Dear ##firstname##,

Though there may be a chill in their air around you, we hope this “News You Can Use” newsletter will bring some warmth into your day.

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• READ ON TO DISCOVER...
• Bird of the Month
• Garden of the Month
• Best of Glad You Asked
• Project of the Month
• FREE Wallpaper

Bird of the Month: Tufted Titmouse

The tufted titmouse prefers swampy or moist woodlands, and you can find it in the eastern United States. Its song is a loud, whistled “peter, peter, peter, peter” and it is quick to scold predators.

Listen to this bird’s song and learn how to attract it to your yard by visiting our 50 Most Wanted Birds section on the Web site.

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Garden of the Month

When Joe and Ann Struder purchased a tiny cabin with 17-acres of land, they worked hard to create a landscape that thrives through every season. Learn why the Struder’s never deadhead their plants and how they deal with unpredictable weather.

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Best of Glad You Asked

Stressed Out
I live in central Florida and we were hit with three hurricanes a couple of years ago. After they came through, I noticed something unusual about my mock orange bush. It usually blooms in spring, but after the hurricanes, it bloomed in December. Why?
—Gwynn Pealer, Oscala, Florida

Melinda: Hurricanes, droughts, cold snaps and other stressful weather conditions can cause plants to bloom out of their regular season. Because of this, your mock orange probably had minimal or nonexistent flowers during its regular bloom time the following spring.

Fortunately, the off-season bloom won’t hurt the plant. Your mock orange should return to its normal bloom period, barring future disasters and environmental stresses. So enjoy the extra show when it occurs and provide stressed plants with proper care.

Banish the Blackbirds
I have a large number of cardinals that visit my bird feeders in winter. Problem is, I also have a large number of blackbirds. How do I keep them away?
—Sharon Conley, Joppa, Illinois

George: If you are selective about what you feed the cardinals, you can eliminate the blackbirds. For example, cardinals love safflower seeds, but blackbirds do not.

Also, blackbirds are less likely to eat sunflower seeds in the shell, which requires cracking to get to the meats. Finally, blackbirds are more seasonal than cardinals. From my experience, my cardinals stay in my backyard year-round, but the blackbirds come and go.

Overall, use a different seed, and don’t give up. Hopefully, the blackbirds will soon let the cardinals eat in piece.

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

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Project of the Month

What attracts blue jays, woodpeckers, nuthatches and more to your yard? PEANUTS! Click here to create a great peanut feeder.

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FREE Wallpaper

Download amazing wallpaper for your computer, like this amazing photo of a northern cardinal by Michael Bell.

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