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=575&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! Will this month “go out like a lamb?” Only time will tell…but you can be ready for April showers (and May flowers) with the plant-picking tips below. You’ll also learn about some persistent parents, hungry raccoons and more. read on to discover... » Hedges Will Stay Put » Time to Plan for Annuals » Pole Sitters Are Persistent » Picture Your Yard on TV! » Versatile Shrub At Your Service » Feeder Was Only Squirrel-Proof » What’s In a Name? Thorny Question! » Try Tomatoes in the Sky ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hedges Will Stay Put ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AS AN AVID gardener, Velma S. of Axton, Virginia likes most of what nature has provided on her 3-acre property. But she wasn’t fond of the many boxwood hedges that were planted on the lot—especially the ones in front of the house. “I considered them dull-looking, and they were a headache to keep pruned,” she says. “So last winter, I made up my mind to remove the boxwoods and plant something more to my liking in their place. “The next week, our area received several inches of snow and ice. When I drove up under our carport, I noticed some chickadees and a wren seeking shelter from the harsh weather under those boxwoods. This sight tugged at my heartstrings. When I realized that my backyard birds were glad those hedges were there, I quickly scrapped my plans to remove them.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Time to Plan for Annuals ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IT’S EASY to see why annuals are a favorite among home gardeners. They’re affordable, can be planted in any zone and the instant splash of color they lend to the landscape can’t be beat. Plus, they bloom continuously from spring to frost, something their perennial counterparts just can’t promise. Some of the most colorful and easy-to-grow flowers are annuals, such as zinnias, cosmos, petunias, impatiens and marigolds. You can often find them at nurseries and garden centers in flats or in small pots. But before you head out, consider this: • Make a shopping list first. There are countless varieties of annuals out there, and a list may reduce the temptation of impulse buying. Consider how much room you have in your flower beds or how many containers you want to fill, and then the approximate size each plant will grow. • Avoid plants that show signs of stress and pests. The leaves should be of normal size and color for that variety. Leaves with brown edges, holes, speckling or spots have suffered from neglect, insects or disease. • Annuals should have stout, compact stems. Avoid leggy plants and those that are single-stemmed. Compact, multiple stems will promote well-branched plants with more colorful blossoms. • Look for buds, not blooms. Purchase plants with a lot of buds and only a few, if any, open blossoms. This way, the plant will spend its energy developing roots instead of flowers and seeds. • Prepare yourself for the ride home. Most nurseries will provide transporting materials, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Include a few cardboard boxes, sheets of plastic or an old blanket to help keep your car clean when bringing home your plants. • Avoid excess heat. Don’t leave plants in the car with the windows up for long periods during hot weather. Extreme heat can stress, damage and even kill them. Want more secrets to planting the prettiest flower gardens? What about ideas for dazzling containers, bird and butterfly gardens, and landscapes that look good year-round? Or maybe you already have a garden, but want to keep it looking great with less work. In Birds & Blooms’ Gardening Made Easy, you’ll read about all this and more. A handy how-to guide from America’s #1 backyard magazine, it’s packed with 192 pages that offer simple ways to create the backyard of your dreams! And the 116 colorful profiles of easy-care flowers, shrubs and trees are something you’ll reference time and time again. Look for Birds & Blooms’ Gardening Made Easy at a magazine retailer near you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pole Sitters Are Persistent ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A FEW springs past, a pair of osprey built a nest on the cross arm of a utility pole near Mary O.’s home in Cushing, Minnesota. “For the birds’ safety, the power company removed the nest,” she reports. “But every few days, the birds returned to rebuild it, forcing power-company workers to remove the nests over and over again.” Undaunted, the birds came back the next spring and started building in the same location. But this time, a few good-hearted workers set up another pole on the opposite side of the road, complete with a platform and sticks for nest building. But the osprey weren’t sold on this new location and carried the sticks back to their favorite pole! “The power company finally reached a satisfactory solution last spring. The employees moved the new pole with the nesting platform close to the original pole the birds had selected. The very next day, I noticed the osprey in their new home, proud as punch and safe and sound. They raised a couple of young ones—all was well at last.” » View photo: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=576&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Travel to Italy - Get a Free Gift ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Special Newsletter Subscriber Gift From Our Friends at World Wide Country Tours Full of captivating beauty and rich history, it’s no wonder Italy’s a popular travel destination for 2006. Now you can explore Italy’s many splendors with our friends at World Wide Country Tours! Imagine yourself… http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1621&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ - Walking along the pathways of the Popes in Rome - Traveling the canals of Venice - Viewing the masterpieces by artists like DaVinci, Michelangelo and Bernini - Indulging in Italy’s delicious cuisine So, come along and join World Wide Country Tours and tour the “Best of Italy.” FREE Luggage with your reservation! And, as a valued subscriber of this newsletter, you’re entitled to a FREE Carry-On Bag! But you must hurry and reserve your spot by March 31, 2006. Visit our website for complete itineraries and to make your reservation today! Be sure to use Promotion Code BL22 to claim your special subscriber carry-on bag. http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1621&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ FREE Luggage ends March 31, 2006. Exclusive Tour Operator of Birds & Blooms Magazine 1-800/344-6918 5939 Country Lane, Greendale WI 53129-1429 http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1620&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Picture Your Yard on TV! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NATIONAL Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Animal Planet have teamed up to bring you a new season of Backyard Habitat, the television series that demonstrates fun and simple ways to attract wildlife to your yard. This spring, the production team is planning to film backyards in coastal South Carolina, Tucson/Phoenix and Chicago/Midwest plains area. If you live in one of these areas and would like to be considered for a possible makeover, visit Animal Planet’s website for an online application. » Visit Animal Planet for an online application: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=582&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ If your home is selected, the Backyard Habitat crew will spend a day transforming your yard into a haven for wildlife! Watch Backyard Habitat on Animal Planet every weekday at 11 a.m. ET, and for weekend air times visit Animal Planet’s website. » Visit Animal Planet weekend airtimes: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=582&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Versatile Shrub At Your Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LOOKING FOR a birds-and-blooms bonanza to fill the view from your favorite picture window? Then serviceberry may be the perfect planting for your backyard. These small trees or shrubs—commonly called shadblow, shadbush, juneberry and saskatoon in different areas of the country—provide four seasons of interest in just about any landscape. Serviceberry’s beautiful clusters of dangling white or pinkish flowers emerge in early spring, one of the first signs that warmer days are ahead. Once established, it produces tiny edible berries that birds can’t resist. Readers have reported a variety of feathered friends feasting on the fruits, including American goldfinches, tufted titmice, brown thrashers, blue jays, Carolina chickadees, northern cardinals and American robins. The graceful airy trees have many different backyard uses. They’re lovely against a backdrop of dark evergreens, which allow serviceberry’s pretty spring blossoms, fiery yellow-to-red fall foliage and grayish bark to stand out. But they work equally as well as stand-alone plantings, at the edge of woodlands (their native habitat), in shrub borders, as screens or unsheared hedges and near water gardens. In general, serviceberry is hardy to -20°, which means most varieties can be planted as far north as Zone 4. In fact, these trees need a period of winter chill to flower profusely in spring. However, many grow well as far south as Zones 8 and 9. Serviceberries are hardy plants that need little pampering. They will grow in full sun to partial shade and do best in moist soil that drains well. They may even bring new meaning to the old slogan, “Service with a smile!” They’ll provide four seasons of top-notch service that’ll have you grinning from ear to ear. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Feeder Was Only Squirrel-Proof ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AWAKENED one night by some noise in his backyard, Dick M. of Lake Havasu City, Arizona soon discovered that the ruckus was coming from a family of raccoons raiding one of his squirrel-proof bird feeders. “When squirrels or other animals sit on the feeder’s perching platform, their weight pushes it down, which triggers a door that blocks the feeding area,” Dick explains. “But when we spotted these rascals, one raccoon was on the feeder, holding up the perching area with one of its front paws so the door couldn’t close. “At the same time, it was using its other front paw to scoop food out of the feeder for its family on the ground below. You had to see it to believe it. Unfortunately, we did not have a camera handy to catch those masked birdseed bandits in the act!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What’s In a Name? Thorny Question! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FROM “Honest Abe” to Elizabeth Taylor, many famous celebrities have their roots in the rose garden. It’s not unusual for roses to be named in honor of people—leaders, entertainers or famous rosarians, says Mary P. of the Rose Hybridizers Association in Horseheads, New York. “It’s a way of commemorating those individuals,” she explains. “Often, the name has little or no connection to the characteristics of the rose itself.” But, Mary admits, there are some that are unmistakably a reflection of their namesake. Take the vigorous Dolly Parton, for example. The rose has a heavy perfume fragrance, and its color resembles the country entertainer’s lipstick. When the Minnie Pearl rose was formally introduced at a reception in Nashville, Tennessee, the real Ms. Pearl was the guest of honor. (Gardeners planting this one may even want to leave the price tag on it.) A rose named Whoopi goes beyond recognizing the popularity of actress Whoopi Goldberg. She has been honored because of her green thumb—she’s an avid rose gardener. Some of the most revered roses of the day honor historical figures. The light pink Queen Elizabeth rose, for example, was named after the monarch in the 1950’s. During her reign as Queen of England, the flower has become one of the most loved and respected of all roses. The popular Mister Lincoln is a classic, with a deep red color and velvet sheen. Mister Lincoln has all the features of a perfect rose—balance, simplicity, beauty and color. There are many more roses named after people we’ve never heard of. Often, hobbyists who hybridize their own plants will name them for a person, pet or place that is close to their heart. Someday, one could even be named after you. So next time you stroll through a rose garden, remember to ask the gardener to introduce you to some of the plants. Who knows, you may meet Elizabeth Taylor...or Cary Grant...or Barbara Bush...or Elvis... » View photo: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=577&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Try Tomatoes in the Sky ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GET ready to grow red, juicy tomatoes the easiest way possible! The new Topsy Turvy Planter(tm) eliminates all the stooping, bending and hard work, and makes the picking a cinch. Insert up to two plants in the bottom, fill with soil, then water and fertilize through the top funnel. Plants are held up by the special collar on the bottom, filling with ripe tomatoes in no time! Hang it on a deck, porch, balcony or tree. Plastic planter with steel hanger is 18 in. long by 10 in. wide. Order the Topsy Turvy Planter from Country Store On-line. http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/RD.asp?ID=2021&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Item from Country Store ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gardening T-Shirt http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/RD.asp?ID=2022&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THIS NEWSLETTER is from the editors of some of your favorite magazines, including. BIRDS & BLOOMS brings beautiful backyards from across America into your living room through vivid, full-color photos. - 100+ breathtaking photos of colorful birds and gorgeous flowers - Secrets for attracting feathered friends to your backyard - Helpful gardening hints and "green-thumb" advice To subscribe or give a gift on-line: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=581&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ To visit our website: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=580&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BACKYARD LIVING is the all-new, one-of-a-kind magazine that's guaranteed to help you improve and enjoy your backyard like never before. - Reader-shared, easy-to-do backyard projects - Proven gardening tips for flowers and vegetables - Gorgeous, affordable backyard makeovers - Dazzling outdoor entertainment ideas and sensational grilling recipes To subscribe or give a gift on-line: http://www.backyardlivingmagazine.com/RD.asp?ID=129&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ To visit our website: http://www.backyardlivingmagazine.com/RD.asp?ID=130&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIRDS & BLOOMS EXTRA, a fresh new magazine that'll give you everything you love in BIRDS & BLOOMS, plus a whole lot more. - Published on the months in between BIRDS & BLOOMS - More magnificent photos of colorful birds and gorgeous flowers - More advice for attracting wild birds to your backyard - More helpful gardening hints from our experts To subscribe or give a gift on-line: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=579&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ To visit our website: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=578&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This email was sent to: $$email$$ HAVE A FRIEND who enjoys bird-watching, bird feeding or backyard gardening? 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