Preferred Feeder Type: Hanging feeders or tube feeders.

Chickadees are agile and acrobatic birds, meaning they’re comfortable clinging to the sides of hanging feeders or perching on smaller perches found on tube feeders.

American Goldfinch

Preferred Feeder Type: Tube feeders with small perches.

Goldfinches are small and lightweight, and they prefer feeders with perches suitable for their size. Tube feeders with small openings prevent larger birds from dominating the feeding space, ensuring these beauties get a spot at the table.

Dark-eyed Junco

Preferred Feeder Type: Ground feeders or platform feeders.

Juncos typically forage for seeds on the ground, so they prefer lower-lying feeders. A platform feeder near shrubs or low-growing trees provides an ideal feeding spot for these ground-loving birds.

3. Do’s and Don’ts of Winter Bird Feed

Black-oil sunflower seeds are the healthiest and most loved food for a variety of winter bird species, with nyjer seeds, often referred to as thistle seeds, coming in at a close second. Raw, plain peanuts are another healthy choice and are a favorite of larger birds. Suet, a mixture of animal fat and other ingredients, is a winter superhero, providing the essential fats that many energetic bird species need to combat the cold.  

Steer clear of seed mixes containing fillers such as milo, barley, wheat, and cracked corn. At best, these go untouched and create unnecessary waste. At worst, they provide empty calories and unhealthy food for our beloved birds.  

4. Do’s and Don’ts of Using a Bird Feeder 

Properly placing and maintaining your bird feeders is crucial for a successful winter bird buffet. Here are some essential tips to follow:  

• Keep your feed mold-free by sheltering it from moisture, regularly replacing any seeds that have been exposed to water, and cleaning your bird feeder before refilling it.

• Strategic feeder placement is key. Situate them in areas where your feathered visitors will have clear sightlines to help them dodge potential predators coming from the sky, ground, or trees. 

• Squirrel-proof your setup with specialized baffles, or choose feeders specially designed to outsmart these acrobatic thieves. These precautions help you avoid any unwanted furry guests, ensuring your feast is exclusively for the birds!

5. Winter Bird Bath Tips

Birds need water in the winter, too, so installing a heated bird bath in your yard will go a long way toward helping our feathered friends during Chicago’s colder months. Fresh, liquid water is a rare gem in winter, meaning your backyard will become the neighborhood hub for local birds in no time. Just remember to clean it and replace the water regularly to keep everyone healthy. 

6. Shelter Boxes for Winter Birds  

Shelter boxes, also known as birdhouses or nesting boxes, offer local birds warm places of refuge during extreme cold. These boxes help birds conserve energy, so they don’t need to spend it on staying warm or finding alternative shelter. Additionally, shelter boxes serve as valuable nesting sites during the breeding season. The design and placement of your shelter boxes are key factors; they should be appropriately-sized for the target species and positioned in a sheltered location, away from prevailing winds. 

7. How to Create a Bird Haven Over the Long Term 

Bird feeders, shelter boxes, and bird baths all provide valuable resources for native birds during the winter. However, attracting birds over the long term involves slowly transforming your landscape into a thriving, bird-friendly habitat, complete with the plant varieties they rely on for food and shelter. Here are a few ways you can boost your bird-friendly backyard in the next year: 

• Native Plantings: Opt for native plants in your landscaping, as they provide familiar food sources and shelter for local bird species. Native plants are adapted to the region’s climate and also support a variety of insects, which act as food sources that attract even more birds.

• Layered Vegetation: Develop a layered vegetation structure in your yard by incorporating trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. This structure mimics the natural habitat of local birds, offering them various levels of perching, foraging, and nesting opportunities.

• Leave Seed Heads and Leaves: Before you deadhead your flowers and rake your leaves, remember that these “messes” are important food sources for many local bird species. They also provide valuable habitat for insects, which are another valuable food source for many birds.

• Use Eco-Friendly Practices: Strive to use eco-friendly practices as much as possible in your gardening, and minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides in your yard. These chemicals can harm local bird populations both directly and indirectly by reducing insect populations, a crucial food source for many bird species.

• Education and Advocacy: Share your knowledge and enthusiasm for bird-friendly practices with your neighbors and other community members to encourage the creation of bird-friendly spaces on a larger scale and advocate for policies that support bird conservation in your area.

For more advice on the do’s and don’ts of winter bird feeding, please come visit us at our garden centers in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville!

Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.

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What Do Bees Drink? 

Unless you pay close attention to the insect world, you’ve probably never seen a bee have a drink, so it may come as a surprise to learn that they do, in fact, need and drink water, just like us. However, it’s not always easy for bees in a suburb or city to find a clean water source. Sometimes it can be contaminated by pesticides, or in dry spells, not there at all. When you set up a simple drinking station for pollinators in your vicinity, you’ll be surprised at how many come to use it. 

Other Ways Pollinators Use Water 

Bees, butterflies, and moths all need water to replenish their bodies, but they also use it for various other activities. Just as they store nectar, bees can store water inside their “honey stomachs,” or crops, to bring back to the hive, where they feed it to larvae, transfer it to in-hive workers, use it to moisten crystallized honey, or use it to cool down the hive during the summer heat. Other kinds of bees, like mason bees, use wet mud to line their burrows. Butterflies and bees also need minerals that they drink from pollinator-friendly water sources.    

Ideas for Pollinator-Friendly Water Sources in Chicago 

Creating a pollinator water station can be as simple as setting out a tray of water or a bird bath, but there are a few ways to make these sources even more user-friendly and attractive for beneficial insects. Here are a few simple bee and butterfly water station ideas you can use to help your pollinator friends drink up this summer: 

• Bird Baths for Pollinators (aka the “Bee Bath” ): A bird bath is an ideal drinking source for bees; however, they can be difficult to access, and are a bit like a human trying to drink from a lake by dangling off a cliff. The solution? Place decorative rocks inside your bird bath, so the bees have something to land on. These rock perches create low-lying islands in the water for the bees to stand on, allowing them to safely access the water from the surface level.

• Butterfly Puddles: A moistened puddle of mud is a butterfly’s delight! You may have seen them gracefully fanning their wings beside a puddle in the park or a wet area near a stream, where they love to slurp up both water and essential minerals from the soil. To create a butterfly puddle in your yard, dig a small hole, line it with plastic or pond liner, fill it in with a loose mixture of sand, soil, and a little salt, and keep it moist by regularly spraying it down as part of your watering routine or by placing a drip irrigation hose next to it.

• Pollinator-Friendly Water Trays: You don’t need a full-sized bird bath to keep the bees refreshed; a shallow tray or ceramic saucer of water on the ground will do just fine! Like with the “bee bath,” place a few decorative rocks in your tray to give your bees better access. For a butterfly-specific tray, fill it with a mixture of wet sand, soil, and a little salt. 

• Repurposed Hummingbird Feeders: Hummingbird feeders make ideal water stations for pollinators; just fill it with plain water instead of nectar, and you’re all set up! With numerous drinking ports and self-dispensing water, your repurposed feeder will quickly become a favorite watering hole for bees, butterflies, and plenty of other beneficial insects.

• Self-Filling Water Bowls: Another great water station idea is to use a self-filling water bowl, like the ones commonly used for pets. Their self-filling design means you won’t have to change and refill the water as often as you would a conventional tray or bee bath. 

• Repurposed Water Features: If you have an existing fountain or pond in your landscape, you can make it easier for the pollinators to access by slowing down the water flow and placing decorative stones in and around the water’s surface for butterflies and bees to land on.

Other Tips for Creating Pollinator Water Stations in Chicago  

Here are some easy ways you can make your water station even more attractive and easy to use, both for you and the bees:

• Change the Water Frequently: Remember to replace any standing water about once per week to oust mosquito larvae and keep your water station fresh for the bees, birds, and other pollinators. 

• Place Your Water Station in a Bee-Friendly Location: The last thing you want is a bee flyway in a high-traffic area of your garden, so it’s best to place your water station in a safe place away from footpaths and other frequently-visited areas. If possible, keep it near your flowers to help the bees find it easier. 

• Keep the Station Topped Up: This one’s pretty self-explanatory: if you want bees and butterflies to use your water station, remember to keep it full of water!

Flowers are key for attracting pollinators, but they’re not the most important features. By setting up a few bee and butterfly water stations alongside your gorgeous blooms, attractive overwintering sites, and insect-savvy garden techniques, you’ll be well on your way to creating a pollinator paradise that benefits your garden, pollinators, and your local ecology!

For more bee water station ideas or to stock up on flowers and gardening supplies, feel free to visit our garden centers in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville! 

Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.

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Why Are Bees Important?

Look at the world of plants outside your window: every tree, shrub, and blade of grass you see started as a flower of some kind. Some of those flowers were pollinated by the wind, but the vast majority were pollinated by bees. These small buzzing insects are key to the ongoing rebirth of plant life as we know it and—as a result—are indispensable to both animals and humans like us, who depend upon plants for food, shelter, medicine, and clothing.

Knowing this, we owe bees a lot more respect, and considering that our native bee populations are in a steep decline, we would be wise to do more to protect, restore, and celebrate these humble creatures!

What Kinds of Bees are Native to Illinois? 

When most people see a bee, they usually identify it as such without much of a second thought; few realize there are over 4000 different bee species living across North America, with 500 such species living in Illinois alone! Here are a few common species you’ll likely find in your garden this summer, along with some of their unique traits to help you better identify, understand, and accommodate them in your landscape: 

Bumble Bees

Perhaps the most well-known of all the bee species, you’ll likely find bumble bees pollinating your garden this summer. Marked by their bushy hair, they were originally called “humble bees” because of their trademark humming sound. They live in hives of 50-400 individuals and typically build their homes in old rodents’ nests. In the fall, everyone in the hive dies off except for the mated queen, who hibernates in loose soil over the winter and establishes a new colony the following spring. 

Leafcutter Bees 

These solitary Chicago natives are known for lining their nests with pieces of leaves and flowers. They are active throughout the summer months and hibernate in pre-existing holes in wood or plants. In comparison to the bumble bee, they have short hair on their backs and a relatively smooth abdomen with gray-yellow bands. 

Eastern Carpenter Bees 

The Eastern Carpenter is another solitary native bee species that’s about the same size as a bumble bee but with a bare, black abdomen. The male and females mate in the spring. Afterward, the females dig narrow tunnels into trees or wooden siding, where they lay their eggs. These eggs hatch in the summer, giving birth to a new generation of bees that then hibernates in their hole over the winter. 

Mason Bees

Another common native bee species you’ll find in your garden this summer is the mason bee. Mason bees nest in pre-existing cavities they find in plant material, using mud to reinforce their nesting holes. They’re active from spring into the early summer and are important pollinators for fruit trees and other crops. Mason bees are smaller than other species, with short yellow hair, black bodies, and few other markings. 

Other Native Pollinators 

Of course, these bees are just a few of the many native species that inhabit a healthy garden and only a small fraction of the pollinators that call Illinois home. Keep in mind that, besides bees, many other insects also play a role in pollination, including hoverflies, moths, butterflies, beetles, wasps, mosquitoes, ants, and hummingbirds.  

What Are Honey Bees? 

In contrast to native bee species, honey bees are a domesticated breed that humans have cultivated for honey since ancient times. They live in big hives and are used extensively in agriculture for pollinating crops. 

Contrary to what some people think, keeping honey bees in your yard will not help restore declining bee populations. In fact, honey bees actually outcompete native bees for food sources, so if you plan to have a honey bee hive in your yard, make sure you plant extra flowers for them to eat. 

Why Are Bee Populations Declining? 

Native bee populations have been declining significantly in North America over the last century. Ultimately, this is a complex issue with many causes; however, the most significant is habitat loss. When we turn ancient ecosystems into farms, suburbs, and cities, we lose the native wildflowers, shrubs, trees, and even the delicate beauty of Hydrangea flowers that once supported our native bee populations.

These new agricultural and suburban areas make it difficult for bees to find food sources. A blooming canola field, for example, offers lots of nectar but only blooms for a short period of time, limiting food availability. Plus, both suburbs and farms have limited plant diversity, which can also devastate native bee populations. Many bee species have co-evolved alongside specific flowers, with their mouths and tongues specializing over time to fit their particular shapes. When these flower species aren’t available, the bee species that depend on them lose their only food source and quickly die out.

Thankfully, there are things we can do: conserving and restoring ecosystems, practicing regenerative farming techniques, incorporating ecological design practices into urban spaces, and creating bee corridors through agricultural land can all help restore bee populations.

How to Cultivate a Bee Habitat in Your Chicago Garden 

On a smaller scale, we can also help out our fuzzy pollinator friends by cultivating a native bee habitat right in our backyard. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Grow lots of flowering plants, especially native ones.
• Grow many different kinds of flowers with different bloom times and flower shapes. 
• Strive to have flowers blooming throughout the entire growing season. 
• Create overwintering habitats for bees in your yard by leaving leaf litter, dead plant stalks, and brush piles in your garden. 
• Wait until after the bees emerge in the spring to clean up your yard. 
• Go organic to ensure your fertilizers, pesticides, and other landscape products aren’t accidentally harming your bees. 
• Mix flowering plants into your vegetable garden to increase pollination. 

For more facts on bee pollination, tips for making your garden more bee and pollinator friendly, or to find a few plants that your pollinators will absolutely love, come visit our garden centers in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville today! 

Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.

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How to Make a Bird-Friendly Landscape in Your Garden

Life attracts life and is the underlying principle for encouraging birds to visit your garden. To put it differently, the more diversity of plants and insects you have in your garden, the more opportunities for food and nesting you’ll create for birds. So if you’re serious about attracting birds, aim to create the most abundant, diverse, colorful, fragrant, and pollinator-friendly garden possible. A garden with these elements will be a paradise for everyone!

12 Ways to Attract Birds to an Illinois Garden

Now that you know what you’re aiming for, let’s get to the specific steps you can take to create a bird habitat in your yard: 

• Plant Native Plants: wild birds and insects have co-evolved with the native grasses, perennials, shrubs, and trees of Illinois. When we plant native species, we give birds potential food and nesting material they are familiar with. Plus, native plants bring more insect diversity to the garden, which is a food source for many birds. 
• Plant a Wildflower Meadow: a mixed forest and prairie savanna is the ancient ecosystem of Illinois. You can bring a piece of that landscape into your property by growing a wildflower meadow in your yard or garden with plants that attract birds and butterflies. These biodiversity hotspots are a boon to all wildlife! 
• Plant Trees and Shrubs: many species of birds nest, sleep, and perch in trees and tall shrubs. Evergreen trees are especially attractive for birds because they offer year-round shelter from weather and predators and food opportunities in the bark and cones. But pay attention to deciduous species in your garden because they also offer birds lots of habitats. 
• Plant Nuts, Fruit, and Berries: these species are a win-win for us and the birds. We can harvest the lower branches and leave the top third of the fruit for the birds. American robins, cedar waxwings, northern cardinals, and black-capped chickadees are a few of many birds that eat fruit. Shrubs such as American Hazelnut will provide nuts to sustain many birds through the winter months.     

• Leaf Litter is Your Friend: keep the birds in mind during your spring and fall clean-ups. If you leave some leaf litter in the garden, you’ll create a paradise for overwintering insects, like beetles, moths, butterflies, and ladybugs. These, in turn, create a feast for birds, especially ground feeders, which you’ll see foraging through the litter for food.   
• Create a Source of Water: birds flock to any kind of water, including bird baths, fountains, and sprinklers. If you want to please them, keep these features clean and fresh. If you have the opportunity, ponds also make excellent bird habitats. They bring water, more insects, and a different habitat that will attract water-loving birds, even a few ducks if you’re lucky. 
• Make Your Garden Organic: pesticides have the unfortunate side-effect of harming birds. Birds can ingest poisonous compounds by unknowingly eating the plants or insects that you recently sprayed. A better alternative is to use proactive, organic pest management, like companion planting, improving soil health, creating habitat for predatory insects, and attracting insectivorous birds! 
• Keep a Corner Wild: in a hidden corner of your landscape, create a messy brush pile or let it be overgrown. A small wild area on your property like this can become a hot spot for a host of wild insects and small birds. Maintenance for these spaces could not be easier—let it be!

• Leave Standing Deadwood: has a branch on your tree lost leaves during a dry spell? If the branch is not a safety hazard, try leaving it for the birds in your yard. An open branch becomes the perfect perch for resting birds. It also invites woodpeckers and nuthatches who feed on insects in the decaying bark.  
• Plant Tall Grasses: besides berries, insects, and worms, grains are also an attractive food source for many birds, especially during the winter when other food is scarce. Growing tall grasses gives them valuable grass seeds (i.e. grains) during the winter and nesting material. 
• Bird and Bat Boxes: although trees in your yard are the best nesting sites, bird boxes also help give opportunities for birds and bats to live in. Many boxes have specific hole sizes to exclude some birds and open opportunities for others.
• Bird Feeders: creating bird habitat through the steps mentioned above are the best ways to attract birds. Without trees, shrubs, and perennials, birds won’t find their way into your yard. But once they are there, bird feeders give them extra icing on the cake, especially during the winter when birds need more calories for warmth. 

Tips for Attracting Birds in Every Season of Illinois  

Following the suggestions above can bring more bird life to your yard throughout the year. Below is a summary of the specific food sources you can strive to have in every part of the year: 

• Spring: insects in leaf litter, flowers for pollinating birds, insects associated with emerging plants, worms in healthy soil, insects in deadwood. 
• Summer: ripening berries and fruit, insects associated with plants, flowers for pollinating birds, plant and flower seeds, worms, and deadwood.

• Fall: grains of ornamental grasses, ripe nuts and maple keys, insects in leaf litter, plant, and flower seeds, insects associated with plants, worms, and deadwood.     
• Winter: grains on standing grass, rosehips, winter berries, deadwood, evergreen cones, maple keys, and bird feeders.   

Final Tip for Attracting Birds: Pay Attention!

Without realizing it, many birds could use your landscape already. Look for possible nests in shrubs and trees. Listen to bird calls in the late evening. Observe your yard in the early morning when birds are active. By carefully observing your property over time, you’ll see how birds use your space, and you can begin to cater to their needs. 

For bird-friendly supplies and plants, visit our garden centers in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Bird Friendly Backyard Guide

Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.

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Municipal Christmas Tree Recycling

Every year after Christmas, the city of Chicago sets up tree recycling depots in dozens of city parks. Most counties in Chicagoland also set up a tree pick-up program or have drop-off locations. What do they do with the trees? They recycle them into valuable garden mulch that’s used in municipal parks, and made available for residents to use on their own gardens, free of charge. To recycle your tree, it must be clear of all decorations, tinsel and not in a plastic bag. 

Pick Up By a Local Non-Profit or Company

If you don’t have a vehicle or time to drop off your tree, you can also find several local companies that will pick up and recycle your tree for you. They’ll usually recycle them by composting or chipping them into mulch.    

Fish and Wildlife Restoration

Sometimes wildlife conservation agencies, zoos, farms, or the state Department of Fish and Wildlife asks for tree donations for restoration projects. Your tree might find its way to a riverbank, where it can be used to restore fish habitat or to a new home for birds in a wildlife rehabilitation sanctuary. Dead trees are valuable parts of natural ecosystems, where wildlife recycles them in many ways. 

Craft It

If you’re feeling creative, you can recycle the tree yourself into woodsy crafts. Coasters, balsam fir potpourri, bird feeders, bird houses, and insect hotels are all fair game. Maybe you’re in need of a rustic coat rack or wood shelf? You can even whittle new Christmas decorations for your tree next year, if you’re feeling really woodsy.

A New Scratching Post

If your nails are getting long, the trunk of your Christmas tree makes the perfect scratching post. Well, maybe not for you, but your feline would certainly appreciate it. The soft, scaly bark is ideal for rejuvenating claws and getting a good back stretch. Just chop off the branches, saw it to size, screw it to a stand, and let the cat have at it!

Bring It Into Your Backyard

Your backyard is a miniature ecosystem of its own that can benefit from your Christmas tree. Set it up outside as a shelter for small birds during the winter, or use the boughs to insulate sensitive perennials during the cold months. When spring comes, chop up the branches, and make use of them in the compost. The trunk can be recycled as rustic garden edging or firewood for next winter. 

Avoid the Landfill

One tree going to the landfill is not a big deal, right? It’s easy to think that way when you’re only thinking of your impact. But your tree is not the only one. Ten of thousands of other people in the city and surrounding areas bought trees as well. Instead of sending all of that valuable wood and needles to the landfills, we can easily recycle them into useful products.

The beauty of Christmas trees is that they stay green in the winter, reminding us of the life that carries on during the darker months. Let’s take a lesson from these evergreens and find valuable ways to let them live on. Whether as mulch in municipal parks, compost in our garden, kids crafts, or habitat for wildlife, Christmas trees have many gifts to offer, even after the holidays are over!    

How to Reuse and Recycle Your Real Christmas Tree

Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery in the Chicagoland area.

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Best Sites for Growing Bee Balm

Bee Balm thrives in moist, well-draining conditions with full sun. They do best with at least 6 hours of sun each day. These plants do grow in partial shade, but won’t produce as many flowers, and may be susceptible to powdery mildew.

How to Water Bee Balm

As a prairie wildflower, it’s tolerant of dry conditions, but it grows best with regular watering every 7 to 10 days. Soak the soil at least 6 to 8 inches deep each time and keep in the moisture by mulching the soil.

How to Keep Bee Balm Blooming

The showy pink, red, or purple flowers bloom throughout July and August, giving you reliable color in the summer garden. Promptly remove the spent flowers to keep them looking their best and to encourage more blossoms.

How to Keep Bee Balm from Spreading

Like other plants in the mint family, Bee Balm multiplies from rhizomes in the root and can spread in your garden. Often, after a few years, the center of the clump also tends to die back. To prevent it from spreading, and to keep the whole plant healthy, it’s good to dig it up, divide it, and replant it every 2 to 3 years. Early spring is the best time to do so.

Bee Balm’s Common Pests

Growing Bee Balm is usually an easy affair, without too many problems from insects or diseases. But the leaves can be susceptible to powdery mildew. This white powdery fungus is typically a sign of sub-optimal growing conditions. The leaves may be too dense, the site may be too shady, or it might show up when the plant is stressed by drought.

How to Manage Powdery Mildew on Bee Balm

To reduce the risk of powdery mildew, remember to thin the leaves when they get crowded and to water the plant at the base, not on the leaves. If you see the fungus, clip away infected leaves, disinfect your shears, and keep them out of your compost pile. Water the plant during dry spells, transplant it to a sunnier spot if necessary, and remove any infested material in the fall.

When growing Bee Balm, it’s quite possible to prevent and manage powdery mildew, but some gardeners do choose to grow mildew-resistant varieties.

Growing Bee Balms for Pollinators and Hummingbirds

Bee Balm is a popular wildflower in the pollinator garden. The tubular flowers are especially attractive for butterflies. They’re also an ideal flower for hummingbirds, who like red, tubular blossoms the best. And since they have long-lasting blooms, they’re a reliable source of nectar throughout the heat of the summer.  

Growing Bee Balm for Tea

Bees aren’t the only ones to find nourishment from these fragrant flowers. We can enjoy the taste and flavor as well. The leaves make a delicious tea and can be used as a garnish in salads or other cooking. The flavor is similar to oregano, with a prairie twist. The name originally comes from its use as a balm for bee stings.  

Whether you’re looking to enjoy a new herb, to nourish your pollinators, or simply enjoy summer blossoms, Bee Balm is a beautiful addition to your garden. Visit our garden centers in Chicagoland to see our full selection of flowers and other plants! 

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The benefit of hanging feeders is more for us, not the birds: they give us a way to create relationships with local wildlife.

Why Feed Birds?

Some people think that feeding birds helps them survive the winter. The truth is that most birds are capable of finding food and enduring cold weather without our help. What’s more important is the bird habitat we grow in our yards and gardens, like planting evergreens for nesting. Feeders may help them buck extreme cold spells, but in most cases, all of the birds that cannot handle Illinois winters have flown south by now. The benefit of hanging feeders is more for us, not the birds: they give us a way to create relationships with local wildlife. Even though birds can find food elsewhere, they will still come to enjoy our offerings. And those visits are precious moments when we can observe and learn about these wonders of the sky.

Common Types of Bird Feeders

If you want to invite birds to your yard, which bird feeder should you choose? Here are profiles of the most popular kinds.

Tray Feeders

The simplest type is an open tray where you can sprinkle nuts or seeds. These attract the widest range of birds, as no acrobatics are required to access the meal. You might attract anyone from mourning doves, house sparrows, or starlings. If you put it close to the ground, you may entice ground feeding birds like dark-eyed juncos. 

The downside to a tray is that the seeds can easily get wet and moldy, becoming a hazard for the fliers you wish to befriend. Plus, they can attract squirrels and raccoons. To reduce spillage, choose a tray with a mesh bottom so water and bird droppings can pass through. But even with that, you should only serve one or two day’s worth of food at a time to keep the cuisine fresh.

House Feeders

House feeders are shaped like birdhouses, except instead of an interior room, they have a stock of seeds behind plastic panels. The seeds slide out onto a feeding perch, where birds can nibble on them. The roof on the house both protects the food from moisture and gives it some charm. If any seeds get wet on the perch, mold can spread up into the main store. When that happens, no problem: just dump out the seeds, clean the birdhouse, and restock.  

Tube Feeders

Tube feeders are similar to a house feeder, except they have a cylindrical shape. Their elegant design is both pleasing and practical. It protects the food from the weather and gives you a better sightline of feeding birds. Depending on the shape of the feeding ports, they might exclude larger species like jays and instead favor visits from sparrows, finches, and chickadees, among others. Moisture can sometimes creep in through the feeding ports, but you’ll find tube feeders very easy to clean.

Suet Cage 

A suet cage is not going to win the award for the most beautiful feeder. In essence, it’s a cage box with a piece of rendered animal fat inside of it. But it will attract birds, both big and small. They are easy to mount onto the trunk of a tree or fence post. Sometimes starlings might swarm them and make a quick meal of the fat. If that’s a problem, or if bigger birds are discouraging little ones, you can set up the cage on the underside of a piece of wood. This position favors perching birds and woodpeckers that can feed upside down while excluding starlings and corvids. In the heat of summer, suet can melt, but it will stay solid in winter, keeping the cage relatively mess-free.   

The Best Location for Bird Feeders

A feeder should be visible to the birds, visible to you, and in a spot that’s away from predators like house cats or hawks. Proximity to glass is also a concern. You don’t want to attract them with food, only to have them hurt themselves on your windows. If you think your windows are a hazard, keep your feeder closer than 3 feet, so the birds can’t build enough momentum for a crash, or more than 30 feet away. If that’s not possible, you can add decals or streamers to make your windows visible.

Birding is one of the great pleasures of winter. Not only does it give you a break from the news, but it gives you an opportunity to learn about wildlife. Because birds see the landscape from the sky, they can easily spot predators, other animals, or interesting events in the forest or neighborhood below. If you watch birds closely, you may begin to pick up signs on other animal, insect, and plant activity around you. Birds are touchstones to the wild world that is, often without our knowing, happening right in our own neighborhoods. We can begin to participate in that world by growing biodiverse gardens, and in winter, by giving birds a few treats with a feeder. 

Our garden centers have bird feeders and everything you need to attract winged friends to your yard. Pay us a visit to begin your winter birding!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Birdwatching and Bird Training 101. ????
Bird Video

Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.

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