Joe/bearj: Don't know about your situation. I've got loads of last years remains on all my Vdils (esp. Erie, Asian Beauty, and Michael Dodge, which birds don't seem to prefer like other species/clones) and they have bloomed their socks off this year as usual. Some plants seem to "take a vacation" in the reproductive sense, from year to year. Quercus, Carya, Cladrastis are a few I can think of right off. I'm sure others can add more. Botanists might be able to shed more light on why. I can speak only for viburnum performance here at the Valley, and the main reason for variance here would be weather related (cold stress, drought stress) or pest-related (something bit it, or defoliated it). Viburnum species I have a lot of, which bloom reliably annually: V. dentatum V. dilatatum V. prunifolium V. (fragrant group) carlesii, x juddii, Cayuga, x burkwoodii, etc. V. (evergreen hybrids) Conoy, Chesapeake, x pragense V. nudum

Caution on the pokeberries. One of those plants that is much harder NOT to grow (at least here in PA) than to grow. Very invasive, very large, too gawky to be half attractive (the berries are a pretty blue, though,) they do stain, I think they are poisonous, and one of my friends told me that in her childhood they called them 'stinkweed.' (Never stopped to smell one.) That said, if you still want them go for it, they might be an improvement over poison ivy. Hmm...seems like damning with faint praise to me. I've been ripping them out for a few years but would be willing to send you seed if I find any I missed...all of it, come to think of it.

$10 a bag -- although I forget how many pounds per bag. About the same as all the other seed. I thought at first that these small feeders I'm using wouldn't hack it, but the birds have to work harder to get the seeds and se it last longer and they keep coming back. Dave

It was so much fun to look at your photos! It looks like you had an enjoyable summer with your birds - and the cardinal youngsters are so adorable. Your landscape also looks pretty and very bird-friendly. It's neat to see what others have done with their space. By any chance, did you ever see where the cardinals' nest was? Just curious. We have had cardinals in and out of our yard here this summer, but I have never seen a nest or even seen them retreat to a particular space, they just come to the crabapple tree and make a quick run to the feeder, then back to the tree, and back to wherever their "homebase" is. You will no doubt be enjoying your cardinals throughout the winter, which will be fun. Thanks for sharing -