thx much for that info.When i'm down there in a few wks for my pick up, if theirs looks great, for some reason [zone?] i'll consider it, but sounds pretty bad. Our gardens are so jam packed that 'looks weedy' is the defining thing that would keep me from growing a plant. These pea family plants must be pretty easy to hybridize; there are alot of lespedeza cultivars out there. I finally found a tag for one of mine- Pink Fountain. Very late (like maybe Oct) while the un- i.d.'ed one i have has been steady blooming awhile now, in 90% shade too! I hope i can focus enough for a hands- on lesson from the Br Arrow guys in HOW to tell the diff between lespedeza and indigofera foliage.

Hi Ann! I am no expert, but I think that putting up the housing in a great location is key. You know what the realtors always say..location..location...location!! I think that it is also important to install some type of predator guards as well. Check out the sialis site for the best advice on attracting Bluebirds. Here is a link that might be useful: Sialis Bluebird advice

Hi Janie... I remember you from my early years on this forum. It's been a long time but I've recently been coming back and reading posts and getting reacquainted again. I remember Bluebars too and Vonda (and a few others)...and does Malinda still post here? Anyway, I miss my blues so much (my ex-husband is holding them "hostage" at my previous residence...I did one thing right and that was teach him how to take care of them.) I guess they come back every year and for that I'm grateful because I left that legacy to the neighborhood. I taught everyone about the blues and they keep coming back every year. Now I if could only get so lucky and get some at my current house.

i have one old hopper feeder that just had a rail around the bottom. the birds were scattering more stuff than they were eating. so i took the metal lid off an old pasta pot about 12 inches in diameter. drilled holes and bolted it to the bottom of the feeder and it gives me a 4 inch rim around the feeder and the doves and jays and even the smaller birds perch on it to eat. the holes in the base of the hopper i enlarged so that the shelled peanuts and the corn would flow out of the hopper into the lid which is turned upside down making a tray. now i use a mix of seeds and cracked corn and nuts and even the large striped sunflower seeds so there is a variety for different birds