Chilean Fire Bush - a hidden jewel in our garden
It is heartbreaking that this beauty is hidden in our garden but at least the hummingbirds have found it. Hidden because it is planted behind a 7 feet tall rose. I planted it there because I was under the impression that it would become a tree. It can indeed become a tree and there is one growing about a mile from our house that is around 20 feet tall. In our garden, it is taking its sweet time and is only 4 feet tall after being planted seven years ago (2017). It did not begin to bloom until its fifth year and this is the first year flowering has been so profuse. Whenever I think about this plant, I always remember what the Gosslers said in their book "The Gossler Guide to the Best Hardy Shrubs". I quote it here: "Since this plant comes from southern Chile, we begin with a word of warning: it will not grow anywhere in the United States outside western Washington, Oregon and northern California. People wanting to grow E. coccineum in the eastern part of the country will
You've got all the bases covered for you avian visitors, Phillip. I loved the photo of all those bushtits clustered together.
ReplyDeleteI love your photos of your birds, Phillip! The bushtits are little balls of feathers...
ReplyDeleteGood photos! Nice to see what your feeders do for them in the tough winter months. We have the same birds here. A west coast thing? No nuthatches, though. Oak Woodpecker for Woodpeckers. The Bushtits travel in a group and visit each shrub looking for---whatever they look for. Then they move on, just as you say, swiftly. I like the Scrub Jays too. Their scratchy call. They "plant" acorns in all my pots.
ReplyDeleteI too find it frustrating when good quality, cleverly designed items disappear from the market place (a watering can, in my case).
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures of all your feathered visitors! The Bushtit photo is hillarious! There is safety in numbers, I know, but this is too funny.
Chavli
So great to have all that wildlife, I'm jealous. *I don't feed the birds anymore, I was attracting rodents. I really miss it.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite morning activities is to have a cup of tea and enjoy watching the birds cluster around the feeder in the back garden. They wait in the trees for me to replenish the supply, then bombard it the moment I walk away. Thank you for sharing these great captures and I do love the one of the Bushtits all congregated together!
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