Swapping Huckleberries
Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere. I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted - It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide. Last year, it started to look bad. I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago - I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum , more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry". This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for
They look like Barred Owls from the looks of your picture. They are great to have in your garden. They eat moles, voles, mice etc. They wouldn't take a cat or dog. I think that is an old wives tale. It would have to be a very hungry owl to take a domestic animal. I have heard these conversations between owls before. I used to live by a wooded area. I would tell my children they were wood spirits talking. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa!
ReplyDeleteI have Barred owls in our area, love them!! There is a website where you can play audio clips of different owl calls. We had a couple fighting over territory and it sounded like dogs barking.
ReplyDeleteI like having the owls to take care of the moles, voles and rabbits.
http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Strix&species=varia
ReplyDeletethis is one site...there is another, can't find it now.
very cool - we used to have a chinese pug and several times at night when i was walking him in the backyard we had a barn owl that would swoop down to see if he looked like something to eat. owls are really interesting. look around the ground under the tree and you might find owl pellets with bones in them.
ReplyDeletevery cool - we used to have a chinese pug and several times at night when i was walking him in the backyard we had a barn owl that would swoop down to see if he looked like something to eat. owls are really interesting. look around the ground under the tree and you might find owl pellets with bones in them.
ReplyDeleteHow cool! Sadie the dog might not like them, but I think they're an awesome addition to the garden! Plus, anything to removes a few chipmunks, squirrels or voles gets my vote!
ReplyDeleteI have a great horned owl around where I live. I've had it swoop out of the darkness at my truck a couple of times with it's talons coming at my windshield. Scary sight. Love to hear it calling at night outside my window.
ReplyDeleteThere use to be a HUGE one that hung out in my back yard. He roosted on the corner of the house and easly had a 3 foot wing span. I only saw him at night I've never seen him during the day. Great shot catching them together like that.
ReplyDeleteLucky you, Philip ! They're beautiful. I haven't heard the owl around here in a long time. I used to hear them in the middle of the night if I woke up. They aren't usually around when it's light out. Why don't you consider building them a nesting box ? Maybe they'll stay around for you.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful. I like your photo even if it is dark.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
ReplyDeleteYour cats should be safe. I don't think an owl would touch them. Being a wild animal, they wouldn't risk certain injury tackling kitty who would quickly turn into a ball of 'fury' which they'd wish they hadn't gone near.
I think they're great to have in the garden.