JeremyD - Not sure about your clay soils as I live close to the coast but I would say ammend the soil with some organic matter and it should help, or grow in pots. You will have to water more often if they are potted! Full Sun for sure! Trelis is the way to go! Have fun with them! I tooka bunch of old christmas lights and ran them along my trellis and it turned out flipping cool! Last season I grew long neck dippers, bottle, martin, and bushel. All where in pots at the four corners of my trellis. They took over everything in late summer! They found their way onto my japanese maples, tomatoe plants and even up and over my patio umbrella. We ended up with 60-70 gourds. We made birdhouses out of every variety along with bird feeders, vases and few other crafty things. This spring I have added a couple more trellis's for a few new varieties! Just have fun with them!!! I know we sure did. Here pictured are just a few of the birdhouses we have made. I placed a couple outside tucked into a J.Maple and a Camielia and already have new neighbors in them.

Great pics patsi! I too have had minimal hummer activity. In the past, regardless of the racket the starlings made at the suet feeder, or the large number of goldfinches at my feeder and on the plants, I'm only seeing a hummer, once a week IF I'M LUCKY! I've only seen one male and one female. The last few years, I'd see at least one once a day. This year it's definitely killing me, not seeing them daily. I've had a robin nest in the forsynthia, which is only a few feet away from my feeder, and that never bothered my hummers. I haven't even seen a monarch butterfly yet! Overall, butterfly activity is alot less as well. Few cabbage whites, sparse Eastern Swallowtails, although I have seen a few Black Swallowtails that were kind enough to leave me a load of caterpillars, most of which have been eliminated, probably by wasps. I have already released 2 butterflies & have 5 more chrysalids & 2 more cats still feeding. At least the mosquito population is up (yes, sarcasm), but it's keeping the bats happy, which too, appear to have had their numbers dwindle too :(

You will find helpful information at the web site linked below. Click on Nestboxes, then Placement. This provides a listing of the preferences of all the cavity nesters. You can use this info as it applies to the habitat you have available for your nestboxes. For example, chickadees might prefer more of a tree canopy, and bluebirds might prefer a more open location. I say "might" because they also like to keep us guessing LOL. There may also be other things they consider when choosing a home which we humans know nothing about, such as a preference for the same type of habitat or nestbox in which they were raised. IN ADDITION! You might want to carefully add a hole reducer for the chickadees to prevent harassment by larger birds (even the bluebirds), or even protect them from house sparrows. Nestbox specifications on that same web site will give you the recommended size, and there is even an entire page on hole restrictors under "Problems and Solutions" which mentions WHEN and HOW a hole restrictor should be added to avoid scaring the chickadees off. There are also some hints on the link for "Nestbox Pairing." The direction your nestbox entrance faces might not be as important as the location, as the birds will often perch on top or nearby to monitor their territory or enter to feed their young. Lots of considerations such as prevailing winds, amount of cover, visibility, etc. You will also find IMPORTANT information to prevent climbing predators - refer to the page on Predator Baffles. Bet has provided us this wonderful resource, collecting input from everywhere and everyone. Thanks Bet! BlueBars Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.sialis.org/index.html

Hi Lisa, good to see YOU, too. You're right, it was Phoenix, tough little bird. I didn't have HW problems last year because Daddly Blue (new last year, back now) was vigalent..he was amazing! He & Mama had 3 broods & I was expecting a 4th but I think that the female died after the 3rd. The home front is quite different than last season. My Mom's had Alz. for a number of years & she and Dad lived in PA for 60+ years in the house I grew up in. In August, Dad got a diagnosis of lung cancer that had spread & he was dead the next week. Mom then had to go to the hospital, then to a nursing home in PA. Because it's only my brother & me, we decided to move her to GA where she's in a nursing home close to me. She came here on Oct 1st & she was still talking & cheerful. She's declined to the point where she doesn't talk much, sometimes doesn't know me. Basically, she is in the last stage. I visit her most days, maybe a little less than at first. There's not much I can do for her but she's in a great facility & they are taking care of her. I NEED bluebird therapy this year, that's for sure. I've lost both parents in less than a year and it's hard. Thanks for asking & it IS good to see you & some of the others. Blessings, Linda.