KTOSers, Knoxville's birds need your help! From now through November 15, we're challenging you to plant something for the birds in your backyard—a tree, shrub, or perennial native to North America (preferably the Southeast). Native plants not only provide the [...]
by Karin Beuerlein It doesn’t necessarily take a big habitat project to attract more birds to your backyard. Small steps count, too, and can be a good way to start if you’re new to backyard birding. Here are some easy [...]
by Karin Beuerlein What if you could expand your reach and make your backyard bird habitat even bigger and richer? That doesn’t necessarily mean buying more land—it can just mean convincing your neighborhood to add a natural area. Last September, [...]
by Karin Beuerlein Meet my all-time favorite bird, the acrobatic and iridescent tree swallow! In my experience, there’s no more beautiful, sociable, or loyal creature you can invite into your yard. I totally get why someone wrote a song when [...]
by Karin Beuerlein The last time I posted, the world was a very different place. COVID-19 has interrupted all our lives, and it also interrupted this blog, so I apologize for being tardy. I hope you and yours are healthy [...]
by Karin Beuerlein We’ve been busy putting together the KTOS booth for the Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show Feb. 14–16 (come by and see us there!), so this post will be short and sweet. This winter, I wanted to [...]
by Karin Beuerlein The dead of winter is actually a wonderful time in the backyard garden—a time to reflect on the bones of your plants and watch birds gather at the feeder. (Though it’s 72 degrees as I write this [...]
by Karin Beuerlein In my last post, I mentioned taking inventory of the native plants in my yard based on entomologist Doug Tallamy’s research. You can draw a straight line from more native plants to more native insects to better [...]
by Karin Beuerlein Six thousand caterpillars. That’s how many it takes (at minimum) to raise a single brood of chickadees from hatching to fledging the nest. It’s an incredible figure, especially considering how many flights the parents have to make [...]
by Karin Beuerlein Hello, and welcome to the KTOS Better Backyards Blog! My name is Karin Beuerlein. I’m an avid gardener and I’m passionate about creating backyard habitat for birds with native plants. I’m sure you heard the disturbing news [...]
