NOTE--To see an on-line version of this newsletter, copy this link and paste it into your web browser: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=559&firstname=$$firstname$$&emailaddress=$$email$$&refurl=$$refurl-link$$ Please do not reply to this email. If you have questions or wish to unsubscribe, see the instructions at the bottom of this email. Dear $$firstname$$, Greetings from Birds & Blooms magazine! If you’re already thinking of spring and paging through seed catalogs, you’ll appreciate the garden suggestions below. You’ll also find more clever tips for attracting and feeding birds and suggestions from readers on keeping deer out of your yard. Read on to discover... » Can Bald Eagles Blush? » Paint Your Yard with Petunias » Nuts, Bars Keep Birds Happy » Like Onions? You’ll Love Leeks! » Corny Ploy Paid Off » Here’s Help for Deer Problems » Fruit Feeder’s Fast, Fun ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Can Bald Eagles Blush? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ONE DAY last February, Maralyn H. of Port Angeles, Washington was gazing at her backyard pond when a young bald eagle swooped out of the sky and attacked a mallard duck decoy floating there. “I could tell the eagle was immature because it didn’t yet have a white head and tail,” she says. “The hard plastic duck decoy was kept in place by a cord attached to a weight…so try as it might, the young eagle couldn’t fly away with its prey. “When the eagle realized it couldn’t pluck the duck from the water, it landed in our backyard and rested for a couple of minutes, staring at the decoy all the while. Finally, it took off, circled low over the decoy and landed in a tall tree nearby. It sat there for a long time, apparently mulling things over. “Meanwhile, three real ducks landed in the pond. But following its humiliating experience, the eagle didn’t even try to go after them. I’ve been watching wildlife for years, and this was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paint Your Yard with Petunias ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARE YOU thinking about “painting” your yard with bold strokes of color this summer? Then consider planting petunias—the gardening equivalent of an artist’s palette. Available in a dazzling array of colors, shapes and sizes, these flowers are easy to grow, tolerate all sorts of weather and soil conditions and are suitable for a variety of landscape uses. No wonder they’re one of the most popular garden flowers. Most petunia varieties can be used interchangeably for border gardens, bedding plants or container gardening. Multiflora plants produce 1-1/2- to 3-inch-wide blooms and are available in single- and double-flower varieties. Their flowers are smaller than some other petunias, but they produce more blooms. Single-flower types are ideal for mass border plantings, and doubles make spectacular container and window box plantings. Grandiflora petunias produce 3- to 4-inch blooms. The single-flower grandiflora has been the most popular kind of petunia for years. But the double flower is the plant that really made petunias popular—they look great in window boxes and containers. Spreading petunias, such as the Wave varieties, only grow 4 to 6 inches high but produce long stems that keep growing and producing flowers all season. They are excellent for ground cover or for hanging planters because the 2- to 3-inch-wide flowers form along the entire length of the stem. As you prepare to “paint” your yard, remember that petunias flourish in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). They’ll also tolerate partial shade, but won’t flower as much. Also consider their height before planting. Most petunias grow to 12 to 14 inches tall, but some of the floribunda cultivars will reach 16 to 24 inches. Petunias need regular deadheading. And since their stems tend to stretch by midsummer and bear fewer flowers, don’t hesitate to prune them back severely so they’ll produce new shoots—and more flowers. So there you have it—everything you need to know to “redecorate” your yard with brilliant color. Get your garden trowel and start painting…er, planting! » View photo: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=564&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nuts, Bars Keep Birds Happy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THERE’S no end to the creative ways readers find to feed their feathered friends. In Fredericton, New Brunswick, Duncan C. discovered that chickadees and nuthatches love pine nuts. “These nuts, often used in ethnic cooking, are a special treat for the birds, most likely because they’re high in fat,” Duncan says. “I discovered this by accident. I’d purchased some sunflower seeds and walnut pieces, and I also bought some pine nuts, thinking they looked like the grubs that insect-eating birds love to eat. “When I offered the nuts to the birds at my window feeder, they devoured the pine nuts first. Now I regularly purchase pine nuts for a winter treat. They’re a little more expensive, but well worth the increased bird activity in my backyard.” Meanwhile, in Marietta, Georgia, Gwen H. found an outdated box of fruit-filled breakfast bars in her kitchen cabinet and wondered if her feathered friends would be interested in a treat. “I placed a few of the bars in my suet feeder. Within a short time, I had attracted chickadees, nuthatches, titmice and downy woodpeckers. Even ground-feeding birds, such as mourning doves and brown thrashers, stopped by to pick up fallen crumbs. “A few days later, I treated them to a strudel bar I had over-browned in the toaster. It was also a hit. Those backyard birds sure have a sweet tooth…or rather a sweet bill!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plan Your Summer Vacation Now Save $50 Per Person!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This summer, make it a trip to remember by planning it with our friends at World Wide Country Tours! As a valued Birds & Blooms Newsletter Subscriber, you’re entitled to a $50 savings per person on any 2006 tour! Travel by train, boat or motorcoach to exciting destinations like: United States...Relax in wide open spaces on Big Sky Country—Country Magazine’s 20th Anniversary Editor’s Choice—or tour sensational sights Around Lake Michigan, World Wide Country Tours' longest-running tour. http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1580&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ Canada...Be a part of the heart-pounding action at the finals of the Calgary Stampede rodeo...or visit the captivating beauty of Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island. http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1581&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ Europe...Step into a real-life fairytale as you experience unique cultures, traditions and history in Germany, Switzerland, Austria...or take in the Wonders of Iceland’s breathtaking beauty. http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1582&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ Save An Additional $200! PLUS... Don’t miss your last chance to save an additional $200 per person on Alaska & the Yukon when you reserve by February 28, 2006. Visit our website for complete itineraries and to make reservations. Be sure to use Promotion Code BL21 to claim this special $50 subscriber travel savings. http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1579&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ Hurry, savings ends February 28, 2006. Exclusive Tour Operator of Taste of Home Magazine 1-800/344-6918 5939 Country Lane, Greendale WI 53129-1429 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Like Onions? You’ll Love Leeks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOW’S the perfect time to spring a leek in your vegetable garden plan. This mild-mannered vegetable is sweeter and more delicate than its bolder relatives, garlic and onions. Native to Mediterranean countries, leeks have been prized by cooks for centuries. Except for tough parts of the leaves or roots, the entire plant can be used in cooking. Leeks are delicious baked, broiled, braised or sauteed, sliced raw into a salad or served hot and covered with a cream sauce. Leeks are slow growing—some varieties take up to 130 days to mature. In colder climates, it’s best to grow the smaller and faster maturing varieties, starting them indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the average last-frost date. But there’s no need to rush your harvest. Leeks can be left in the ground through winter and into early spring (mulch them in colder climates), making them available most of the year. If you use the whole leek, it’s important to wash it thoroughly because soil gets trapped between the layers of leaves. First, trim the roots and the tips of the leaves, then slit them lengthwise, just to the top of the white bulb. Then, with running water, rinse off any sandy grit between the leaves. Be sure to hold each bulb firmly so it doesn’t fall apart. Fresh leeks can be trimmed and refrigerated in a moisture-proof resealable plastic bag for up to a week and frozen for up to a year. Giant leeks, which are found in markets, are great in soups. But most home gardeners prefer tender, sweet baby leeks. Try them this year—they’ll likely become a favorite in your garden and kitchen. For delicious leek recipes, visit the Taste of Home Recipe Finder. Visit Taste of Home's Recipe Finder for similar tasty herb recipes. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=566&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Corny Ploy Paid Off ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AFTER noticing that there were a lot of ring-necked pheasants gathering in a grove of evergreens behind her home, Marjorie W. of Norwood, Minnesota decided to try and coax them out where she could see them better. “I sprinkled cracked corn around some smaller trees about 20 feet away from the grove,” she writes. “Was I surprised the next morning when I found more than 50 of these richly colored birds enjoying the corn! “Since the cracked corn had worked so well in drawing the birds closer, I figured I’d try to get them to come another 20 feet and eat on my patio. They did! Some of them even came right up to my patio door. They also flew up to my deck and ate from a bird feeder. Feeding and watching these birds gave me great pleasure all winter long.” » View photo here: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=565&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here’s Help for Deer Problems ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARE YOU bothered by deer in your yard and garden? These tried-and-true tricks from Birds & Blooms readers have sent the critters packing. In La Grange, Georgia, Joe M. bought a motion detector security light with two sockets. “I plugged a light bulb in one socket and a radio tuned to a 24-hour station in the other. When the detector senses movement, both the light and radio come on at the same time. I doubt the deer know the power stays on for only 4 seconds—they’re probably in the next county by then!” Katie R. of Middletown, Connecticut stops deer from eating her tulips by hanging aluminum pie plates from a bush above the plants. In Council Bluffs, Iowa, Lois K. fills an empty coffee can halfway with a mixture of wheat flour and about 1-1/2 ounces of black pepper. “Punch holes in the can’s lid and shake the mixture over your plants when they’re covered with dew or damp from rain,” she advises. “The deer might eat your plants once, but they won’t return for days. I have no problem all summer when I use this method.” To discourage deer from munching on young trees, tie white plastic bags to some of the branches, says Jean J. of Garfield, Minnesota. “Perhaps the bags look like white tails—the deers’ warning system. They’re also visible on moonlit nights and rustle in the breeze. Whatever the reasons, the bags work for me.” If deer like to nibble on your roses and shrubs, try this recipe from Sandy M. of Toledo, Washington: Beat 12 to 18 eggs in a blender, then mix them with 5 gallons of water. Spray the liquid on plants (except those with fruits or vegetables that you plan to eat), reapplying after heavy rain. To keep deer from eating new trees, hang wind chimes in the branches or lay chicken wire on the ground around the trunks, says Margaret L. of Suamico, Wisconsin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fruit Feeder’s Fast, Fun ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ROBINS and other birds will be quick to visit this wood Apple House Feeder when you mount an apple or other fruit on the metal skewer. Ready to hang with 4-inch long looped twine rope that’s attached. 7-1/4 inches high by 6-3/4 inches wide. Order the Apple House Feeder from Country Store On-line. http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/RD.asp?ID=1981&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Item from Country Store ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cardinal and Magnolias Sweatshirt http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/RD.asp?ID=1982&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THIS NEWSLETTER is from the editors of some of your favorite magazines, including. 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