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Arbutus Gardens

As we were touring Renee Moog's garden, another visitor told me that I should go to Arbutus Garden Arts, which was just down the road. I had no idea we were close but it was a garden I was familiar with and always wanted to visit. A pleasant surprise! Norm Jacobs is the owner, and he showed us around and answered questions. The garden is also a nursery and he propagates the plants. However, he says that he is in the process of retiring. My friend Linda bought an absolutely stunning weeping snowbell tree. I managed to discipline myself and only left with a groundcover, Erigeron pulchellus 'Meadow Muffin'. The garden is stunning with winding pathways surrounded by packed borders of mostly conifers and Japanese maples. I was enamored by the most beautiful specimen of Sourwood Tree ( Oxydendrum arboreum ). I have one that seems to be stunted, but Mr. Jacobs told me that they need space for their root zone and do not like competition. This could be my problem, as mine is surrou...
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Name that bird


I love the birds in the garden but I'm not that great at identifying them. We have a small room off the kitchen that was once a back porch. We had it enclosed with large windows when we had the kitchen remodeled after we moved in. We sometimes eat there but mostly I use the table there to put jigsaw puzzles together. Outside the window are 4 birdfeeders that hang from a large trellis that goes over the window. Sitting there working on a puzzle and watching the birds is a great pleasure, totally relaxing and a good way to lower the blood pressure.

The birds that frequent the feeders that I can identify easily are the house finches, goldfinches, chickadees, titmouse, cardinals and sometimes mourning doves. Michael has been talking about this funny little bird for months now that I had never seen. He described it a little butterball with small tail feathers that stick straight up in the back. This little guy is also very chatty and sometimes sits outside the window and chirps loudly. One morning Michael said he saw him jumping up and down outside the kitchen window and when he walked over to investigate, he saw that the bird was eating ants along the windowsill.

I finally saw the bird last Sunday when I was out taking photos. I don't seem him at the feeders and he is indeed very vocal. I'm guessing some type of wren? I know some of my bird-knoweledgeable readers will know.


 
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Sweet Home and Garden CarolinaFebruary 2, 2013 at 11:34 AM

    As Steph said on your Facebook page, Phillip, it's one of our Carolina wrens looking for warmer weather :-)

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  2. Phillip OliverFebruary 2, 2013 at 11:44 AM

    Thank you Carolyn (and Steph)!!

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  3. Lisa at GreenbowFebruary 2, 2013 at 12:06 PM

    Carolina Wrens don't eat many seeds. They prefer bugs. Sometimes they eat a little suet and peanuts at my feeders though. I love to see them snap up a moth and eat it. Great photos.

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  4. LarryFebruary 2, 2013 at 1:06 PM

    What special photos... another wonderful aspect of gardening! Larry

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  5. Rose M. RodriguezFebruary 2, 2013 at 1:50 PM

    Hello, Your blog appeared on my board, and it was not by magic! So surely I saw and decided to follow you. I was watching and reading your past entries and photos are interesting and very beautiful. I love the garden, but funny thing is that here where I live, sometimes the weather does not help me, and what I do is buy everything green, occasionally buy season flowering plants. I live in a country or zone field. So every day is seen and heard all kinds of birds, of which some, but it gives me immense joy to hear and see them! from time to time I have tenants (birds) I rented a window! , these in rent to see what other birds and to get them out is a problem! (just kidding) the bird is beautiful! Here is synonymous say good luck to have them around us! Greetings, Rose Marie

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  6. JenFebruary 2, 2013 at 2:20 PM

    a lovely little wren. My favorite kind of birds.

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  7. outlawgardenerFebruary 2, 2013 at 2:32 PM

    I think he's called Robert but you can call him Bob.

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  8. SkeeterFebruary 2, 2013 at 2:45 PM

    Yep, Wren it is! Love those little chatty guys. We have them year round at our house. They love the suet cakes and suet balls we put in the cage feeder. They go crazy when the neighbors cats are in the yard. They just cuss up a storm at them. Hee hee....

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  9. SallysmomFebruary 2, 2013 at 3:38 PM

    Caroline wren's can sing your socks off.

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  10. CarolFebruary 2, 2013 at 5:18 PM

    He is a little Wren and they love people. My Mother used to put seeds on the porch rail every morning and the male would take them one by one to his mate. She would prop the storm door open so the dogs could come and go in the mornings and if she was late with the seeds, he would hop in the door and stand in her living room and fuss until she brought the seeds out! She got so much joy from that little fellow and he returned for a couple of winters! Enjoy your new friends! Hugs Carol

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  11. Anne BoykinFebruary 2, 2013 at 6:58 PM

    Hi Phillip, He does look like a little butterball! Sweet photos.

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  12. Rosedale GardenFebruary 2, 2013 at 10:42 PM

    I have one that finds the most unusual places to next. It loves opened fertilizer or moss sacks. Cannot remember what that sulfur smelling stuff name is that helps clay soils, but one year nested in it. Don't know how many times I've had to go and buy another bag until it hatches.

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  13. EveFebruary 3, 2013 at 6:02 AM

    Well Phillip, you did such a wonderful job of describing the Carolina Wren that I could have told you without the picture! I've been a birder since I was about 7 or 8 years old. I can't go outside without hearing each and every bird out there! It is such a joy to watch all the antics going on in the woods. The Carolina is as you know is quite the character and will put a nest nearly anywhere! I had one start a nest in a bag of potting soil I had sitting on my porch!! So put out a little wren house and enjoy the fun!

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  14. Phillip OliverFebruary 3, 2013 at 6:19 AM

    Thanks for all the information and great stories about the carolina wren. I hope he stays!

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  15. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2013 at 7:11 PM

    So cute. I see you got your I.D.~~Dee

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