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Dear $$firstname$$,

Greetings from Birds & Blooms magazine! It’s time to put most gardens to bed, but that doesn’t have to stop you from dreaming up ideas for next year. Every day is a good day to get inspired by the birds, blooms and bright-eyed plans you can find for your yard.

P.S. The holidays will be here before you know it! This year, give a gift that any outdoor enthusiast will enjoy—a subscription to Birds & Blooms. Order now for just $10 each—our lowest gift price of the season!

• READ ON TO DISCOVER...
• A Place for “Wrent”
• Send Us Your Ideas!
• Turkish Bath?
• Do You Recall the 1940s?
• Get More Memories
• Plant a Ray of Sunshine
• Wild About Nuts
• Give a Tree Some “Life”

A Place for “Wrent”

ONE SPRING, a Carolina wren began spending its nights inside a hanging plant near the front door of Linda D’s home in Franklin, North Carolina. When winter came, the plant died, but the wren returned to its home each night. It appeared the bird was trying to stay warm within the plant’s brown leaves.

Taking pity on the stubborn bird, Linda decided to make a shelter that wouldn’t fade with the seasons. She removed the dry and crumpled plant and stuck colorful silk flowers around the perimeter of the pot, making sure to leave a small opening for the wren. In the center of the plant, she laid dryer lint and fabric scraps to cover the soil. Then the revamped “plant” was rehung, and the wait had begun.

“It wasn’t long before my husband and I saw our little friend go into its remodeled home,” shares Linda. “Occasionally, we would see the wren as it ventured out or returned from its food runs. We were tickled pink!”

In spring, they found a nest inside the plant, and later, three very tiny eggs. As the days progressed, they noticed the bird bringing insects to its young and saw them make their first attempts at flight.

Soon they were gone. But Linda thinks she’ll plant a crop of faux flowers again and wait to see what kind of birding surprises sprout.

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Send Us Your Ideas

George Harrison and Melinda Myers offer expert advice to readers in their columns, Backyard Bird-Watcher and Plant Doctor, featured in Birds & Blooms EXTRA. We invite you to tell us what you’d like to read about and send us your ideas for future topics.

Click here to send your birding ideas to George.

Click here to send your gardening ideas to Melinda.

We’re also looking for young explorers who love being outdoors this time of year. So bundle up, grab a camera and head outside! When you‘ve captured autumn and winter photos of your little sprouts, e-mail them to us at editors@birdsandblooms.com. Be sure to include “Kindergarden” in the subject. Please click here for our Contributor Guidelines.

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Turkish Bath?

THE BIRDS that visit the feeder and birdbath at the Stillwater, Oklahoma residence of Richard P. aren’t your run-of-the-mill songbirds.

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Do You Recall the 1940s?

GRAB A VIDEO CAMERA and share a favorite memory…you may end up in a Reminisce DVD set showing life “as it really was” during this incredible decade. Many readers have already submitted vintage 40s film for this project. Now we need videotaped reminiscences of your best ‘40s memories (or record a friend or family member).

We’ll pay $100 for all clips used in the final product. You can shoot video in your home or anywhere…be creative! Show a personal keepsake (photo, ration book, uniform, telegram). Be funny…silly…or serious. Just relax, “be yourself” and make sure we can hear your voice. Click here for submission guidelines.

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Get More Memories

NOW YOU CAN GET more of your favorite old-time memories in a high-tech way with the FREE Reminisce E-mail Newsletter! Sent right to your in-box every month, the Reminisce newsletter is filled with stories and photos like those you enjoy in each magazine issue, plus exciting bonus features.

You’ll find advance notice of story and photo needs, sneak previews of upcoming magazine issues, special offers on Reminisce books, videos, music and more…all in an easy-to-read email format. Click here to sign up today!

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Plant a Ray of Sunshine

LOOKING FOR a flower to provide a festival of color without the fuss? Search no further—calendula is sure to have you seeing sunny days.

“Calendula is one of my favorite plants,” reveals Barbara H. of Afton, New York. “With its bright orange and yellow petals, it’s a welcome accent to any garden’s color mix.”

This hardy annual, native to southern Europe, is a staple in English-style cottage gardens because it spreads and survives with the voracity of a weed. Its ability to self-seed means it can return year after year with increasing vigor.

Calendula is at home in mixed beds and containers, supplying long-lasting bursts of brilliance. The lofty stems and enduring blooms make it an excellent choice for cut flowers.

This “blooming beauty” thrives in cooler temperatures and parades its lively hues from coast to coast. In northern areas, calendula unfurls in spring and early summer, while those living in milder climates can enjoy its show throughout the winter.

Its name comes from the Latin word calendae, meaning “first day of the month,” referring to its ability to bloom year-round. Another common name for calendula is pot marigold, but it shouldn’t be confused with African or French marigolds. The name alludes to its early uses as an adornment for statues of the Virgin Mary—”Mary’s gold”—and as a “pot herb” in cooking.

Beyond the Garden

This sun-loving flower is more than just a pretty face. From the ancient Romans to modern-day herbalists and cooks, people have explored calendula’s benefits beyond the garden.

“Calendula is a versatile plant and has had many helpful uses over the ages,” Barbara explains. “Some of these include its use in soaps and as an important ingredient in skin creams.”

The flower has been used as a soothing remedy for everything from toothaches to bee stings. Calendula was even used during the Civil War and World War I when dressing wounds because it was thought to help speed healing. Today, calendula creams are sold in some natural food stores as a possible treatment for minor cuts and burns.

“Calendula has a very interesting culinary past, too,” Barbara continues. “In medieval households, its blossoms were often used when making soups, and its leaves were commonly tossed into salads.”

When dried, calendula can also be used as a substitute for saffron or to add color to potpourri (although the petals have no aroma).

Planting This Sun Lover

To produce colorful calendula you can count on, the plant prefers to soak in the rays of full sun. But partial shade is okay, too. And if you’re not blessed with the perfect plot, don’t worry. Calendula is tougher than it looks and can tolerate most garden soils as long as the drainage is good.

In colder areas, start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. In areas with mild winters, the seeds can be sown directly outdoors in fall or early spring, but don’t leave them unchecked. Thin them to 1 foot apart for bushier plants that will produce more abundant flowers.

When planting seedlings, space them 12 inches apart. Calendula quickly spreads its fragrant foliage to fill in the gaps.

Because calendula craves cold weather, it will stop flowering as the “dog days” of summer approach. This gives you time to prepare for another blooming show in fall. Just plant a second batch of seeds in June or early July. Consistent deadheading of your spring plants will also coax an encore performance as the weather cools.

Calendula grows 1 to 2 feet tall with flowers 1 to 4 inches in diameter (the bigger blooms are more likely in autumn). It comes in a wide array of colors, from the common bright yellow and orange hues to pale cream, gold, apricot and soft yellow.

Some of calendula’s 20 to 30 varieties, including the Pacific Beauty series (which are more resistant to summer heat) and Orange King, have double flower heads. Others like Prolifera, which is also called Hen and Chicks, bear big orange blossoms each surrounded by miniature flower heads.

For a little less height, try dwarf varieties like Bon Bon and Fiesta Gitana. These types grow to about half the size of the more traditional plants.

Whatever varieties you choose, one thing remains certain—calendula will bring a bit of golden sunshine to any backyard.

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Wild About Nuts

MY HUSBAND complimented me the other day on the tasty lunch that I packed for him. He especially liked the nutty treat, which really filled him up. “I couldn’t even eat it all!” he said.

Since I didn’t remember giving him a “nutty treat,” I was puzzled. Upon looking in the freezer, I realized what had happened. I had given him a container of my homemade bird treats made from suet, peanut butter, cornmeal, nuts and dog food! Boy, did we have a laugh.

Now, when he wants a snack, I tell him to go outside and fight with the birds and squirrels for my suet treats. —Brigitte P., Seattle, Washington

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