RE: goldfinch

If you have coneflowers of any kind, you'll attract the gold finches.  I've
also had them "roost" in my centrathus ruber "alba."  It is always a delight
to come up the drive or around a corner and see them congregated together in
the plants merrily chatting away to one another.  They also LOVE thistle
seed.  They are the reason I have so many places in the yard with
coneflowers.  They eat the seed and deposit it with a healthy manure
dressing somewhere I hadn't planned for them to be. :>)  Thus far, I've
always had enough takers for the "extra" coneflowers though.  I've had three
folks from last year who took seedlings that have come back to me and asked
if they could have some more "extras" as they fell in love with the
coneflowers (Echinacea "White Swan" and the purple variety as well.)

I went to cut some twigs of my Bluebeard this morning for a funeral bouquet
and had a bit of difficulty getting my pruners in there for all the bees.
At least I didn't have that problem with the Rose of Sharon!  This cool
weather is really making everything around here start acting as though it is
fall.  I've even seen a couple of plants start a small color change and my
Chinese Lanterns are ready for harvest any time now.  

Blessings,
Bonnie (SW OH - zone 5)  Where the temps, sun and wind are absolutely
perfect today!

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf
Of Kitty
Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2004 12:31 PM
To: Agardenchat
Subject: [CHAT] goldfinch

As I came down toward the Florida room I could hear a very different (from
the usual around here) bird sound.  There on the Anise Hyssop (Agastache
rugosa) were 3 gold and black little birds, nibbling away at the flowers.  I
had never seen anything but insects - bees, wasps, butterflies, and moths -
on this plant before.  Since I know very little about birds, I guessed they
were goldfinches.  The pictures I googled look very much like them.

I realize they aren't all that uncommon, but it was a real treat for me to
see them enjoying a plant I grew from seed.

Kitty

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