|
|
| |
|
| Dear
$$firstname$$,
Greetings
from Birds & Blooms magazine! We hope you enjoy this month's
newsletter, which includes a suggestion for long-distance
gardening, some hummingbird hints, a beautiful bog and more.
Read on and you'll discover...
>
Bird's-Eye View
> Bridging the Generation Gap
> Keep Hummers Happy, Healthy
> Carnivores in the Bog
> Wow, a Weal Won!
> Find Answers Fast
> Garden Scary Cat
|
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Bird's-Eye
View
By
Deborah B., Paw Paw, Michigan
WHEN
WE replaced our original farmhouse with a new house,
I searched for a memento to make it feel like home.
A cast-iron
bell that stood outside our old back door was the perfect
item. It dated back to 1881, and I'm sure many farm
wives used it for the same reason--to call family members
to the dinner table.
We placed
the bell on a new post in the corner of our backyard
patio. For 2 years, it served its usual function, until
a mother robin chose to nest under it.
"What
a terrible place for a nest," I thought. It was
just outside our back door, where, with five kids and
a dog, the traffic was almost nonstop.
Soon
I realized how limited my human vision can be. A nest
under the bell was a perfect location. The post was
tall, strong and protected from the wind. And the bell
itself acted as an umbrella, keeping the nest dry even
during the worst rains.
The bell
has now sheltered robin's nests for the last 4 years
(attesting to its suitability as a nest site), and we
haven't had troubles getting by without it. Our children
have watched each nest with fascination.
It also
has taught me a lesson. Next time I face a problem,
I won't just see a dinner bell. I'll stretch my imagination
to look for a solution through a robin's eyes.
To view
a photo, click
here.
|
| |
 |
| |
|
Bridging
the Generation Gap
"IT'S TOUGH being a long-distance grandma,"
admits Lillian T. of Hubbard, Ohio.
"But
I work hard at it, keeping a close relationship
by phone with my 4-year-old granddaughter, Maddie,
who lives 350 miles away in Sandusky, Michigan.
A common bond, believe it or not, is gardening."
|
 |
|
Lillian
says one of their joint projects involved learning
about sunflowers at the library, then planting
seeds at both homes. Regular phone conversations
included progress reports on the sunny plants,
supplemented by notes and pictures.
"How
wonderful it was to hear Maddie's excitement when
describing how the seeds had sprouted and announcing
with pride that she had her first bloom,"
Lillian recalls.
"It
was a wonderful experience for both of us and
one I'll never forget. Judging from the pictures
she sent, she won't forget it either!"
|
|
| |
| |
|
| |
|
Keep
Hummers Happy, Healthy
HERE'S
some advice from readers to help make your backyard
a hub of hummingbird activity.
>
I JUST couldn't attract hummingbirds to my feeders until
I planted red flowers nearby.
But to attract the first hummers returning from their
winter migration, I needed to find a way to get a head
start. So I use artificial red flowers in early spring
to get their attention. As the weather warms, I replace
them with fresh flowers. It's worked great! --Terry
Z., Thurmont, Maryland
>
WELL-MEANING hummingbird lovers can do more harm than
good if they don't properly feed these little jewels.
It's
important for hummers to be fed a mix of 1 part sugar
to 4 parts water. (Don't forget to boil and cool this
mixture before serving.)
If it's
mixed stronger, it could be harmful to hummers' livers.
A weak mixture will not provide enough sugar for the
birds' high metabolic rate.
It's
also important to clean hummer feeders at least twice
each week. If you don't have the time to properly care
for these feeders, then serve hummingbirds their natural
and preferred food--nectar from your garden flowers.
--Bea M., Jacksonville, Florida
>
IT'S NOT necessary to add red coloring to sugar water
for hummingbirds. The red usually found on the feeder
is enough to attract them. --Bryan F., Warren, New
Hampshire
|
| |
|
| |
 |
Carnivores
in the Bog
By
Marilyn W., Tuscaloosa, Alabama
WHEN Mac and Min M. burned off the brush in a
marshy area behind their home near Silverhill,
Alabama, they were amazed by what followed.
Wildflowers
galore began to bloom in place of the brush, including
several unusual carnivorous plants just waiting
for light (and insects).
|
|
"We didn't know we were playing Mother Nature,"
says Mac. "Removing the brush added much-needed
sunlight to help these plants out."
They
now call their land Minamac Wildflower Bog, home
to native pink orchids, daisies, wild lilies and
several carnivorous plants. Many of these flowers
survived the burn because their rhizomes, bulbs
and tubers were protected below the bog's surface.
The
carnivorous plants, such as pitcher plants, sundews
and Venus flytraps, have returned in full force.
Their leaves help capture insects for food.
Finding
these plants was more rare than the couple first
imagined. Only about 3 percent of these Gulf Coast
bogs with carnivorous plants still exist--the
rest have been drained for development.
To
view a photo, click
here.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Wow,
a Weal Won!
By
Esther V., Chester, Illinois
OUT
WHERE we live, there are several different kinds of
woodpeckers. I've tried to teach my young grandson,
Jason, the differences between them.
When
a red-headed woodpecker arrives, I say, "There's
a real red-headed woodpecker."
After
several times of naming different woodpeckers together,
Jason came for a visit. He ran into the kitchen while
I was doing dishes.
"Gwanma,
Gwanma," he exclaimed, "there's a weal wood-headed
wedpecker in yo burd feeder!"
Now I can't help laughing every time I see a real "wood-headed
redpecker".
|
| |
|
| |
|
Find
Answers Fast
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.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Garden Scary Cat
|
 |
COUNTRY STORE has lots of nifty birding and garden gadgets
under $10! Scary Cat is one--it spooks rabbits, birds
and squirrels away from your garden with light-refracting
marble eyes that look real to a pest. 6-3/4"H x
14"L. Black metal.
To order
Scary Cat from Country Store On-line, click
here.
|
|
|
| |
|
HAVE
A FRIEND who enjoys bird-watching, bird feeding
or backyard gardening? Feel free to forward this newsletter!
This
email was sent to: $$email$$
If this
newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up for
yourself at http://www.birdsandblooms.com
TO
CANCEL your newsletter at any time, visit http://www.reimanpub.com/rd.asp?id=2
TO
UPDATE your e-mail address and other information,
please visit http://www.birdsandblooms.com
and click on the “Personal Preferences” link
near the “Free Newsletters” link. You’ll need your current
e-mail address and password to log in. If you’ve forgotten
your password or never selected one, there is a link
to have it e-mailed to you.
HAVING
PROBLEMS linking to our Web site? If clicking a link
in this newsletter doesn't work, you can simply highlight
and copy the link, then paste it into your browser's
target address field.
**********
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
**********
Copyright
2002 Reiman Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Birds & Blooms, P.O. Box 991, Greendale WI
53129-0991
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
