Bloom & Barrow Softscapes - formally GreenThumb

08/19/2026

08/01/2026

08/01/2026

07/27/2026

Nothing like weeded interlock.

07/27/2026

07/08/2026

Summer has a way of reminding gardeners who's really in charge. One week everything is growing like crazy, and the next, a stretch of scorching afternoons has even your healthiest plants looking stressed. The good news is that helping a garden through a heat wave usually comes down to a few simple habits rather than anything complicated.
Not every piece of summer gardening advice works equally well. Deep watering, a generous layer of mulch, shade cloth during the hottest part of the afternoon, and drip irrigation are some of the most reliable ways to help plants handle extreme heat. On the other hand, a quick midday mist only cools the leaves for a few moments without watering the roots, and water-retaining crystals have produced mixed results for many gardeners.
When the heat settles in, consistency is what really matters. Keep the roots cool, water deeply instead of lightly, and protect plants before they start showing signs of stress. A little extra attention during a heat wave often makes the difference between a garden that struggles through summer and one that keeps producing until the weather finally cools down.

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

The diet is written on the face — you just have to read it!
The bill is the tool, and the shape is the job. Take the goldfinch, for instance: its short conical bill acts like a seed mill, so dedicated to seeds that a cowbird chick sneaks into its nest ends up starving on the all-seed menu provided by its parents.

On the other hand, the Carolina wren's thin, slightly curved bill functions like a pair of tweezers, flipping leaves and probing bark for spiders and caterpillars. Same yard, but completely different equipment!

Now, let's talk about the green heron—this bird is a showstopper! It shares a dagger-like bill with the great blue heron but has a unique fishing trick that few animals possess: it uses bait! Whether it's dropping a feather, twig, or live insect into the water, it freezes and waits for a curious fish to swim within reach. This makes it one of the rare tool-using birds on Earth.

The avocet also has a long thin bill that curves upward, allowing it to sweep side to side through shallow water like a scythe, straining out tiny shrimp and water bugs. Meanwhile, the chimney swift sports a nearly non-existent bill that opens into a wide net for scooping insects right out of the air!

Then there's the sapsucker, which chisels neat rows of wells into living bark to drink the sap that bleeds out. And let’s not forget about the great horned owl with its hooked bill capable of tearing apart prey larger than itself—rabbits, skunks, and even other owls!

The robin? Its medium bill does it all: worms in spring and berries in winter.

Eight bill shapes. Eight diets. These birds have already told you what they eat; you just have to read the tools they're carrying! 🐾