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Mother's Day Eggs-citement

By Barbara C., Endwell, New York

MY HUSBAND called me to the front porch to show me my gift for Mother's Day--two beautiful ivy geraniums hung in baskets by our front door.

Each time I walked past the window, I couldn't help soaking in their streaming, pink beauty. But within a couple of hours, the plants became a hub of activity.

Four house finches were flying in and out of the baskets as they swayed in the breeze.

Two claimed residence the next morning, and a nest was built deep in one of the baskets. Four eggs were deposited, and by June, the babies hatched.

As a result of the blessed event, my husband promised to buy me two baskets of ivy geraniums each Mother's Day. Thank you, finch family!

To view a photo, click here.

Outsmart Those Backyard Raiders

A WHILE back, we shared some time-proven tricks from readers to outwit those garden or backyard bandits. Here are a few more that may put you a half-step ahead--for a while!

> DEER-PROOFING a flower bed or your favorite shrubs can be done economically by tying bars of perfumed soap to the shrubs, trees or plants you want to protect.

I use an ice pick to make the hole in the soap for twine. Then I tie it where needed.

I've heard that other people put soap in an old nylon stocking and hang it in a tree or scatter soap shavings around the garden.

In our area, we hang the soap high to keep it out of the reach of skunks and opossums, which find it a tasty treat. --Toni F., East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

> THE Illinois Cooperative Extension Service recommends using 3-foot-high chicken wire fence to keep rabbits out of the garden.

Bend the bottom 6 inches outward at a right angle and cover with soil. The rabbits can't jump over the fence or dig under the bent wire.

They also recommend leaving a pan of water near the garden for rabbits. This will keep them from eating tomatoes for moisture.

And the Extension's most interesting recommendation to keep the critters away has to do with Tabasco sauce. Sprinkle your garden plants with a solution made from one bottle of Tabasco to 1 gallon of water. --Muriel W., Clinton, Iowa

Young Gardener 'Grows' Turtles

GIVE 'EM a hammer and nails, a hoe and hose or a section of yard, and it won't take long for kids to dig in.

We feel young gardeners and birders deserve a pat on the back--they just may give us an idea or two, some inspiration and hopefully a lot of energy!

Tami T, 14, of Lakefield, Minnesota, found a new hobby--water gardening--thanks to her pet turtles. Tami wanted a nice place to keep her seven turtles, so she built a beautiful pond in her mom's abandoned flower garden.

She used a small plastic pool for the water reservoir, covered the area with sheet plastic to eliminate weeding and used rocks from their farm field for stepping-stones and a border.

"The turtles seem to love the pond and the land I left for them," Tami says. "And I was surprised when I found out they laid eggs there!"

To view a photo, click here.

Feeding's Easy as Pie

A VARIETY of birds love the "pie dough" recipe that I use throughout the year.

It's been so successful that we regularly see woodpeckers (and their young), nuthatches and chickadees. During the summer, we've even seen orioles try it. Here's the trick:

Use any pie dough recipe and add peanut butter, nuts and seeds. Sometimes I include dog food in the mix and substitute meat drippings for shortening.

Peanut butter and dog food provide protein, so I always include it when making this recipe in winter.

When finished, I roll the mix in a ball and hang in an onion bag (it will drip in warm weather, so hang it where it won't cause damage). Then watch birds stand in line for the treat.

--Joyce L., Onaway, Michigan

Find Answers Fast

TRY the Birds & Blooms on-line Bulletin Board!

TRY the Birds & Blooms on-line Bulletin Board!

This easy-to-use service allows readers with access to the Web to post questions and share information and ideas on-line anytime.

Feel free to ask your question or respond to other readers searching for help on various subjects, such as bird feeding, flower gardening and butterflies. The Bulletin Board gives you a chance to quickly find solutions to your backyard dilemmas. And you'll see for yourself just how friendly our readers are.

To access the Bulletin Board, click here.

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Birds & Blooms magazine brings beautiful backyards from across America into your living room--through vivid, full-color photos. It's like a friendly "chat" over the back fence with your bird-and flower-loving neighbors. 

To subscribe on-line, visit http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=28

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Copyright 2002 Reiman Publications L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Birds & Blooms, P.O. Box 991, Greendale WI 53129-0991