The Kerby's Nursery E-Newsletter
August 20, 2020
Take a Dust Bath
by Joey Bokor
by Joey Bokor
I remember the first time that I saw one of our chickens take a dust bath. We thought something was
terribly wrong. They were young chicks, only a few months old and we were new chicken parents. When
we saw what looked like a half-plucked bird flailing about throwing dirt up in the air, we were concerned.
Out came the phones for a little quick research and we were relieved to discover that what the chickens
were doing was a normal part of their self-care routine. Now on any given day, we'll see four or five
of the hens with wings and feathers sticking every which way, throwing piles of dust up on themselves.
And I learned the other day that it isn't just chickens that like a dust bath. Around the edge of the girl's underground clubhouse, there are patches of loose dirt where weeds can't quite take hold. Since it has been pretty dry lately, the dirt is thin and loose, typical Florida sugar sand. And as Kim and I were enjoying an evening outside in the shade, we saw a tiny little sparrow start to throw dirt around like it was the only job it had in the world.
The little sparrow flew off, came back, bathed a little more, flew off, waited for me to get my camera, came back, and continued to dust bathe without a care in the world. I don't know why, but it was fun to watch. I'm always amazed that even after spending so much time in gardens, yards and outdoors, I still find things that I've never seen before. I wonder what new adventures this week will bring.
And I learned the other day that it isn't just chickens that like a dust bath. Around the edge of the girl's underground clubhouse, there are patches of loose dirt where weeds can't quite take hold. Since it has been pretty dry lately, the dirt is thin and loose, typical Florida sugar sand. And as Kim and I were enjoying an evening outside in the shade, we saw a tiny little sparrow start to throw dirt around like it was the only job it had in the world.
The little sparrow flew off, came back, bathed a little more, flew off, waited for me to get my camera, came back, and continued to dust bathe without a care in the world. I don't know why, but it was fun to watch. I'm always amazed that even after spending so much time in gardens, yards and outdoors, I still find things that I've never seen before. I wonder what new adventures this week will bring.
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Happy Gardening, The Kerby's Nursery Family 
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The Weekly Special
Foxfarm Soils - 10% Off
Your plants will love you when you plant them in either Happy Frog or Ocean Forest soil by Foxfarm. Amazing, natural ingredients create a rich soil that feeds plants and makes them grow like you've never seen before.
Regular Price - $29.99
Valid Through 8/26/2020
Your plants will love you when you plant them in either Happy Frog or Ocean Forest soil by Foxfarm. Amazing, natural ingredients create a rich soil that feeds plants and makes them grow like you've never seen before.
Regular Price - $29.99
Valid Through 8/26/2020
Get ready to get wild in your garden. Okay, you don't have to go crazy, but one of the things that many of us love about the outdoors is the fact that you see so many cool critters. Besides a dust-bathing bird, we often see bunnies, squirrels, hawks, woodpeckers and vultures, just to name a few. That doesn't even start on the lizards, frogs, butterflies and bees. When our yards and gardens are planted not just for us to enjoy, but for all of the earth's creatures, it can make it a really amazing place to enjoy nature. Below are some of our tips for attracting wildlife to your yard. Feel free to get as wild as you like. That's what fences are for, right?
1) Don't be Neat - I know your HOA says that everything has to be perfectly maintained and weed-free. That, unfortunately, is not the way to attract wildlife to your yard. Allowing little areas here and there to become overgrown and unkempt gives little critters a place to shelter and hide. It doesn't have to be your entire yard, so find a spot that is a little more out of sight and let it go back to its natural state.
2) Avoid Pesticide Use - When we spray plants for bugs, we inevitably introduce pesticides into the food chain. Bugs ingest pesticide, birds and critters eat bugs and so on. Consider using natural and organic options such as Neem Oil to treat insect issues when you do have a bug issue that requires attention. And when you can, limit the use of pesticides altogether. Bugs provide a great source of food for lizards, birds and even other cool bugs.
3) Plant a Tree - There is never a bad time to plant a tree. They add value to your home, they keep your garden cool and shaded and who doesn't love a picnic under the arching branches of a stately oak or towering maple. And you aren't the only one who will enjoy it. All manner of creatures call trees home. Bees and butterflies, squirrels and birds of all shapes and sizes, we even have a family of racoons that sleeps in the upper canopy of our oak trees. Without trees, you won't find a lot of wildlife around.
4) Plant Natives - Many native plants are natural food sources for wildlife in the form of leaves, roots, flowers, berries and seeds. Where possible, add natives into your landscape to keep your garden as close to the landscape wildlife is used to as possible.
5) Enjoy - An outdoor game that we love to play with our girls is called Sit-Spot. You sit down and find a spot to look at in a tree or in the yard around you. Then you wait to see what you spot. You'll be amazed at how areas of your yard that look vacant are really teeming with wildlife of all shapes and sizes. So after you've made sure that your yard is the place for wildlife to be, be sure to take time to enjoy the haven you've created for the wildlife around you.
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New Arrivals |
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Tea Olive Sweet-smelling Blooms 10" Pot - $19.99 |
Barbados Cherry Blooming Now 7 Gallon - $79.99 |
Neoregelia Bromeliads Intense Tropical Color 6" Pot - $19.99 |
Dwell at Kerby's - The Houseplant Shop
