September 2002 Birds & Blooms Newsletter

September 2002

This newsletter is from the editors of...

Birds & Blooms 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 or give a gift on-line,
click here.

To visit our website,
click here.

The General Store That Fits in Your Computer!
Click here.

Dear $$firstname$$,

Greetings from Birds & Blooms magazine! We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, which includes an unusual indoor bird feeder, some tasty tomato recipes, surprising flower facts and more. Read on and you'll discover...

> Prize Was Spread a Long Way
> Seating for Feathered Friends
> Now's 'Vine' Time for Tomatoes
> Butter Up the Birdies
> Eye 'Em or Eat 'Em?
> Find Answers Fast
> Mesh Feeder is Fantastic

Prize Was Spread a Long Way
By Lillian H., San Jose, California

SEVERAL years ago, I entered a national essay contest titled "What I Want for My Garden".

Being a new gardener, I needed many, many things. So I wished for seeds, some fertilizer, a shovel, lots of toads to eat the bugs, a warm spring rain and plenty of sunny days. And I requested that it all be tied up with a colorful bow--a rainbow.

Months later, a note arrived informing me that I was one of the winners. Soon after, a delivery truck pulled up while I was planting mums in my garden. Perfect timing!

The driver unloaded a big box and placed it on my porch. I was so excited! I was sure it was one or more of the things I'd asked for.

Well, it was--a big sack of "natural fertilizer" (from cows).

My friends joked that it must have been the booby prize. But I was grateful to win something, so I worked the fertilizer into my mum bed.

That fall, the flowers exploded...and my mum entry won at the state fair!

It turned out I had the last laugh. That sweepstakes made me a winner many times over.

Seating for Feathered Friends

AT A busy kitchen cafe in Center Harbor, New Hampshire, Edith R. is filling food orders.

Edith's unusual bird feeder brings wild songbirds right into her kitchen. She keeps customers happy offering a daily special of wild birdseed mix. Then she sits back to enjoy the show.

"I had the feeder installed in the back wall of my kitchen when the house was built," Edith explains. "I get such a thrill watching these lovely birds all day long."

When she cooks for herself, Edith doesn't worry about frightening her dinner guests away. One-way mirrors on three sides give her a perfect view and freedom to move about without the birds seeing her.

"I don't even have to leave the house to feed them," she notes. "I just drop the seed in from the top of the feeder. And it's quite safe from predators since it's 15 feet off the ground."

Juncos, house finches, tufted titmice, indigo buntings, chickadees, goldfinches and blue jays are among Edith's regular customers.

How are the tips, you ask? "Cheap, cheap," she laughs.

To view a photo, click here.

Now's 'Vine' Time for Tomatoes

TANTALIZING tomatoes are tops in taste right now. Red, ripe and juicy, they'll fill your table with fresh-from-the-vine flavor and summertime color.

America's most popular home-garden crop can be served up simply sliced or as part of savory main dishes and marinated salads. If you have more tomatoes than recipe ideas, try the ones featured here.

Herbed Tomato Salad from Judith M. of Perry Hall, Maryland is a great way to use up tomatoes of any kind. Basil Tomato Tart from Connie S. of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is perfect for a brunch, lunch or light dinner.

HERBED TOMATO SALAD
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2-1/2 pounds fresh plum and/or cherry tomatoes

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Cut tomatoes in half or into wedges; add to dressing and toss. Cover and allow to marinate for several hours or refrigerate overnight. Toss lightly before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

BASIL TOMATO TART
Pastry for a single-crust pie (9 inches)
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
5 to 6 fresh plum tomatoes
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Roll pastry to fit a 9-in. tart pan or pie plate; place in pan. Do not prick. Line pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 8 minutes more. Remove from the oven. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over the hot crust. Cut each tomato into eight wedges; remove seeds. Arrange over cheese. In a food processor, process the basil and garlic until coarsely chopped; sprinkle over tomatoes. Combine mayonnaise, Parmesan, pepper and the remaining mozzarella; spoon over basil. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Yield: 8 servings.

To view a photo, click here.

Butter Up the Birdies

FEEDING the birds doesn't need to be expensive. Field Editor Marlene C. of Crozet, Virginia has attracted a long list of birds to her yard for peanuts...peanut butter, that is.

"It's easier to store and not as bulky as regular peanuts," she points out. With coupons and generic brands, she saves additional money.

And, yes, peanut butter is safe for birds, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. However, if you're still concerned, Cornell experts suggest adding cornmeal to peanut butter--this makes it less sticky and stretches your peanut butter further.

Marlene fills suet feeders and holes she's drilled in dead trees with peanut butter to attract chickadees, woodpeckers, dark-eyed juncos, tufted titmice and Carolina wrens.

To reserve the treat for birds, she covers the holes with 1/4-inch screen. "The birds can still eat through the screen, but the squirrels can't," she explains.

Eye 'Em or Eat 'Em?

SHOWY dahlias are popular for the bright colors they add to gardens and bouquets. But these beauties were once grown primarily for their edible roots.

Native to Mexico, dahlias have been cultivated for centuries. The high sugar content of their tuberous roots made them a tasty food source. The tubers also were instrumental in treating diabetes in the days before insulin was discovered.

Today's gardeners prize dahlias for their prolonged blooming season and vast assortment of shapes and colors. Plus, they attract ruby-throated hummingbirds, which dart from blossom to blossom in search of sweet nectar.

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.

Mesh Feeder is Fantastic

THIS collapsible wire-mesh feeder is so squirrel-proof, it's earned the Birds & Blooms name. Up to 15 birds at a time can feast! It's 100% steel, and impossible to chew through. The mesh holds over 2-1/2 pounds of sunflower seeds, but squirrels can't reach through it. Roof extension piece helps keep starlings away, too. No assembly required.

To order the Birds & Blooms Mesh Bird Feeder 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.birdsandblooms.com

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

**********