Dear $$firstname$$,

Greetings from Birds & Blooms magazine! We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, which includes some springtime bird feeding advice, cute Easter ideas, an early planting tip from our new Ultimate Garden Guide and more. Read on and you'll discover...

> Keep Those Feeders Full
> Time for Egg Hunts and...
> Jugs Keep Seedlings Warm
> Tasty "Nests" A Special Treat
> Make Your Own Potting Mix
> Birders Were Tickled Pink
> Feed 18 Finches At Once!

EVEN THOUGH spring has begun its northward march, now is not the time to let your bird feeders go empty.

Many of the berries and other natural foods that birds had this winter are gone--and it will be a while before the next crop is ready.

Also, full feeders during spring months will treat you to the exciting colors and courtship rituals of the mating season, according to the National Bird-Feeding Society. They may even invite migrating birds to your backyard for a brief visit.

Male and female birds each benefit from the supplemental foods from our backyards during breeding months. Males need additional energy to defend their breeding territories, and females need plenty of food to help produce eggs.

Springtime feeding also gives us the opportunity to observe birds living out the ancient rhythms of family life. Some species, such as chickadees, cardinals, siskins, titmice and nuthatches, share seeds with their mates in a courtship display called "mate feeding". And later in the spring, you may see adults bringing fledglings to the feeder for lessons in making it on their own.

Spring is also a good time to inspect feeders for signs or odors that suggest seed is spoiling. Regularly clean your feeders and remove wet or moldy seed. Your feathered friends will thank you!

Time for Egg Hunts and...

LOOKING TO add a little variety to your Easter celebration this year? Here are some great ideas from readers who have made birds and blooms part of their holiday traditions.

Since spring is usually slow to arrive in Roosevelt, Utah, Joyce B. and her granddaughter, Katie Ann, "plant" an Easter egg tree.

Well, actually they decorate a birch tree in the front yard with hollow plastic eggs. Joyce drills holes in one end of the eggs and doubles a string through each hole. Then Katie Ann helps hang them from 'S' hooks made out of paper clips. "It brightens our yard until the tulips and daffodils poke through to announce spring," Joyce says.

Patty B. of Omak, Washington found another way to brighten Easter in her area, even though the greens of spring are a long way off when that day comes.

"Our outdoor Easter egg hunts have to be conducted in brown grass," she says. "So I plant grass seed in a plastic saucer and keep it in the house. Within 2 weeks, we have a beautiful green place for the children to put the eggs after they've found them."

Reader Frieda M. of Trochu, Alberta achieves the same result in just 7 to 10 days by thickly sowing barley seed into a bowl or container. By Easter, the barley will be a beautiful green and 4 inches tall, Frieda says. It makes a lovely green background for colored eggs.

To view a photo, click here.

WHEN IT COMES to gardening, spring can't come soon enough for some northern readers. Many have written that they get a jump start on the growing season by recycling plastic milk jugs to protect tender seedlings from cool early-spring temperatures.

"I cut the bottoms off the jugs, remove the caps and place them over entire plants," writes Lori P. from Central City, Iowa. "Then I pile soil partway up the jugs so they won't blow away. And if we're expecting frost, I'll put the caps on at night."

Ada G. of Claremont, New Hampshire uses the jugs, too, which she's saved from season to season. "They're great because they can easily be stored. I run twine or rope through the handles and hang them out of the way until next spring."

Two-liter plastic soda bottles also work well, according to Adelina P. of Columbus, Indiana. "I remove the cap and cut the bottles above the heavy plastic bottom. Besides acting as mini greenhouses, they also protect small plants from rabbits and birds."

By Pam P. of Poseyville, Indiana

MY CHILDREN are always delighted when we spot a robin's nest filled with pretty blue eggs.

Since we get only an occasional peek at this fascinating sight, we decided to make some edible bird nests of our own. Jaymen and Bethany love making these treats because they're fun to do and taste good, too!

The nests are made from crunchy chow mein noodles coated with a mixture that includes marshmallows, peanut butter and chocolate chips. A "clutch" of jelly beans or candy eggs adds a colorful finishing touch.

These crunchy treats can serve as a centerpiece at Easter dinner or as kid-pleasing favors at a bird-themed birthday party. I buy an extra package of candy eggs at Easter and stash them in the pantry so we can make these treats for a special occasion later in the year.

BIRD NESTS TREATS
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 cups chow mein noodles
1 cup jelly beans or candy eggs

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and marshmallows until smooth, stirring occasionally. Add the peanut butter and chocolate chips; heat and stir for 2 minutes or until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in chow mein noodles until well coated. Divide into 12 mounds on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Using fingers, shape each into a nest; press an indentation in the center of nest. Fill each nest with three or four jelly beans or candy eggs. Cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 1 dozen.

To view a photo, click here.

From Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide By Melinda Myers

SOME GARDENERS prefer to make their own potting mix. Soil or compost mixed with vermiculite or perlite works just fine, but you’ll need to sterilize the compost first to kill harmful bacteria and fungi.

The easiest way is to heat the compost in a microwave oven. It takes only about 90 seconds on full power to pasteurize a quart of soil.

You can also "cook away" harmful organisms in a conventional oven by heating the soil or compost to 160 degrees for 30 minutes. (Don't "overcook" the soil, or you can create harmful toxins.)

Fill an oven-safe container (you may want to use something disposable) with no more than 4 inches of moist soil or compost. Cover with foil and cook until the soil reaches and maintains a temperature of 160 degrees for 30 minutes. Cooking soil in a 200 degree oven for about 1 hour is usually sufficient.

A word to the wary: This process does fill your home with an earthy aroma that some family members may dislike.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We'll share more practical tips from Birds & Blooms Ultimate Garden Guide in upcoming newsletters. To order this useful book for yourself, click here.

By Janice H. of Burns, Oregon

EACH SPRING, our community hosts a 2-day waterfowl festival. At sunrise each day, birders board a bus and head out to watch sage grouse perform their mating dance.

After the first morning out one year, several people returned to tell tales of a beautiful pink swan they had seen in a field just out of town.

Next day the buses were packed with birders hoping to catch a glimpse of this rare bird. Finally, someone brought it into focus with binoculars. "It's a pink flamingo!" he yelled.

The bus roared with excitement...until someone else realized the flamingo was a plastic lawn decoration.

It was a quiet ride back with a busload of pink-faced birders.

OUR TALL Rainbow Finch Feeder has so many feeding ports, you'll be able to serve every finch in your backyard all at the same time!

This unique tube feeder is like a magnet for these thistle-loving birds. You'll see American goldfinches galore happily eating while resting on 18 colorful perches. And they won't be bothered by bigger "bully birds", which can't fit on the feeder's short perches.

The durable plastic feeder is 40 inches tall and holds 2 pounds of thistle seed. When it's time for a refill, just remove the top cap.

To order the Rainbow Finch Feeder from Country Store On-line,
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. 

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