Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

With temperatures well below freezing (at least here in Wisconsin), we are dreaming of warmer days ahead. 

Now is a great time to dream about gardening, too. Not only are seed catalogs starting to show up in mailboxes, but our readers also have a unique opportunity to name a new plant from Terra Nova Nurseries!

To learn more about the Name This Plant venture, visit our Web site.

• 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: Evening Grosbeak

The evening grosbeak offers a bright spot at feeders in winter. These birds are easier to attract than you think, too! They are not picky eaters, as long as you know what to offer.

Learn how to attract this bird to your yard this winter and listen to its song by visiting our 50 Most Wanted Birds section on the Web site.

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Garden of the Month

Brenda Kari loves to garden and have gorgeous hanging baskets, but she doesn’t have a lot of time with young twins! Learn how Brenda saves time in spring by planning ahead.

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Best of Glad You Asked

Time Your Pruning
Last year I cut back my three mandevillas and kept them in the garage for winter. After I brought them out in spring, they produced new foliage, but no flowers. What did I do wrong?
—Christy Brown, Amory, Mississippi

Melinda: Proper timing and pruning will help coax your mandevillas to flower. First, prune the plants in late winter, not fall. This stimulates new growth. Thin out overcrowded plants by removing older or damaged stems. Also prune the side branches, leaving three of four buds on each shoot.

Then move the plants into a bright sunny location and water as needed. Fertilize with a diluted solution of flowering plant food once new growth appears. When the temperatures warm and the danger of frost has passed, you can move your mandevillas outdoors. Your efforts should be rewarded with beautiful blooms.

Cold Weather Survival
How do birds survive in cold weather? Even when the temperature dips to 25° below zero, there’s still a lot of avian activity at our feeders.
—Linda Smalley, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

George: Birds that reside in the North in winter are well equipped to survive the cold. Their winter plumages contain twice the number of feathers as their summer garbs. Plus, they can fluff up their feathers to further insulate their bodies and then shiver.

At night, birds conserve energy and heat by putting themselves into a state of hypothermia, which slows down their breathing, heartbeat and metabolism.

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

Build your feathered friends a fairytale getaway with this simple-to-follow birdhouse plan. Click here to get the plans.

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FREE Wallpaper

Download amazing wallpaper for your computer, like this amazing photo of a squirrel from Randy Quinn.  .

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