Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

Crystal Rennicke

February is the toughest month for songbirds. Make sure to keep your feeders full and put out extra suet for the birds during this time. Get some recipes.

Did you make any gardening resolutions yet? Winter is the best time to plan your best garden ever!  Get some tips from other gardeners in your area.

Happy Gardening!
–Crystal

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READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Question of the Month
• Frugal Backyard Tip
• Submit Your Story

Plant of the Month

Hellebore
No winter garden is complete without hellebore’s lovely cup-shaped blooms. It’ll be difficult to choose just one variety of this distinctive flower. But no matter the kind or color, each offers beautiful evergreen foliage. You’re sure to love hellebore so much, you’ll wish it bloomed year-round.
Botanical name: Helleborus
Bloom time: Midwinter to spring.
Hardiness: Zones 4 to 9, depending on cultivar.
Size: 2 inches to 4 feet high, 1 to 3 feet wide.
Flowers: Cup-shaped blooms of white, pink, purple and green.
Light needs: Full to partial shade.
Growing Advice: Top with organic matter in spring, then mulch around the plant to retain moisture. An even supply of moisture is important.
Prize picks: Royal Heritage easily blooms for awhile in a mix of colors. 

Winter doesn’t have to mean a dull garden. Try some other winter favorites in your garden.

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Yard Smarts

Water Works Wonders
We have a great tip that always attracts feathered friends to our backyard during winter. All you need is a little warm water!
On extra cold days, flocks of 15 to 20 eastern bluebirds descend on our heated birdbath. We know it sounds too simple, but it really is that easy! This has worked wonders for us, and the colorful birds really brighten our yard. –Lowell and Marlene Wenger, Mount Sidney, Virginia

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Question of the Month

Purple Puzzler
This plant comes up in my garden every year in both sunny and partially shady locations. I call it “balloon flower” because the buds look like balloons before they burst into beautiful purple blooms. Do you know what it is? –Nancy Gerhart, Quakertown, Pennsylvania

Melinda: You’re not the only one who sees a likeness between this flower and a balloon. This blooming beauty, Platycodon grandiflorus, goes by the common name balloon flower.
As you observed, it grows in full sun to partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic and well-drained soil and does not like wet conditions.
Gardeners who want to add it to their flower beds may want to mark its location. Since it’s slow to emerge in spring, it often falls victim to accidental cultivation of what looks like an empty spot.

For answers to your gardening questions, click here.

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Frugal Backyard Tip

Thrifty Use for an Old Tire

I couldn’t find any manufactured hose hideaways I liked, so I made my own from a discarded tire. With a sharp utility knife, I cut about 3 inches off at the rim bead on one side.
I gave the tire two coats of good latex house paint, decorated it with flowers and drilled four holes in the underside for drainage. This bowl will store about 200 feet of 5/8-inch hose.  —Oreon Wesche, Overland, Missouri

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Submit Your Story

Do you have a winter bird tale you’d like to share? Send your inquiries to our Bird Tales section using our Submit Your Story form.

Submit your story»

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