outmybackdoor

By Terry W. Johnson

If I asked you to make a list of the animals that inhabit your backyard, I am sure that list would include scores of birds, butterflies, squirrels, toads, the chipmunk and an assortment of other critters. I would venture to say most people would not include the Virginia opossum.

One reason for this may be that since the animals are nocturnal, they are rarely seen wandering about in backyards. Yet, whether you live in the country, suburbs or city, chances are opossums visit your yard.

By Terry W. Johnson

Now that summer has slipped away, the tapestry of my yard has lost most of its color. Gone are the stunning blossoms of bee balm, coneflower, trumpet creeper and other spring and summer bloomers. In spite of my efforts to dead-head my zinnias to prolong the production of blooms, only a scant few blossoms remain of the kaleidoscope of color once provided by hundreds.

By Terry W. Johnson

By Terry W. Johnson

When we are youngsters learning about the wonder and perils of the great outdoors, our parents taught us a number of valuable lessons aimed at keeping us out of harm's way. For example, we are taught that it is not a good idea to grab a bumblebee, or try to eat every berry we see. We also learned to recognize and avoid poison ivy at all cost. Often parents taught their children this important lesson using a short poem that goes like this, "Leaves of three, let them be."

By Terry W. Johnson

Due in large part to the amazing popularity of the film Jurassic World, Georgians of all ages have once again become fascinated with dinosaurs. Although the thunder lizards have been extinct for millions of years, modern day lizards, distant relatives of these often-mammoth beasts, lurk close to mankind.

By Terry W. Johnson

With each passing day, we are moving inexorably toward the peak of the hummingbird season. It is that special time of year when squadrons of hummingbirds invade our backyards, each vying for the opportunity to feed on nectar from our flowers and feeders.

By Terry W. Johnson

A common axiom states that if you want an abundance of wildlife in your backyard, you need to supply food, water and cover.

But the truth is you can provide wildlife with those three elements and still not attract as much wildlife as you thought you would. When this happens, the culprit may be the improper use of pesticides – insecticides, fungicides, herbicides.

Terry W. Johnson

Make no mistake about it, we Georgians love hummingbirds. Each year folks from Woodbine to West Point and Bainbridge to Helen and countless cities and towns in between spend hours enjoying the beauty and aerial acrobatics of the birds that John James Audubon called "glittering fragments of the rainbow."  

By Terry W. Johnson

One of the things I enjoy most about spring is that at this time of year we are treated to Mother Nature's annual parade of wildflowers. This special event actually begins before the official arrival of spring and extends well into May. Like the bands, floats and marchers in a traditional parade, each of our wildflowers appears across the Georgia countryside in an ordered sequence.

By Terry W. Johnson

If you would like to host a Baltimore oriole in your backyard, unbelievably there is no better time to try doing so than right now.