outmybackdoor

By Terry W. Johnson

If you enjoy gardening for hummingbirds, you should become acquainted with the salvias. Salvias and hummingbirds are so mutually beneficial to one another that wildlife gardeners sometimes refer to them as the perfect pair.

By Terry W. Johnson

Now that Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, it is time to begin focusing our attention on Christmas … and beyond buying gifts.

By Terry W. Johnson

By Terry W. Johnson

I don't know about you, but as I mature, I come across things that transport me back in time. Spotting, of all things, a spittlebug lair prompted my most recent trip down memory lane.

By Terry W. Johnson

Until I retired, I never spent much time watching bumblebees. I guess, like most folks, I took them for granted.

By Terry W. Johnson

By Terry W. Johnson

We Americans don’t ever seem satisfied. Take bluebird boxes, for example. While the basic design has remained relatively unchanged for years, we are constantly seeking the perfect bluebird box.

Although such a structure may be a pipe dream, wildlife biologists are inching closer to that goal. Let’s take peek at some of the innovations researchers have come up with.

By Terry W. Johnson

The stress of the long, hot summer is beginning to show on the flowers in my backyard. For weeks, the zinnias, salvias, coneflowers and a host of others along with untold numbers of hummingbirds and butterflies attracted to them have treated my family to a veritable kaleidoscope of color. Knowing that soon the flowers time will be over, I must admit that I am filled with mixed emotions. Hummingbirds are departing in droves. As the flowers continue to wither and die, the butterflies will also disappear.

By Terry W. Johnson

When we are youngsters learning about the wonder and perils of the great outdoors, our parents taught us a number of valuable lessons aimed at keeping us out of harm's way. For example, we are taught that it is not a good idea to grab a bumblebee, or try to eat every berry we see. We also learned to recognize and avoid poison ivy at all cost. Often parents taught their children this important lesson using a short poem that goes like this, "Leaves of three, let them be."

By Terry W. Johnson

Chances are, if you are reading this column, one of your favorite winter pastimes is feeding birds. As such, each year you spend hundreds of dollars on feeders and foods in hopes of attracting birds within easy viewing distance of your home.

So far, much of winter 2015-2016 has been disappointing for those of us who enjoy seeing white-throated sparrows, cardinals, dark-eyed juncos and a host of others dining at our backyard bird cafes.