$$parm1$$ 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=2297&firstname=$$firstname$$&emailaddress=$$email$$&refurl=$$refurl-link$$ If you would like to change or edit your email preferences, please visit your Personal Preferences page. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2307&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIRDS & BLOOMS Newsletter - September 2008 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear $$firstname$$, Everyone is looking for ways to save more money these days. Do you have a savvy solution to save money in your backyard? If so, it could be worth $300! We’re currently accepting entries for our Backyard Budget Challenge. Get your ideas to us by October 1 to be eligible to win. And don’t forget to look for more budget backyard solutions coming soon. After all, our goal is to bring you as much “News You Can Use” as we can. Backyard Budget Challenge: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2298&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ $$parm2$$ Read on to discover... » Bird of the Month » Photo of the Month » Plant of the Month » Best of Glad You Asked » Best of Bird Tales » Project of the Month » FREE Wallpaper » Current Needs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bird of the Month: House Finch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You’ve probably seen this red and brown-striped bird at your feeder or around your yard. The house finch frequents cities and suburbs. Scientific Name: Carpodacus mexicanus. Family: Finch. Length: 6 inches. Wingspan: 9-1/2 inches. Distinctive Markings: Males have reddish foreheads, breasts and rumps. Females and juveniles are streaked grayish brown. All have brown-streaked bellies. Nest: Low in shrubs, door wreaths or hanging flowerpots; lays four to five spotted bluish-white eggs. Song: A varied warble, often ending in a long "veeerrr." Habitat: Any wooded area or backyard. Diet: Seeds of berries and weeds. Backyard Favorites: Niger, sunflower, mixed birdseed, peanuts, fruit, suet and sugar water. Listen to this bird’s song by visiting our 50 Most Wanted Birds section on the Web site. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2299&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Photo of the Month ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Learn more about this cheery pair in our Photo Galleries. View Photo: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2311&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ Photo Galleries: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2300&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plant of the Month: Camellia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ While most garden plants spend winter taking a well-earned rest, camellias are just getting warmed up. These popular evergreens flower in the fall, winter, or early spring. They are great for landscaping and produce beautiful rose-shaped blooms. Camellias have been cultivated for years in the Far East, their native region. Today, there are over 250 species and more than 3,000 varieties. Common Name: Camellia. Botanical Name: Camellia. Hardiness: Zones 6 to 11, depending on variety. Bloom Time: Fall, winter or early spring, depending on variety. Size: 3 to 20 feet high. Flower: Primarily red, pink, and white. Light needs: Partial shade. Growing Advice: Plant in a spot protected from hot, dry sun and cold, strong winds, but not in full shade, which will reduce flowering. Prize Picks: There are a few hardier camellias available that may survive as far north as Zone 6. Camellia oleifera has fragrant 2-inch blossoms with pink centers. Another, Camellia sinensis, the “tea camellia,” makes a good screen planting for privacy. Its small white flowers bloom profusely from later summer until winter. Also try some favorites like Flame or Pink Perfection. Cold-hardy (to Zone 6) Polar Ice is very pretty. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Best of Glad You Asked ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make Daylilies Last Years I’m worried about the two old daylilies in my garden. They’ve thrived since 1921, but haven’t bloomed for the last several years. What can I do to save them? -—Marquerite Harrison, Dyer, Tennessee Melinda: Start by evaluating the growing conditions. Daylilies grow best in full to partial sun, so move them to a different location if necessary. Also check the fertilizers you’re using—high nitrogen content can prevent flowering. If neither of these factors is the problem, the daylilies may be getting overcrowded. Give them more room by dividing crowded plants—just dig, divide the clump and replant smaller pieces in several areas. The divisions should bloom for you next season. Fly South How do birds like wrens and blackbirds know when it’s time to fly south? They often disappear from our place in August when the weather is still warm. -—Mary Drogos, Glenview, Illinois George: Birds rely on the light to tell them when to migrate. As the sun in the northern hemisphere moves south and the hours of daylight dwindle, it triggers an impulse within every migratory bird. This impulse ends only when the bird arrives at a wintering ground far to the south. The birds instinctively follow ancient paths of migratory flight that are permanently chiseled into the face of the Earth, such as coastlines, major rivers and mountains. Subscribers can access our Glad You Asked database with hundreds of questions and answers from George and Melinda. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=2301&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Best of Bird Tales ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Birdie Scores a Birdie While playing golf at a par-three course in St. Petersburg, Florida, my wife and I were paired with two young ladies for a foursome. On the ninth hole, my tee shot landed to the right of the green. After I chipped up onto the green about three feet wide of the hole, a red-winged blackbird pounced madly on my ball until it rolled about four inches from the cup. “Put it in the hole! Put it in the hole!” I yelled to the bird. To everyone’s amazement, it listened and pushed the ball with its bill until clunk—it dropped in the cup. I marked it as a birdie because I only hit the ball twice. Now I’m trying to figure out what I need to do to get an eagle. —-Dick Moran, Spring Hill, Florida ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Save a Bundle on Your Fall Vacation! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now is the perfect time to plan a gorgeous fall foliage getaway. Book one of 7 autumn excursions and save up to $400.00 per person on your vacation! http://www.countrytours.com/rd.asp?id=2731&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Project of the Month ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now is the perfect time of year to start planning to harvest gourds. Take a look at how you can turn a gourd into a birdhouse to last for years! Start Building your own: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=2302&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREE Wallpaper ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Download amazing wallpaper for your computer, like this beautiful bird, courtesy of Dick Cronberg. Take a look: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2303&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Needs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We need your step-by-step birdhouse plants. Send them to us using our Submit Your Story form. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2304&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Item from Country Store ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three Tube Bird Feeder http://www2.countrystorecatalog.com/rd.asp?id=3445&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Take care of your lawn this year with the prize from our Where’s Webster contest! Search for Webster in the “Blooms” section this month. (He likes soil!) Start searching» http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2309&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ Sign up for our Garden Club newsletter for great seasonal gardening advice. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=2310&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ $$parm3$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This email was sent to: $$email$$ HAVE A FRIEND who enjoys bird-watching, bird feeding or backyard gardening? Feel free to forward this newsletter! 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