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Published
Friday, June 11, 2021
By Victoria Torley The clay colored robin is singing a love song from a tree near the house. He keeps it up, untiringly, for hours. It’s a beautiful song that changes slightly from year to year. It reminds me that birds are essential to our gardens. I am reminded of other things, of course, like the black raspberry bushes that keep cropping up all over the property, bushes spread by birds which don’t digest the seeds. This is fine with me. I just dig the extra bushes out and throw them away if no one wants to adopt them. We have more than enough bushes to supply our needs and store away in the freezer for future use. Which reminded me that I haven’t purged the fridge of old forgotten berries in a long time. Don’t you hate it when reality gets in your way? So, the freezer has been purged and it’s back to the birds. Whether they are singing for us, planting seeds, or spreading pollen, our birds are important to gardeners. For instance, we have orioles vacationing here in Costa Rica and they love berry bushes but they are also voracious insect eaters. Swallows, and they are around, love to catch insects on the wing which makes them fun to watch. My buddy, the clay colored robin dines on fruit and insects, so I like having them around. Toucans and their cousins eat insects, but they will eat the occasional small snake. Now, there’s a handy bird to have around the garden. Want to attract birds? One way to do that is to ditch your lovely green lawn. Lawns are barren ground for most birds and the chemicals people use to keep them neat and green are a horror. Limit your lawn area by planting more flowers – especially those native to your area – and you will attract more birds. Avoid using pesticides or use them only sparingly on things you planted as crops like tomatoes and peppers. Watch out for your large windows! Windows can be hazardous and even deadly for birds. Decals can deflect fliers if they are close together and so can other methods like lines made with soap. Got a birdbath? Birds need a place to drink and to “freshen up.” Our local flycatchers like to sit on the pool railing, then swoop down, hit the water, and fly to a branch to fluff out their feathers. I could watch them for hours. Birdbaths need to be shallow, cleaned with a non-toxic cleanser, and refilled frequently. Well, I haven’t mentioned many birds out of the hundreds we have in Costa Rica. Let me know if you have a favorite and how you keep it happy. Plant for the
Week
 Turkey, as it turns out, is the Land of Bulbs. They will tell you that the tulip originated there along with many other bulbs. This is one that you probably recognize. It is in the Muscari family, the family that produces grape hyacinth. Although they are not a tropical flower, there are places in Costa Rica where they can be grown. -------------------------- Editor's note: More information on this article or about gardening, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com  Real Estate For Sale
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