Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of snow, but I do love the holidays! As December quickly approaches, I’ve been trying to whittle away at my gift-giving list.

Thankfully, this creative project gives me a unique way to present my gifts. These plantable gift tags are sure to charm your family and friends. Check them out—they look great tied to a present and can be used post-holidays to grow your favorite flowers!

Enjoy!

Danielle Calkins
Birds & Blooms

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• READ ON TO DISCOVER...
• Find us on Facebook
• Bird of the Month
• Best of Glad You Asked
• Project of the Month
• FREE Wallpaper
• Vote for your favorite!

Are you on Facebook? Our staff is constantly sharing interesting bird and garden stories. Learn about giveaways, new products and more!

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Bird of the Month: Evening
Grosbeak

Evening grosbeaks will flock to your feeders in winter. Learn how to attract evening grosbeaks to your yard, and listen to their song.

Learn how to attract the Evening Grosbeak to your yard, and listen to their song.

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Best of Glad You Asked

Bountiful Gourds
I planted several varieties of gourds last summer that produced hundreds of white blossoms. But after the blossoms dropped, most of the tiny gourds dried up and fell off, too—I ended up with only six mature gourds. What's the secret to a more bountiful harvest? —Linda Williams, Aquilla, Texas

Melinda: Warm weather and lots of bees are the keys to successfully growing gourds. Poor pollination can cause the problem you describe. The first flowers produced on the gourd plant are all male flowers. Later on, the plant develops both male and female flowers. Then bees pollinate the plants, which is followed by fruit formation. To avoid another heartbreak harvest, don't use insecticides on flowering plants. Many of these products are harmful to bees, thereby reducing pollination and fruit formation. You also can hand-pollinate the blossoms. Use a small paintbrush to move the pollen from the anthers of the male flowers (those with straight inner stems) to the stigma in the center of the female flowers (those with a swollen base).  

Birds in Winter
Every winter, I put out plenty of suet and birdseed. A few birds visit my backyard, but not like they do in summer. Can you solve this mystery? — Margo Magwood, Kitchener, Ontario

George: Most people who feed backyard birds find that winter is the busiest time of the year. The fact that you don't have more activity in the winter may have something to do with the amount of evergreen habitat in your yard. When the leaves of deciduous trees disappear in the fall, a yard without evergreens provides no adequate cover for birds to use when threatened by predators or weather. You can correct this by planting some pines, spruces or firs near the feeders to reestablish a comfort level for the birds that visit in winter. A quick fix would be to stand an old Christmas tree near your feeder.

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Project of the Month: Gourd Art

Welcome to the wonderful world of gourds! That was my response when I first started looking into the process of transforming gourds into art. With dozens of available designs and entire books dedicated to gourd art, I knew I was onto something good.
Make your own gourd planters and feeders today!

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FREE Wallpaper

Download great wallpaper for your computer, like this photo of frosty leaves.

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Vote for your favorite!

Our latest Backyard Photo Contest is up and running! Vote for your favorite photo in our “Best of Birds” category.

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