It is my honor to join the team at Birds and Blooms as your Northeast Regional Reporter, and I’m excited about getting to know all of you 🙂
My specialty is creating welcoming habitats for wildlife so that you will attract more birds, butterflies, pollinators, frogs, bats, and other wildlife. I’m really looking forward to seeing your wildlife gardens and the success you’ve had in attracting different species to your yards.
The Northeast region covers:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
And habitats ranging from the Atlantic coastal plain, salt marsh, Piedmont, mountain, woodland, farmland, forest, and more, with soils ranging from sand, to rock, to heavy clay.
My approach is to plan gardens that use the plants that have the most benefit to wildlife as well as plants that also provide food, shelter, and safe places to bear and raise newborns. Each plant in my garden serves multiple uses for different species of wildlife.
I travel quite a bit for various speaking engagements, so I’ll be sharing various garden discoveries with you from these trips. I’m always so excited to see what other wildlife gardeners have accomplished in their gardens, and to meet other gardeners from around the country.
So let’s get to know each other. What questions do you have about attracting wildlife to your garden? What’s your favorite bird visitor? What butterflies make their home in your yard? Please leave your comments below, describing your wildlife garden for us.
And take a moment to visit the Birds and Blooms Facebook page and click “Like” so that you don’t miss any of the fun!
Erica Cosminsky says
Yay Carole! I’m so happy for you. Awesome garden picture. Love it.
Carole Brown says
Thanks, Erica. I’m really looking forward to this new adventure. I love that garden photo too. It’s a friend’s garden and she makes such delightful and whimsical art which is placed all around her garden.
Dixie says
Carol hope you find this job so rewarding you never need to leave! Now I’ll put you to work…LOL. Can you tell us the best way to get Titmouse birds to come to the Albuquerque,N.M. area. So miss them from the Mesa Verde area, in Colo.. Most friendly birds I’ve ever run accross. Your new follower…Dixie
Carole Brown says
Hi Dixie! Thanks for your interest. I love Titmice, too. Between them and the Chickadees, they really are quite friendly. In the Albuquerque area you’d be looking for the Juniper Titmouse, which as its name suggests, likes Junipers. They like kind of an open woodland, so you may be able to lure them in if your space is large enough to plant some Junipers along the edge of your property. The more the better. It would also help if you’re close enough to an established Juniper woodland. Good luck! Let me know when you find one 🙂
Debbie/GardenofPossibilities says
Carole, Congratulations on the new gig. I’m so excited to follow you and the other Birds & Blooms bloggers to get tips & ideas for attracting more wildlife to my garden. I’ve been adding more native perennials and berrying shrubs to my garden over the past few years and have already seen an increase in the birds & butterflies in my garden. I’m looking forward to what this spring will bring to my garden – assuming all the snow actually melts!
Carole Brown says
Don’t worry Debbie, the snow really will melt! But this did seem like a very hard winter. I’d love to hear all about the native perennials and berrying shrubs you’ve added to your garden, and the birds and butterflies who have found them.
Loret says
Congratulations Carole!
You always have the greatest gardening ideas so the Northeast region certainly is lucky to be privy to your expertise. Although I now live in Florida, I spent 50+years in New York so will keep an eye on your blog to reminice and also to see what I can adapt to the Southeast region. We send our birds up to you once the cold has past and you return them every autumn, so there will always be things to learn!
Carole Brown says
Thanks, Loret! I’m thrilled that you take such good care of our birds in the winter 🙂
I’m also a bit jealous because I know from following your twitter stream (@PineLilyFNPS) that you already have Bluebird eggs in your nest box. Can’t wait to see that here!
Chris McLaughlin says
Carole ~ This is a fabulous place for you to be! I wish I had half of the knowledge that you do on wildlife gardening. Birds and Blooms is SO lucky to have you!
Carole Brown says
Awww, you’re making me blush, Chris! Thanks for stopping by. Yes, my forte is wildlife gardening, but you are the Queen of Compost and also Heirloom Veggies. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.
Mel Gilman says
Hey Carol, I loved your picture. I have been working on some new flower beds of my own, trying to attract more butterflies and especially hummingbirds, so I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for you and your articles. I have also been trying for the past few years to attract bluebirds and some orioles. Bud no such luck!:( I have done everything that I have read, but nothing. So hopefully I can get some ideas from you that I haven’t tried. Any chances that you will be coming to Maine? And if so, when and where? I am so excited to learn more about gardening and wildlife as well as getting more work done on my flower beds, and if they look a 1/4 of what yours look like, I will have a beautiful one but funtional one at that:)
Thanks,
Mel
Carole Brown says
Hi Mel!
I will actually be in Maine over Memorial Day and I’ll be staying near Portland. It’s been a few years since I’ve been up there, so I’m really looking forward to this trip. You have such a beautiful state 🙂
And thanks for the very nice complement, but that garden photo is NOT from my garden. I tour wildlife gardens around the country quite a bit. That photo is from a wonderful wildlife gardener and amazing artist who lives in Cape May, NJ.
Rachel Mathews says
Great to see you here Carole, I love your writing and your passion for wildlife – you inspire me to design gardens with more conscious awareness of what happens to the environment as a result.
Carole Brown says
Rachel, it’s so nice to see you here 🙂 And you inspire me to create wildlife gardens with principles of good design!
Lisa Wood says
Hey, Carole! Come see me in Vermont!! It can be a business trip. 😀
We get a variety of birds, but the hummingbirds are by far my favorite. We have bee balm next to the house and they love that.
Carole Brown says
Hi Lisa! I’d love to arrange a business trip to Vermont. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been up there. My hummers really love Bee Balm, too. It’s a wonderful plant for butterflies, too.
vivian johnes says
Hi Carole,
I have a little hoot owl that hunts around my place at night. Any suggestions for getting it to set up house keeping? Will they accept a box?
Carole Brown says
Hi Vivian: Sounds like you might have a screech owl, as described at Birds and Blooms. Yes you can attract them with a box. I found a good set of plans for a Screen Owl box at Audubon, and they are available for purchase as well. Make sure if you buy one it has the right size hole for Screech Owls.
judyofthewoods says
I look forward to your reports on the gardens you find on your travel. Keep up the good work. Proud of ye.
I had the great pleasure to witness succession over the last 18 years on my little patch here. I made a small clearing in a dark, virtually lifeless conifer plantation back in 1993 and have enlarged it bit by bit, bringing in light and allowing natural regeneration, only stopping invasive plants. The result has been fantabulous. In the early days there was very little wildlife, and no more than a hand full of plant species, if that. Today it is a jungle. I can’t count all the plants which have sprung up, or the wildlife which has appeared. I’ve seen all types of reptiles and amphibians, many birds and gazillions of insects and invertebrates. I have also had a hedgehog visit and seen plenty of mammals, though some would have been resident in the spruce, I suspect. All in all a thrilling experience.
Carole Brown says
Judy it’s so nice to see you back online. I’ve missed your smilin face 🙂 Your little place in the woods sounds so amazing and so full of wildlife.
Bren says
They couldn’t have picked a more perfect author to cover the Northeast. Can’t wait to follow your shares because I so love your work Carole. Best Wishes!
Carole Brown says
Thanks, Bren. It’s so nice to see you here!
Sarah Arrow says
Well done Carole, the wildlife of the north east will appreciate all your work, and I love the pic too 🙂
Carole Brown says
Thanks, Sarah!
Pamela Wilson says
Carole, I’m so glad to see you here. The blog is beautiful, and looks even better with your smiling face and helpful knowledge!
Carole Brown says
Pamela, they did do a really nice job setting up this blog, didn’t they? I love the cheery colors.
Naomi Sachs says
What a perfect marriage! Congratulations to you both:) As always, I look forward to your beautiful and informative posts.
Carole Brown says
Thanks, Naomi! It’s so nice to see you here 🙂
Debra Deshane says
Hi and welcome ! I am excited for you and for me, I have been trying to get a red bird here for about 6 yrs. (cardinal). I do all that has been suggested but to no avail. Not sure what to do next, feel like giving up on it. I enjoy feeding the birds as do my grandbabies, I know they are here, just not in my feeders, any ideas ? Thanks for any new info ………..
Carole Brown says
Debra, Cardinals can be kind of shy, so make sure they don’t feel threatened in coming to your feeders. Are there feral cats around? Cardinals will be very timid if there is. Birds and Blooms has a great description of Cardinals and the seeds they like most. You may have to try moving your feeders around to find a spot they feel more comfortable with.
Kenny Point says
Congrats Carole! I’m looking forward to your recommendations for native plants that will appeal to the local wildlife here in PA. Also hope that you will cover plants to attract beneficial insects and pollinators to the garden.
Carole Brown says
Hi Kenny, it’s so nice to see another PA person here! I will definitely be talking about attracting pollinators to the wildlife garden.