##\keycode.boilerplatetext## To see an on-line version of this newsletter, copy this link and paste it into your web browser: http://www.reimanpub.com/shared/pages/onlineemail.aspx?codelocal=Newsletters/BNB/2009/03/newsletter.html&firstname=##firstname##&emailaddress=##emailaddress##&refurl=##keycode## If you would like to change or edit your email preferences, please visit your Personal Preferences page. https://www.reimanpub.com/registration2/Login.asp?Newsletter=BNB&pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIRDS & BLOOMS Newsletter - March 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear ##firstname[Friend]##, Have you voted for “Name This Plant” yet? We received thousands of name suggestions from our readers, and along with help from Terra Nova Nurseries, we’ve narrowed the finalists down to six! Be sure to cast your vote before April 8. Cast your vote here: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/magazine-name-contest.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## Also, do you receive our FREE Garden Club newsletter? Right now we have an amazing giveaway through it. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is sign up for the newsletter! Get more details here. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Great-Garden-Giveaway-/detail.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## 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: Mourning Dove ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Though some people consider the mourning dove a pest, it sure it an entertaining bird. Look for this member of the pigeon family to build a nest in your yard this season. If they get started early enough, they could raise up to five broods! Can you recognize the “coo” of a mourning dove? Hear what it sounds like and learn how to attract this flier to your yard. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Mourning-Dove/detail.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Garden of the Month ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joe and Ann Studer love gardening at their cottage home. Learn which perennials they can’t live without in their Missouri yard. Learn a few tricks and tips from Joe and Ann. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/A-Garden-for-All-Seasons/detail.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Best of Glad You Asked ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tree with Multiple Benefits I’d like to plant a tall-growing deciduous tree near my deck. Can you recommend one that will flower and produce the kind of berries birds enjoy? —Lottie Edwine, Rapid City, South Dakota   Melinda: Cross-pollination only affects the characteristics on the offspring of plants. Since your neighbor’s “parent” plants are exhibiting change, we need to look at other possibilities like mutations, viruses or environmental factors. Make sure the plants’ new location is sunny and has well-draining soil. This should keep the peonies healthy and flowering. Then wait to see what blossoms the next spring. Temporary stresses may have caused the color change. Escape Plan Ever since we spotted a hawk in the neighborhood, the bird activity around our feeders has declined. How can I protect songbirds from this hawk so they’ll return to our backyard? -—Frank Cox, Midwest City, Oklahoma  George: Switch to sugar water to attract and keep orioles throughout the summer and into September. Sugar water (one part sugar to four parts water) in an orange plastic oriole feeder is easy to maintain and will attract a minimum number of bees and flies. These feeders are available at most birding stores. Subscribers can access our Glad You Asked database with hundreds of questions and answers from George and Melinda. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Experts/Backyard-Bird-Watcher.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy Spring at the Biltmore and Save $100.00! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Revel in the springtime beauty of the palatial Biltmore Estate and learn gardening and crafts during private demonstrations. Book by March 31, 2009, and save $100.00 per person on your trip! See the details: http://www.countrytours.com/Indexes/index_HotDeals.asp?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Project of the Month ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did you see the Tipsy Pots in our April/May issue? We’ve received a lot of great comments about this project, so we wanted to feature it again. Build this inexpensive piece of garden art in under an hour! Start building... http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Tipsy-Pots-Project/detail.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREE Wallpaper ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Download great wallpaper for your computer, like this great photo of a singing meadowlark by Dick Cronberg. Take a look at our collection. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/wallpaper-photos.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Item from Country Store ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Audubon Singing Bird Clock http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-CS-Site/default/Search-Show?q=35500&refurl=I4027&refurl=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Where's Webster? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Find Webster and you could win this seed-starting kit. Look for him on the “Blooms” tab this month! Start looking >> http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Where-s-Webster--/detail.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##\keycode.sidebartext## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIRDS: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birds.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## BLOOMS: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/blooms.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## BUTTERFLIES: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/butterflies.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## PHOTOS: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/photos.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## CONTESTS: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Contests.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## COMMUNITY: http://bbs.reimanpub.com/bulletinboard.asp?view=head&headnum=3&pmcode=##keycode## SHOP: http://www.countrystorecatalog.com?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This email was sent to: ##emailaddress## 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. https://www.reimanpub.com/registration2/NewsletterSignup.asp?OptID=1&pmcode=##keycode## If you do not want to receive further editions of this newsletter, please use this link to unsubscribe. https://www.reimanpub.com/registration2/NewsletterUnsubscribe.asp?email=##emailaddress##&pmcode=##keycode##&OptID=1 If you would like to change or edit your email preferences, please visit your Personal Preferences page. https://www.reimanpub.com/registration2/Login.asp?Newsletter=BNB&pmcode=##keycode## To learn more about Reiman Media Group's use of personal information, please read our Privacy Policy. http://www.reimanpub.com/PrivacyPolicy.asp?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright 2009 Reiman Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. 5400 S. 60th St., P.O. Box 991, Greendale WI 53129-0991 1-800/344-6913