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Dear $$firstname$$,

Where does the time go? Most of the birds that migrate in autumn are probably long gone by now. Soon, our feathered friends who stick around will be battling those chilling nighttime temps. Don’t forget to keep your feeders filled!

We’ve put together a quick survey this month. We’d like your feedback on our newsletter. We want to make it as useful as we can, so be sure to take a couple of minutes to let us know what you want!            

Remember to share this newsletter with your friends who enjoy birding and gardening. Read on to discover…  

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• READ ON TO DISCOVER...
• Newsletter Survey
• Bird of the Month
• Photo of the Month
• Plant of the Month
• Where’s Webster
• Garden Club Newsletter
• Glad You Asked Classics
• Special Hummingbird Tour
• Best of Bird Tales
• Current Needs

Newsletter Survey

What do you want to see in future newsletters? We’d like to know! Please take a few minutes to answer these questions so we can make the newsletter better for you. Tell us what you think!

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Bird of the Month: Black-Capped Chickadee 

Scientific Name: Poecile atricapilla.
Family: Titmouse.
Length: 5-1/4 inches.
Wingspan: 8 inches.
Distinctive Markings: Black cap and chin, white cheeks, gray back
Nest: Six to eight white eggs with brown spots. Uses birdhouses and natural cavities to protect its nest of plant fibers, wool, hair and moss.
Song: "Chick-a-dee-dee-dee" is its call, which many will recognize. Its song is a "phoe-bee" tune.
Habitat: Wooded suburbs and open woodlands.
Diet: Insects, berries and seeds.
Backyard Favorites: Sunflower seeds, suet and thistle.

Listen to this bird’s song by visiting our 50 Most Wanted Birds section on the Web site.

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Photo of the Month

Jeff Grabert of Reading, Pennsylvania captured this great shot of green heron chicks huddled together on a limb.

Have you voted in our Backyard Photo Contest? We’re down to the four finalists, and your vote is important!

See more great photos in our online Photo Galleries.

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Plant of the Month: Fountain Grass

With full tufts of fuzzy flower spikes, this grass must be heaven-sent. It’s one of the most common ornamental grasses, and there are many different varieties of fountain grass sure to add grace and charm to your backyard paradise.

Common Name: Fountain grass.
Botanical Name:Pennisetum alopecuroides.
Size: Up to 4 feet high, though dwarf versions (like the one pictured here) are available (see our Prize Picks below).
Flowers: Enormous rose-colored flower tassels persist through fall.
Foliage: Dark green.
Hardiness: Zones 5 to 9.
Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade.
Growing Advice: Plant in moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Remove dead grass before the new emerges in spring.
Prize Picks: Hamlen is a shorter form, to 30 inches, with narrower blades. Little Bunny is a mini variety, less than 12 inches tall, which looks especially nice in rock gardens.

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Where’s Webster?

Have you played our new on-line game, Where’s Webster? This month you can win a skin and body care kit from Nature Zone Gardens. Click here to learn more.

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Garden Club Newsletter

Now is the time to plant your amaryllis bulbs if you want it to bloom this winter. Want to know how? Find out in our free Garden Club Newsletter. This monthly E-mail newsletter has great seasonal gardening information.

Sign Up Now!

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Glad You Asked Classics

Every month, we dig through our archives to find some of the best questions that George Harrison and Melinda Myers have tackled over the years.

Northern flickers often spend winter under the eaves of our house. They’ve ruined window screens and damaged our siding. Although they’re welcome to stay, we’d like to prevent the damage they cause. Any suggestions? –Dorothy Goodhart, Corning, California

George: Unfortunately, the best way to protect your house is to chase these flickers away with noisemakers or by hanging objects in their favorite pecking spots. Mylar balloons, children’s pinwheels, reflective tape, aluminum pie pans, strips of aluminum foil and Christmas tree tinsel all work pretty well.

If they’re roosting in your eaves, you can send them packing by covering the entrance holes to their cavities with nylon mesh or plastic netting.

There also are many different kinds of “woodpecker repellants” on the market, but I’ve found most aren’t effective.

My trumpet vines have never flowered. They receive at least 6 hours of sun each day and appear healthy, climbing a 10-foot trellis. How can I get them to produce the nectar-rich blooms hummingbirds love? –Laurie Erickson, Prior Lake, Minnesota

Melinda: Trumpet vines need time and a little planned neglect to bloom. It takes several years for these climbers to reach mature flowering age.

When trumpet vines won’t flower, one of the most common culprits is fertilizer, which creates large plants with no blooms. Even if you don’t apply fertilizer directly to the plants, they can absorb it from nearby garden areas or your lawn. To help control the vines’ size, prune them in late winter. Overgrown plants can be trimmed to 12 inches above the soil.

Subscribers can access our Glad You Asked database with hundreds of questions and answers from George and Melinda.

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Special Hummingbird Tour

Your Birds & Blooms team may offer a special hummingbird-themed tour through World Wide Country Tours next September. Please take a minute or two to complete a brief survey and provide your feedback about this tour idea. Click here to take our survey.

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Best of Bird Tales

When a northern chill blew down to south Florida during the holidays last year, a funny thing happened at my son’s house. While watching TV one evening, Bill heard a rattling noise in the back bedroom. When he heard it a second time, he decided to investigate.

Much to his shock, a great blue heron was standing in the middle of his huge bed. Apparently, the bird leaped over the bottom of a Dutch door in the kitchen and found a perfect place to snuggle on a cool night. –Gail Tobin Hipwell, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Current Needs

We’re always open to anything you send us for the magazine, but sometimes we have needs in some areas more than others. Right now, we’re looking for great gardening tips for our Birds & Blooms EXTRA column, “Secrets to Grow on”. Also, we’re in need of autumn and winter KinderGarden photos featuring your favorite little sprouts. Use the Submit Your Story form on our Web site to send us your story and photo.

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