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Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,
Danielle Calkins,
Assistant Editor
As with the seasons, we too have been slightly changing as a staff at Birds & Blooms. With Kirsten Sweet moving away, I’ll be taking over her duties.
I’m excited to have the chance to get to know our wonderful audience and share this newsletter with you each month. Please join me and your fellow readers in the Birds & Blooms online community where we can chat and learn more about one another.
Happy fall!
Danielle Calkins
Birds & Blooms
Are you on Facebook? Our staff is constantly sharing interesting bird and garden stories. Learn about giveaways, new products and more!
Photo: Dave Ryan
Bird of the Month: Western Tanager
It might only fly in the West, but the western tanager is still a favorite among bird-watchers all over the United States.Learn how to attract the Western Tanager to your yard, and listen to their song.
Best of Glad You Asked
Preparing for Cold
I recently bought some chrysanthemums. What should I do to prepare them for cold weather?
—Tammy Cross, Hardyville, Kentucky
Melinda Myers,
Horticultural Expert
Melinda: Mums growing in well-draining soil have a good chance of surviving your winters. Use winter mulch to increase their chances. After the ground lightly freezes, cut back your plants to 3 or 4 inches above the soil. Cover the plants with straw, marsh hay or evergreen branches. You can remove the mulch in spring when temperatures begin to hover above freezing. Gardeners farther north often use the soil-mound method to protect these tender perennials. Cut back mums to 18 inches after the ground lightly freezes. Mulch them with an 8-inch layer of soil. Once this freezes, cover with straw, marsh hay or evergreen branches.
George Harrison,
Birding Expert
Birdhouse Maintenance
I clean out and repair my nest boxes each fall so they're ready for birds to use as winter shelters. However, some people say I should postpone birdhouse maintenance until spring. When is the best time?
—Elliot Barnes, Groton, Connecticut
George: If you plan to leave the houses up all winter, then it's best to clean them in spring, when you can remove insects and old nesting materials from both birds and mice. Mice tend to use birdhouses in winter and supplement the birds' nesting materials with their own. Birds also welcome the old nesting materials, as they may roost in the houses on cold winter nights.
Project of the Month
After installing low-voltage lights along a garden path last spring, the project leaped onto my "Top 10 Favorite Home-Improvement Projects" list. The materials are relatively inexpensive, the installation techniques are simple and safe, and the results are truly dramatic. Light up your backyard today!
FREE Wallpaper
Download great wallpaper for your computer, like this photo of colorful autumn leaves by Lisa Ousley.
Vote for your favorite!
Each year, the quality of the photos for our annual Backyard Photo Contest gets better and better! To kick things off, vote for your favorite photo in our “Just Kidding Around” category.
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