Dear $$firstname$$,

Crystal Rennicke

Spring is officially here and that means change is in the air. One change you may notice is a new face in your inbox this month. But I must confess: I’ve been “behind the screens” of your newsletter for a while. I’m introducing myself because as our club grows, I’d love for you to feel comfortable to share your ideas and comments about our club with me. Or if you have a gardening story, tip or simply want to share some photos of your backyard, please email me at crystal@backyardgardenclub.com.

As a new homeowner, I’m always looking for ways to save time and money…especially in the garden. I’m sure you’re no different. That’s why I’m thrilled to announce a very special publication from the editors of Backyard Living. It’s called Budget Garden Secrets and it combines 901+ green-thumb-tested tips and tricks for creating your best garden ever—affordably and easily! And right now, you can purchase it at a special pre-sale price of $8.99 (with no shipping costs!) before it even hits retail stores! Order yours today.

HAVE A FRIEND who loves to garden? Feel free to forward this newsletter! If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please use this link to sign up for yourself.

Happy Gardening!
--Crystal

READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Question of the Month
• Attracting Butterflies
• April Regional Checklist
• Frugal Gardener Tip of the Month
• Current Needs

Submit Your Story

photo: Dutch Gardens

Plant of the Month

Common Hyacinth
This gardeners’ favorite is loved for its showy and fragrant spring show.

Botanical name: Hyacinthus orientalis
Hardiness: Zone 4 to 9.
Size: 6 to 10 inches high; 6 to 9 inches wide.
Flower colors: White, cream, yellow, orange, apricot, salmon, blue, violet, pink, purple and red.
Growing tip: Plant bulbs 6 inches deep, 6 to 9 inches apart.
Pretty Pairings: ‘Hollyhocks,’ with its double raspberry-red flowers.

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Yard Smarts

Faux Flames
My dad, Rudolph, replaces the fuel cans of weathered tiki torches with soup cans. He adds drainage holes and plants red celosia to look like flames on a torch. They add whimsy to his backyard and they’re practical—he used some of the torches to stake his tomato plants. –Patricia Stout, Elizabeth, Pennsylvania

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Question of the Month

One of Every Color
Q: Not only was I surprised to see last year’s petunia survive winter, but it also bloomed in seven different colors! I’m sure I only planted one petunia color. Can you tell me why this happened? –Terri Robbins, Tigerton, Wisconsin

Melinda: What a beautiful surprise! My guess is that this year’s beautiful bloom is the offspring of seeds from your hybrid petunia from last year. Hybrids combine the characteristics of one or more plants. As a result, the offspring don’t always look like the parent plant they came from.

The offspring of hybrids can vary quite a bit. The flowers may look like one of the parent plants or even a combination of their traits.

This cluster of petunias shows how offspring can pick up a variety of colors from their hybrid parents.

See more of Melinda’s answers

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Tips for Attracting Butterflies

Butterflies are a welcome addition to any yard. And like most guests, they’ll stay longer if you’re a good host. Here are some tips for making butterflies feel at home in your backyard:

Serve up a feast of flowers. Butterflies dine on the nectar in flowers and are most attracted to purple and yellow flowers with open blooms.
Offer them a drink. Fill a shallow pan with sand and wet the sand well. Butterflies suck water right out of the sand, and minerals from the sand make it an energy drink.
Make room for the kids. Females are always laying eggs, but they can be pretty fussy about where they do it. Some drop off their eggs on a variety of plants but others, like the monarch, only leave eggs on one type of plant.
Provide cozy accommodations. Butterflies like small nooks where they can hide from predators. Hollow logs, cracks in stone walls and loose bark on trees are considered five-star lodging.
Offer them a sunny seat. Butterflies bask in the sun until they’re warm enough to go about their daily business.
Give them shelter from wind. Try to place all of your butterfly amenities—flowers, host plants, water and especially the basking site—in an area that’s sheltered by a fence, building or larger plants.

For more about butterflies, click here.

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April Regional Checklist

This spring, prioritize your gardening to-do’s. Click your region for a list of things you can do to this month for a beautiful garden later:

• Northeast
• Northwest
• Southwest
• Central
• Southeast

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Frugal Gardener Tip of the Month

Taking Thrift to New Heights
I planted climbing vines against my vinyl fence, but got sticker shock when I started pricing out trellises. So I came up with an idea that was actually sturdier and cheaper.

I bought a 4’ x 8’ piece of vinyl lattice and cut it into four 2’ x 4’ pieces. Using heavy-duty cable ties, I mounted the pieces 12 to 16 inches above the ground and wove my vines through them. –Becky Cook, Sebastian, Florida

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Current Needs

We are searching for gardeners like you to write a short journal on the day-to-day discoveries they encounter in their garden. You don’t have to be a professional writer…just someone with a story to share! Click here.

Step Back to the Victory Era!

The editors of Reminisce magazine bring you Reminisce Through the Decades: The 1940s, a 6-hour-plus, three-DVD set of real-life stories from the ’40s! For more information, go to www.reminisce.com.

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