European mountain ash, Sorbus aucuparia, is so prolific in the PNW it has developed a reputation as a weed tree and is rapidly becoming more commonly listed as an exotic invasive. Generally short lived, it is an exceedingly messy tree, generating a lot of debris as well as considerable fruit drop. Fruit can be very messy, so plant away from drives, pathways or patios. The fruit is much appreciated by birds however. One of my favored childhood memories is watching the robins in our backyard tree getting a buzz on the fermented berries after a good frost! But the birds are also responsible for spreading this tree willy nilly throughout the environment, too. And as a member of the rose family, it is prone to a number of disease issues, not the least of which is a tendency to fireblight. I am not as familiar with the native American mountain ash, but assume it has similar characteristics. If I were to consciously plant a mountian ash, I'd only consider Sorbus hupehensis 'Pink Pagoda', a superior Chinese form developed by the University of British Columbia with persistant bright pink berries that fade to white, a blue tinge to the foliage and very nice reddish fall color.

Fantastic photos of the bluebirds and waxwings together. That is luck to see them together, let alone get a good photo. We have waxwings here all summer, but so often they are high up in trees, most people don't notice them. They like black cherries, and when i canoe the river i see them flycatching alot. And congrats newyorkrita on your bird garden paying off. Glad the Wentworths were well used, so many people report birds not touching the highbush cranberries. I saw cardinals picking at them once, but i think they were only after the pits inside. I may have to think about planting a Cardinal Candy viburnum. Winterberries - ive never had those last late in the year. I had a robin that would camp out until they were all gone, in December.

donnas, put up some nestboxes if you are wanting to attract bluebirds. There are some wonderful sites to go and learn all about bluebirds. This forum has a bluebird section where the folks are very knowledgable and can answer any questions that you have. I learned a lot from them when I first started bluebirding 14 years ago. You want to make sure that your nestboxes are the right dimensions, mounted on a pole with a baffle to protect the bluebirds and young from racoons. I started with 2 boxes and now am up to 14! I have a lot of room for them out here in the country! And I get more treeswallows than bluebirds. But you don't have to be in the country to attract them! My father in law had a box in his backyard smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood and that box always had a pair of bluebirds in it. Once they find you and raise some babies they will likely come back for years. Nestboxes that's the key. The robin I saw was really fat too minnie! Wherever they spent the winter they sure were eating well! I told a friend yesterday that I saw my first robin of the year yesterday - you could just hear her spirits lift in her voice. Something about them being back just gives us hope that the long cold winter is at least getting close to be over. A light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. Last year I think I about cried of happiness when my treeswallows returned!

I think soil amendments and other care is more likely a problem, rather than alkalinity, in growing rugosas in Southern California. You are probably right Ingrid that most roses planted here are not planted in strictly native soil. But mine are because I want roses that like the natural conditions here. And from what I've read on rugosas, they like lean, sandy, fast draining soil. That is precisely what I have. Those that seem to get into trouble with rugosas (and some others such as Reine des Violettes--Jon in Wessex, England, grows his on chalk, which is ultra alkaline, without chlorosis) amend the soil, heavily mulch, fertilize often, and repeatedly add acidifiers to the soil. I've never used an acidifier to the soil for my roses. It is too alkaline to grow things such as blueberries (many in the neighborhood have tried unsuccessfully for years). But rugosas look fine. I have 9 different rugosas and none seem to have any trouble with the soil/conditions in my garden. Some are even grafted on multiflora (from Pickering, and that includes Wild Edric), which doesn't seem to matter. There is a theory that these roses do not to like alkaline soil, but I think this theory is flawed. I haven't had any problems, yet I don't do anything to prevent them. Here's a photo of Wasagaming, in between Reine des Violettes and the hybrid tea Limelight. All are in very sandy, lean soil up close to, and in the root zone of a huge ash tree (trunk is around 4 feet in diameter). No soil amendments for any of them when planted. No mulch except what they get from the ash tree's leaves. Fed occasionally with diluted fish emulsion. Nothing else. Water from the garden hose. Surrounded by native California salvias which would not tolerate rich treatment. Sorry, this was a vertical picture and Houzz turned it sideways. RdV is at the bottom, the small plant in the middle with the white tag is Wasagaming, the green leaved rose at the top is Limelight. Foliage on the rugosa Snowden (own root from Heirloom): Foliage on the rugosa Polareis (grafted on multiflora from Pickering): Foliage on the rugosa Frau Dagmar Hartopp (own root from High Country Roses), arrived September 2014 and was baked in shipment like Wasagaming. I have her in a tomato cage to protect from canine friends: Foliage and blooms on the rugosa Wild Edric (grafted on multiflora from Pickering):