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Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,
The Birds & Blooms staff set out to discover the greatest bird song of all time. We asked our Facebook fans to choose their favorite from a list of 16 songs that mention birds. It was a close race, but one song did prevail!
But we didn’t stop there. We went so far as to create our very own birding music video to celebrate our love of birds. And who knows? Maybe someday we will make a video to celebrate gardening!
Happy Gardening!
–Kirsten
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Birds & Blooms Blog
Who knew a painted 5-gallon pail would look so great as a container? Find out how to use paint to jazz up your plain containers.
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Park Seed, parkseed.com |
Plant of the Month
Impatiens
Reliable impatiens are shade-garden favorites throughout North America, quickly growing to fill in bare areas with undulating mounds of color. These useful landscape plants work equally well in borders, foundation beds and containers.
Common Names: Impatiens and busy Lizzie.
Botanical Name: Impatiens.
Hardiness: Annual in most zones.
Bloom Time: Summer to first frost.
Size: 6 inches to 2 feet high.
Flowers: Pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, lavender-blue and white. Flowers may be solid-colored, striped or bicolor.
Light needs: Partial to full shade.
Growing Advice: Start seeds indoors 12 weeks before last frost. Set out transplants or bedding plants after danger of frost has passed, since impatiens are highly sensitive to cold.
Prize Picks: Tried-and-true Impatiens walleriana has a short, shrubby growth habit and flat flowers. New Guinea hybrids sport the largest, showiest flowers. They often are sold as "sun impatiens," but perform best in partial shade. For window boxes or hanging baskets, try one of the new trailing types, like Fanfare or Spellbound Pink.
Want more foolproof plants? Take a look at our Top 10 list for more easy-care options.
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Recycled Backyard
We encourage you to use cardboard in your garden. And an easy way to incorporate it is with containers. Here’s how to transform an ordinary cardboard box into a pretty container using twigs!
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Question of the Month
Bulbs on the Move
Can hardy bulbs be moved any time of the year? I’d like to move mine, but they’re still in bloom. —Bill Barrett, Mt. Vernon, Texas
Melinda: The best time to move hardy bulbs is when you'd normally plant new bulbs—late summer in the far north, fall in most parts of the country and early winter for some Southern gardeners. The only problem is finding these dormant bulbs beneath the soil's surface. The next best time to move bulbs is as the foliage begins to wither. By then, the plants have had time to replenish spent energy, but still have leaves attached to the bulbs. This makes them much easier to find.
Moving bulbs in full bloom is the least desirable time to move the plants. If you must move flowering bulbs, provide extra care to insure success. Remove the blossoms, but leave the foliage so the plant can produce and store energy for next year's floral display. Water the transplanted bulbs as needed, while the leaves are green and growing.
For answers to your gardening questions, visit the Plant Doctor section of our website.
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Frugal Backyard Tip
Mulching is one of the best things you can do to reduce maintenance and can provide added benefits for soil and plants. Here are 4 budget-friendly mulches to try.
Cocoa-bean hulls: A byproduct of the chocolate industry, cocoa hulls work in the garden. Use a 1-inch layer to suppress weeds. (Don't use if you have dogs. There is evidence they can be toxic to canines.)
Stone or gravel: A wide variety of types, sizes and colors exist for aesthetic purposes. Use a weed barrier underneath.
Cardboard: This is an inexpensive way to suppress weeds and recycle paper. Use it on garden paths.
Grass clippings (herbicide-free): Inexpensive and readily available, grass clippings are great garden helpers. In spring, cover the ground with 2 inches of clippings. Add more layers through the season.
Not interested in trying those? Here are six more budget-friendly mulch ideas.
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Submit Your Story
Do you use cardboard in your garden? Show us how! Send us your photos and projects using our Submit Your Story form.
Submit your story»
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