I just found out how to protect the feeders from the squirrels. I got a new double shepards crook from Tractor Supply and have only had time to put one feeder on it. I can see it from here and the squirrels are having fits. They are hanging on to the small redbud and trying to grab on to the crook and it just keeps sliding out of their paws. Its hilarious! Up until now they have done in every feeder I put out. Sandy

Tracey, Google and find a photo of "Chocolate Rose Silk" morning glory. I like to grow it and "Chocolate" mixed together on a fence. Chandra, I bet the hummers are loving those vines. I always have a garden and yard full of hummers visiting the vines I have scattered around in various places. They generally don't visit the feeders unless it is raining or something since there's so many blooms for them most of the time. Susan, That's a really unique shade. I have morning glories popping up everywhere in the veggie garden, and especially in places where I don't want them. I've been busy yanking them out. I am glad they reseed, but (unfortunately) they can aggressively colonize veggie beds. Tracey, If your Grandpa Ott's is solid purple, then it isn't Grandpa Ott's. It could be the seed was crossed when it was grown by the seed supplier, or that a packaging/labeling error occurred. Scarlett O'Hara ought to be really red too, but as Susan noted, it is getting harder and harder to find seeds of Scarlett O'Hara that give you the original red Scarlett. Here's some trivia about Grandpa Ott's morning glory: Seed Savers Exchange was founded by Kent and Diane Ott Whealey. One of the original seeds they wanted to save and distribute was a morning glory seed given to her by her grandfather---and we know that morning glory today as "Grandpa Ott's". I've linked the SSE image below because that is was Grandpa Ott's should look like, right from the horse's mouth, so to speak. The history in the catalog is a little more detailed that what I typed here so you might enjoy reading it too. Grandpa Ott's is the most prolific reseeder I've ever seen. I bet I yank out hundreds of them from the veggie garden every year, but I also leave plenty and let them climb the fence. They also climb the cornstalks sometimes and even the tomato cages. I leave them when I can and wherever I can because the hummers and other little flying critters love them so. Also, they're simply gorgeous, particularly in August when a lot of stuff isn't looking nearly as good as it did in June. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: SSE: Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory

Many of the birds you mention aren't cavity nesters, so a nest box wouldn't matter. Probably chickadees are the most likely. If you put up a box for chickadees, of course make sure it's protected from predators with a baffle on the post or pole, especially since you mention cats and racoons. The hole size is 1 1/8", small enough that house sparrows and starlings won't be able to enter. One thing I read is that chickadees might prefer a larger hole to start with, like 1 1/4", and then once they have established use of the box, you can put a 1 1/8" hole reducer on. Much depends on the habitat in your yard and in the surrounding area. Chickadees seem to like the nest box to be on the edge of a woody or shrubby area. A chickadee box might also attract house wrens, so I guess it depends on whether you want to potentially host them or not. You don't mention what state you live in, so I don't know if you have house wrens. Other suggestions for nest boxes could be wood ducks (since you live near water), or even screech owls, which could use the same box as wood ducks. Or, you could try putting up an Owl Shack in the fall. I've got two up, no luck so far with screech owls, but the woodpeckers sure like to drum on that nice resonant box! If you have many dogs and cats running around your neighborhood, then you might not get anything at all. If that is the case, then you might not want to try and attract wood ducks, because they have to jump out of the box to make their way to the water, and would be easy targets for cats.

Wow, I've found the right place --- psycho bird victims unite! I've had male cardinal attacking my windows for 7 months now. I've tried covering windows, spraying windex(it was all I had) on outside of window, aluminum foil on outside of windows(I got creative for a while). If I cover one window he comes to another. He has now found my bedroom. This is from dawn to dusk and I'm not a fan of getting up at dusk! It's making me crazy, I'm smoking more, thinking of buying a gun(used to be a pacificist...) and losing friends! I've always been one to try to see a 'meaning' from the universe in odd moments but my love and peace tendencies are waning quickly. Please let me know if anything has worked ... I've got a lot of windows. Jeez, I just read they can live 15 years. I dont thidsfnk ihave thaat mch tiim lftt.