What a cruel trick the weather is playing on us.

WE HAVE SNOW ! ! !

A bit depressing for us outdoor types.

Yet, what better time to cheer myself up by writing to you.

Karen is in the kitchen right now.

Pookie (Putta) is leaning on me while I give him some attention.

Who knows where the cats are.

Yolonda is in her room folding cloths for her mom.

The feeders are busier right now with the nasty weather, too bad the windowsare closed again.

Some good news for me…………. my mom is back in her apartment aftera few weeks in the hospital and therapy.

I’m a mama’s boy so that was a bit taxing on me.

Last week I told you about the yard where I grew up.

My dad passed away 20 years ago, but my mom kept the “Ole Homestead”for another 15 years.

With her kids busy raising families of their own, the yard didn’t receive a lotof attention. Yet, the yard and wildlife flourished.

Mom added a humming bird garden off the back patio and would sit out thereon milder days and summer evenings and watch her little jewels.

Her birds would hardly flinch when we moved.

When filling her feeders, as soon as I turned my back the birds would show as fast as they left.

A small wooded area sat about 75 yards from our house. I believe the yardbecame an extension of the woods. As things grew, so did the collection of birds and wildlife.

HOW TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF BIRDS COMING TO YOUR YARD

Remember, where you live makes a difference in what you can plant and thevarieties of birds you will attract.

However, planting for birds will double the number of birds coming to your yard.

Here is a small list of trees for birds: Attracting Birds: Trees

Native trees work best, though not a total requirement. Some introduced specimens have been around long enough that plants and birds have adapted.

Look for trees that are zone hardy where you live.

Here is a zone map from USDA for North America:National Arboretum - USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

If you need some help, talk to your local garden center or better yet - a Certified Nurseryman in your area.

Speak with a professional who can assist in planting guidelines and requirements; such as sun or shade, will a tree tolerate wet feet.

What about fertilizer?

LET’S TAKE A WALK!

It’s a nice day today, how about you and I go for a walk in a local park witha wooded area or find us an Arboretum.

Do you notice the canopies of the trees?

Do you see the brakes in the shaded areas?

The lower growing trees and shrubs.

Do you see the varieties of ground cover and under brush?

The wild flowers in bloom today are food tomorrow.

Can you hear the birds singing in the trees?

Did you notice the chickadee following us as we went down the trail?

I enjoyed this walk with you.

Let’s do this again a few more times. Every couple of months just to see whatnature is offering the birds.

WHAT IS NEXT

Remember, now, to start with what you have.

Make your current trees and shrubs a focal point for now.

Backyard habitats take time and are years in the making.

Do what your budget, time, and body will allow.

This is a very important point, so let me say it again here:

“Do what your budget, time, and body will allow.”

You’ll experience the most joy backyard birding if you use this approach.

Also, look for sales.

Do any of your friends have snips of bushes you could root?

How about a family member or friend that has a few extra trees growing in a field?

Ask if you could dig some up.

Explain what you plan to do.

Remember, it is illegal to dig up any wild trees or flowers on public or private land without permission first.

Make a list of what you have and don’t have.

Make another list of what you would like to plant for your new birdscape.

You might even mention to your neighbors what you plan on doing and dare suggest it become a neighborhood event.

I get excited talking to you about birds and nature.

Wouldn’t it be nice to give back what we get from our surroundings?

Until next time my friend.

Have a blessed week and always SMILE.

Ron

http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

Ronald Patterson is an avid backyard birder, going back 40plus years.
Ron and his wife Karen owned a wildbird specialty store through much of the 90’s and through 2001. Ron is also a Michigan Certified Nurseryman. This aids in giving expert advice on birds and what to plant to attract wildbirds to your yard.

Ron’s newsletter:
Backyard Birding Tips
http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/
is a FREE weekly publication

Related posts

• Tips for Ensuring the Safety of all Ggardeners (0)
• Fine Gardening the Art Form (0)
• Beginner Organic Gardeners — How to Avoid Common Mistakes (0)
• A List of The Essential Tools Every Gardener Must Have (0)
• The Tools You’ll Need for Gardening (0)

Your living room is probably the most important room in your home. It’s where you unwind, where you entertain your friends, and where you spend lazy days relaxing in front of your fireplace. The way you decorate your living room will really say a lot about you. Is it formal or relaxed. Do you have antique furniture or modern. When it comes time to redecorate your living room, the most important piece of furniture is your sofa. Once you pick out a couch that will compliment your style and how you want to use your living room, everything else is easy.

If your style is casual and you want to entertain friends in your living room, consider a sectional sofa. The sectional is perfect for when you or your friends want to kick back and relax while having a great conversation or watching some TV. It’s great for family time too. There are a couple ways to use a sectional. You can put it in the corner of the room, so you maximize your living space. This is great if you want to use your sofa while watching TV. Or, you can place it so that the back of the sofa splits the room in half, so to speak. That way, you create a cozy little area for conversation. If you don’t have a television or fireplace in your living room, add a recliner or loveseat facing the couch. That helps further create the sociable atmosphere.

If you’re looking for a more formal feeling for your living room, the standard three person sofa is one way to go. These sofas typically have a more traditional look to them. However, you can still have the seating capacity of a sectional. Pair your sofa up with a loveseat or a second sofa. Depending on how formal you want your living room, you may not have a television. But if you have a fireplace, you want your main sofa facing it. Arrange your loveseat or second sofa off to its side moving towards the fireplace. If you don’t have a fireplace, you have the opportunity to design the perfect area for friends and family to gather and catch up with each other. Placing your two sofas directly opposite each other crates a nice warm gathering spot. For some, however, this may seem a little stuffy and old fashioned. If so, you can place a second sofa running diagonally on one side and other chairs or loveseat on the other side running diagonally as well. Do this so you create a triangle instead of a square, with your sofa table in the middle. This way, you can get a formal look yet contemporary feel at the same time.

So it is possible to combine formal and contemporary, you just need to use your imagination. Once you have you’re couch, you can finish decorating your living room by finding pieces that match. A table with family photos or a fresh cut flowers will go with either formal or informal d

Related posts

• Decorating Ideas to Make Your Living Room more Livable (0)

If you have a porch that you barely use because it lacks privacy or comfy furniture for relaxing, there are some simple things that you can do to turn your porch into an outdoor oasis. Even better, you can turn it into an outdoor oasis for just a little bit of money.

For less than $500 you can make your porch comfortable and relaxation friendly. You can also add privacy to your porch so that you don’t have to worry about your neighbors or everyone who is driving by watching everything that you are doing.

The best way to get started is to be patient and wait for outdoor furniture to go on clearance. You don’t have to wait long for this to happen. Outdoor furniture is typically put on the market at the end of winter. By July, most stores have already put their outdoor furniture and decorations on clearance for 25%-40% off. There is no need to pay full price for furniture if you know that it will be on clearance in no time.

Before you buy furniture you need to think about how you want to use your porch and how big your porch is. If you have a smaller porch you are going to have to choose between seating or dining furniture. Larger porches can actually accommodate both, making your porch even more useful. Even if you have a small porch with a wicker loveseat and two chairs, perhaps you would still have room for a caf

Related posts

• Living Room Feng Shui (0)
• Change The Look Of Your Kitchen With Cabinet Knobs (0)
• Selecting the Right Kitchen Sink (0)
• Living Room Chairs And Their Use In Decorating (0)
• Kitchen Cleaning Tips Cleaning Butcher Block Countertops (0)