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Dear $$firstname$$,

Greetings from Birds & Blooms magazine! You’ll be ready to march into spring after reading this issue. Readers share ideas for getting kids interested in birding, preventing birdseed from sprouting and building a bird-friendly house.

HAVE A FRIEND who enjoys bird-watching, bird feeding or backyard gardening? Feel free to forward this newsletter! If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please use this link to sign up for yourself.

• READ ON TO DISCOVER...
• Sure Signs of Spring
• Submit Your Stories
• Shining Bright
• Picture This
• Birdseed Be-Gone
• Getting Kids Involved
• Gone to the Dogs?
• Quick Note on Birdhouse Building
• As the Cardinal Turns...
• Beautify Your Backyard on a Budget

Sure Signs of Spring

SPRING ARRIVES on the wings of different birds and the leaves of different plants, depending on where you live.

Birds Bring Spring. In some parts, American robins are the surest sign. For others, it’s swallows. “But around here, I rely on the appearance of white-winged doves,” shares Edna Evans of Phoenix, Arizona. “When they return to my backyard, I know spring isn’t far behind.

“I began recording the doves’ arrival years ago. Although they’ve appeared as late as April, I start looking for them when March rolls around, keeping my eyes on the sky.”

Daffodil Days Ahead. In Taylorsville, California, the winters can vary from mild to severe. But, at an elevation of 3,500 feet, you can always count on them being long. “It’s no wonder we eagerly await the arrival of spring,” says Maxine Buzzell. “Lucky for us, the town’s postmistress, Carol Kingdon, makes sure we don’t need to look far to find bright reminders of the coming season.” She’s the town’s very own “daffodil angel.”

At first, Carol planted just a few bulbs here and there—at the base of power poles or near stop signs. But with the help of her husband, Loren, she expanded her endeavors and planted beautiful masses of blooms on roadsides and embankments throughout Taylorsville.

“All told, the Kingdons have planted well over 2,000 daffodil bulbs!” says Maxine. “Now when we drive around town, we can’t help but spot the sunny evidence of their handiwork—it’s sprouting up everywhere!”

Doggone Wonderful. For over 50 years, the white flowering dogwood at the corner of Center and 11th Streets in Shawnee, Oklahoma has welcomed spring with an inspiring show. “My grandmother remembers admiring its lovely blooms when she was younger,” shares Natasha Dunagan. “And it’s even more beautiful now.”

This dogged dependability has made the tree an important landmark in the community. Larry Sullivan says his grandmother, Nancy, planted the tree on land the family purchased in 1929. I’ll bet she never dreamt it would one day become a living legend!

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Submit Your Stories

DO YOU have a gardening success story in which you overcame a natural disaster like flooding, a wildfire, a tornado or a hurricane? We want to hear from you. Send us your story and photos via e-mail to editors@birdsandblooms.com. We encourage you to send both before and after photos. Please put “Natural Disaster” in the subject line.

Contributor’s Guidelines

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Shining Bright

LET’S FACE IT, birch trees have it easy nowadays. There was a time when their can’t-be-missed white bark made them the most useful and practical trees in the forest. American Indians used the paper-like peeling bark when making canoes, baskets, utensils and wigwam covers. And early lumberjacks used birch bark as waterproofing underneath the cedar shingles of their bunkhouses.

Today, birch trees in the landscape setting lead much more regal and pampered lives. Their strikingly attractive bark and lovely leaves, especially in fall when they turn golden yellow, make them natural standouts among other backyard plantings.

Woodland Charm

Most birches are native to northern parts of the United States and southern Canada. In their natural habitat they’re often found in cool moist areas along riverbanks, where they get plenty of sunlight. Taking cues from their natural setting is the secret to making these beautiful trees work in the yard. Without lots of moisture and sunlight, birches are destined to struggle and eventually fall prey to their No. 1 enemy—the bronze birch borer.

The destructive larvae of these beetles tunnel into birch trees and interrupt the flow of sap, eventually killing the trees. The good news is well-maintained healthy birches are more resistant to borers and other less damaging yet persistent pests, such as leaf minors and aphids, that feast on the foliage.

The most important thing you can do to protect birches is provide plenty of moisture. This keeps the trees stress-free and strong, and the pests move on to feast on weaker trees.

A Little Attention

While birch trees are fast growers (they grow up to 2 feet each year), they are relatively short-lived trees and rarely top more than 60 feet. Before purchasing one for your yard, first determine if you can meet its needs.

Birches prefer full sun to partial shade in woodland settings and can be planted in groupings as they appear in the wild. To take full advantage of their beautiful bark, plant them in front of a backdrop of evergreens where they’ll stand out all year long.

Because tree roots spread wide and shallow, dig a planting hole about 3 to 5 times wider than the root ball. Locate the root flare (the bulge above the roots) just above the soil line after removing the tree’s container or burlap. After planting, mulch 2 to 4 inches deep around the tree, but keep it from touching the trunk.

Deep water your birch weekly during the growing season, especially during dry spells. A great way to ensure thorough watering is to place a soaker hose around the base of the tree’s drip line (the width of its upper branches) and water for several hours.

It’s best to prune the trees during their dormant season. In the late winter, pruning will be messy because of the free flow of sap, but it won’t harm the trees.

Yes, birches take a little more care and consideration than other backyard trees. But if they work in your yard, you’ll find few trees that reward your effort the way birches do.

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Picture This

WHEN IT comes to getting Easter treats, some dogs will do just about anything!

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Birdseed Be-Gone

“WE’VE DISCOVERED a simple solution that keeps fallen birdseed from sprouting in our lawn,” say Floyd and Charlene Riley of Keizer, Oregon. “We simply microwave the seed before filling our bird feeders.”

They place it in a 2-quart microwave-safe container and heat it for about 6 minutes (times may vary depending on your microwave). The Riley’s have been using this method for several years now. While the same amount of seed still finds its way to the ground, rarely does any sprout.

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Getting Kids Involved

HERE’S AN EASY and fun way to cook up a new treat for the birds. The idea comes from Anna Victoria Reich of Albuquerque, New Mexico. And even the littlest kitchen helpers can do it with some adult supervision:

1. Heat peanut butter on the stove or in a microwave until it’s melted.
2. Then dip and roll pinecones (one at a time) in the peanut butter until they’re completely coated.
3. Let the excess peanut butter drip off before placing the pinecone in a plastic bag with birdseed. Then shake. (Kids love this part!)
4. Cool the pinecones in a freezer for 15 minutes until the peanut butter hardens.
5. Then tie a loop of yarn to each one so they can be hung from a tree.

Watching the birds flock to these treats is even more fun than making them.

Orville Wolff of Daleville, Alabama shares how he and his wife gave their young children an up-close look at our feathered friends. His wife began placing raisins on a wooden shelf attached to the kitchen windowsill. “The American robins loved this treat, and so did our kids,” says Orville. “They could literally get a nose-to-bill look at these beautiful birds.”

When the raisins were gone, the birds would perch in a nearby tree until the supply was replenished. “In spring, my wife would even chop the raisins into smaller pieces for the young birds. They’d fly to the shelf and chirp until their parents came to feed them. “One year, we supplied more than 50 pounds of raisins to these birds. But it was well worth it.”

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Gone to the Dogs?

HAVING TROUBLE getting your white dogwood shrub to show berries or flowers? There are several different factors that can inhibit flowering, such as too much nitrogen in the soil, improper pruning or an environmental condition that kills the flower buds.

Always avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers on flowering plants—they stimulate leaf and stem growth but prevent flowering. Also test your soil to determine if you need additional phosphorous to promote blooming.

When pruning, it’s important to know that flowering dogwoods bloom on old wood. That means pruning between mid- to late-summer and winter removes the flower buds that would bloom the coming spring. Therefore, only prune these shrubs right after the plant blooms (or when it should have).

If none of these factors are the problem, weather may be the cause. Harsh dry winters or late spring frosts can damage flower buds and prevent blooming.

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Quick Note on Birdhouse Building

IF YOU ARE considering using pressure-treated wood for building birdhouses, think again. Most pressure-treated wood contains chemicals to preserve the wood from rotting. These chemicals may be harmful to birds; therefore, the treated wood should not be used to build birdhouses.

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