Attracting Birds To The Winter Garden Written on October 6, 2008. Written by Steve Boulden

Throughout the spring and summer, we are treated to the melodious songs and chattering conversations of a variety of birds in our trees and shrubs. As summer turns to autumn, then autumn to winter, the songs die down and the conversations are less frequent. Is there a way to keep the birds around during the winter too? You bet! Every region is blessed with a variety of non-migratory birds. With just the right tasty treats, you can draw these non-migratory birds to your yard. Food, water and protection are the three things you need to provide for your feathered friends.
When you consider feeders, have mercy on the little birds who will visit your yard. Be sure to supply tube feeders for them, designed in such a way to keep out larger birds. Thistle feeders are a favorite of finches. Thistle ocks Shepherd hooks make great thistle feeders and come in various sizes. Green feeders with weighted trap doors will keep out squirrels and crows.
When selecting food, you have a number of choices. For small birds, millet is definitely the seed of choice. Wild bird seed combinations will ring the dinner bell for a large variety of wintering feathered friends. Look for a combination that includes black sunflower seeds, as well as nuts and dried fruits. Making a combination like this available will bring in such birds as cardinals, catbirds, finches, chickadees and nuthatches.
In addition to the seed combinations mentioned above, try these ideas: spread peanut butter on pinecones. You can mix in a little bacon fat with the peanut butter and then roll the pinecone in bread or cereal crumbs. Also, string popcorn, cranberries and dried fruit and hang from a tree. Beware the squirrels will not be denied the opportunity to visit this smorgasbord!
NOTE - Before you begin feeding birds during the winter, decide up front you will do this consistently. Your feathered friends will come to rely on you for regular nourishment during the winter and may go hungry if the cafeteria suddenly closes up shop.
Water is another important concern in winter. Check with your lawn & garden center for an immersible heater. Place this in the bottom of a birdbath and it will keep the water from freezing. In addition to birdbaths, various other shallow containers can be used to offer fresh water to birds saucers, inverted trashcan lids and pie tins. Be sure to monitor the depth of the water because birds do like water that is more than two or three inches deep.
Consider also birds need shelter in the winter. Incorporate in your garden a double blessing for them by planting plants that offer food and shelter. Popular choices include pyracantha, juniper and holly, as well as Japanese barberry. Do keep in mind; the Japanese barberry is considered an invasive exotic plant, so use it with care.

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Vertical Gardening by Fran Sorin

Vertical gardening is exactly what it sounds like: gardening vertically rather than horizontally, as we normally do. It's ideal for those with limited space who garden in a small yard or on a terrace, deck or patio, but it also can be used effectively by any gardener who is interested in experiencing different types of gardening. You can use fences, walls, trellises, arbors, pergolas and many different types of containers to garden vertically. As you add lush, draping plants, you can't help but appreciate the sense of artistry that vertical gardening can bring to the landscape. A vertical garden creates privacy and helps hide unattractive views. It also can cool off your landscape and help shade your property. It allows you to grow more plants with less space while offering excellent air circulation for those plants. You'll be able to enjoy your tomatoes and cantaloupes ripening at eye level. And plants suited for vertical gardening tend to have less disease because some pests don't climb vertically. Another bonus: You won't have to weed vertical gardens as frequently because you'll be using less soil. Vertical gardening also allows people with disabilities or those who can't bend or kneel to continue gardening.StructuresReady to get started? Here are several structures that are ideal for vertical gardening: Fences. These are a great way to make use of upward-growing plants, especially climbers and those that have tendrils. And if your fence is unsightly, vertical gardening is a great way to hide it. Trellises. These structures stand alone and can be made of wood, metal, stone, bricks, plastic or even PVC. Arbors or pergolas. There are many styles and materials from which to choose, and these structures can either stand alone or be attached to your house. My rule of thumb is that all outside gardening structures should complement the style of your home. Miscellaneous. Poles, cages, string or large stakes all can work to support your vertical plantings. Also, containers are the foundation for several combinations of vertical gardening. Some unusual objects upon which plants can drape or be trained to grow upward are barrels, old window frames and bed frames or even old kitchen stools. Lots of plants work well in a vertical garden, including the following:Vegetables. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans, winter squash and gourds are perfect choices. Some of these plants will entwine themselves around your structure of choice, while others will need to be tied to it for support. Another ideal vegetable is corn because it needs a lot of vertical space to flourish. One of the benefits of growing corn is that you can plant other veggies along with it, such as beans and zucchini, and use the corn stalks as a supporting structure. You'll get double the harvest, and it will look beautiful. Vines. A vertical flowering vine can add beauty to your landscape. Plus, it will attract birds and butterflies to your garden for you to enjoy. Morning glory, clematis, climbing rose, honeysuckle vine, sweet potato vine and cardinal climber are good choices.Fruits. The larger fruits -- melons and pumpkins -- can be trained to grow vertically and can be supported with old pantyhose, strips of cloth or, depending on the size of the fruit, heavy rope. Tie them loosely to avoid damaging the vines. Grapes and kiwi fruit also grow well vertically.

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GARDENING JOBS FROM YVONNE CUNNINGTON

Early fall garden jobs: In the yard

There's still plenty of bloom in the early fall garden Photo: © Y.Cunnington
Watering: One important job in the early fall garden is to continue to water your plants, especially your evergreens and trees and shrubs if it isn't raining enough. Going into the winter well hydrated will help keep your plants thriving. More on winterizing trees and shrubs.
Lawn care: Aerate your lawn and reseed any dead or thin spots. This is the best time of the year to lay sod, overseed or start a lawn from seed because temperatures are cooler and rain tends to be more plentiful than in the hot summer months. More lawn care tips.
Create a new bed: Do soil preparation for any new beds you want to have ready for spring planting.
Landscape projects: This is a good time to plan or do landscaping projects, such as walls, walkways, patios, and decks. See landscape design tips.)
Early fall garden to-do list: In the flower garden
Container plantings: Once they're past their prime, empty containers of annuals and store frost-sensitive containers in the basement or the garage.
Perennials: Don't be in a great rush to cut back all your perennials early. Seed heads and foliage that's coloring up can be beautiful, and the seeds are food for migrating birds. Just cut back plants that are diseased, those looking past their prime, or those that may become "weeds" if allowed to self-seed freely.
Late season gaps: If you have too little color in the garden now, visit your local garden center for some ideas on late-season flowers to add, and take advantage of end of season sales.
Plant or transplant perennials: Divide overgrown perennials—this is the ideal time to divide and move peonies and Siberian and bearded irises.
Deal with spent annuals: Pull or dig out summer annuals that are past their prime, and plant mums and colorful kale for fall interest.
Dig up summer bulbs if you want to keep them. After the first frost, dig up dahlias, cannas, gladioli, and similar non-hardy bulbs for winter storage; see how-to tips.
Garden planning: Make notes about garden changes or plants that you might want to move in the spring.
Think spring bulbs: Buy spring-flowering bulbs while they're in plentiful supply, but don't plant them too early.

http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/early-fall-garden.html

Flowerbulbs celebrate spring From Yvonne Cunnington

Planting flowerbulbs is one of my favorite fall gardening tasks.
I like to plant them on crisp, sunny autumn days, imagining how, in just a few months, my spring bulbs - colorful crocuses, tulips and daffodils - will brighten winter-weary spirits.
If you plan carefully, the show of bulbs can last from late winter to June. The beauty of spring-flowering bulbs is their incredible variety, in size and shape, color and bloom time.
In fall when the garden is still full of foliage from summer's perennials, it's hard to recall how stark the beds can look in early spring. So try to plant abundantly so your spring show has a bigger impact.

The big three for spring: Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths
If there's one bulb that seems to personify spring, it has to be tulips.
These bulbs are the ultimate visual spring tonic, and there are scores of wonderful tulip varieties to choose from. You can even go for the drama of 'black' tulips.
Next to tulips, daffodils are amongst the best-loved spring bulbs, and unlike tulips, their flowers are deer and squirrel-proof.
Beloved for their spring fragrance, modern hyacinths come in showy colors, and are easy to force for indoor display.

Other attractive flowerbulbs
Tulips may be the most popular spring bulbs, but there are many lovely, easy-to-grow, lesser-known bulbs.
More tips for gardening with flowerbulbs
When in fall to plant bulbs? Hint: not too early
Bulb planting: How and where to plant, squirrel solutions
Designing with spring bulbs: How to get more bang from your buck
Bulb leaves: What to do about daffodil and tulip leaves after blooming
Didn't plant bulbs last fall?
You can now buy bulb plants in containers and pop them into your garden at normal bulb-blooming time. So why not try bulb plants in spring?
They include windflowers (Anemone blanda), wild hyacinth (Camassia), guinea-hen flower (Fritillaria meleagris), Persian fritillaria, (Fritillaria Persica) and Bulgarian ornamental onion (Nectaroscordum siculum).
Fortunately, most of them are unappealing to garden menaces such as deer and squirrels.
If you're looking for easy-care gardening, many of these lesser known, unusual spring bulbs also naturalize well to come back year after year, spreading if they're happy.

http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/flowerbulbs.html

August Gardening Jobs From Farmers Almanac

Compost should be watered during dry periods so that it remains active.
Prune only to retain the shape. Do not prune spring-flowering shrubs such as azaleas and rhododendrons.
Mid-August through September is a good time to transplant any shrubs that you've purchased with root balls wrapped in burlap. Make sure you get them in the ground two to three days after purchase. Do not fertilize until the second year, when the feeding roots have become established.
Lawns or bare spots reseeded with grass now will have a chance to get established before winter sets in. Water often and mulch with hay.
In colder regions, houseplants that have been outside for the summer should be brought in at the end of this month. A sudden cold spell will be too much of a shock for them to survive. This is also a good time to take cuttings.
You can still enjoy garden flowers indoors. Sow these annuals inside: sweet alyssum, dwarf marigold, browallia, ageratum, and nasturtium. Grow them in a moderately cool (60 degrees F), sunny window.
Plant fall-flowering bulbs now.
Two or three leaves should be left when cutting gladiolus, so that the bulbs can ripen.
This is the month for transplanting Oriental poppies.
Rock-garden pants should be checked to see if they need thinning. Overcrowded plants will not stay healthy or attractive.
Sow these perennials outdoors for next spring: aquilegia, Phlox paniculata, digitalis, centaurea, and primrose.
Hardy lily bulbs may be planted in the ground and left to overwinter outdoors.
Cut back the flower stalks of perennials that have finished blooming. Cut delphinium flower stalks to the ground, and a new, though smaller, flower stalk will develop. The flower will survive the coming cold days and even light frosts.
Lift, divide, and replant Japanese and Siberian irises soon after bloom. Transplant them to places where they will have "wet feet but dry knees."
If you notice a gap in your perennial bed between spring and fall blooms, visit a local nursery to see what's in bloom there and ask the experts for advice on what to plant.
The vegetable garden is likely to require daily harvesting now. Cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers should be picked as soon as the fruits are ready. This not only captures the best flavor, but it also makes way for new fruits.
Maximum flavor of herbs for drying is achieved by cutting them just before their flowers open.
Make sure that potatoes are not escaping into the sunlight. Hill or mulch them if they are.
Trenches of new asparagus beds should receive their final filling in this month.
Remove dead pea vines, bolted lettuce, and other plants that have gone by and add them to the compost pile. If they show signs of disease, however, burn them.
Separate melons from the ground with a thin board to prevent decay or damage from wireworms.
Cut out raspberry and blackberry canes that have just finished fruiting.
Most perennials outgrow their containers and require repotting every two or three years.

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