Wildlife

Winter Birds

Do not forget to feed the birds especially through the hard part of winter. Winter food should have a little fat, dried fruit, and sunflowers for ingredients. Suet becomes important for winter birds because of its fat content.

Here is one recipe for cheaper homemade suet cakes:

  1. ⅓ cup sunflower seeds.
  2. ⅓ cup Nyjer seeds.
  3. ½ cup dried fruit, soaked overnight.
  4. ½ cup unsalted peanuts.
  5. 1 cup lard or beef suet or peanut butter (crunchy or smooth).
  6. Hanging bird feeder(s) suitable for fat balls.
  7. Mix and refrigerate a couple of days.
  8. Put in suet feeders or suet socks and hang in a tree.
  9. You can roll pinecones in the mix and hang.

If you want to use bird feeders from the store, then is great also. Use a higher energy bird food with nuts and berries when it gets really cold outside.

It is always fun to watch birds like colorful blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers, and finches in the dead of winter. Birds will also eat many weed seeds still on the plant in your yard or garden that otherwise might grow.

Christmas, Seasonal Decor

Winter Decorating

If you like decorating, forget Christmas and go for winter decorating. You can leave it up all winter past Christmas and New Year’s. It adds that special something like creating a welcoming statement on your front deck or front door.

Using vintage containers like baskets or cream cans with some evergreen clipping and ribbon (purple for Advent, white for Christmas, and the rest of winter).

Old chairs or bench with an old blanket and lantern (solar-powered) create a cozy area. Use some of your old planters filled with evergreens and birch cuttings.

Create a front door statement with a hanging basket with evergreen boughs and pinecones. Get some frost paint to make it more winter-like.

Let your imagination be your limiting factor!

Evergreen Trees & Shrubs

Dwarf Conifer Beds

Dwarf conifer beds are becoming more popular. As the landscapes get smaller, everyone has an abandoned area they need to bring to life. They take less time to maintain overall compared with flowerbeds. Conifers (evergreens) provide beauty year-round with some changing their foliage color. Also, the varieties are huge with different growing habits, heights, colors, textures, and provides shelter for the birds.

In designing the area, consider it is like planting a large container. You will need taller plants, mid-level plants, and ground cover varieties. Add a statue, fountain, or gazing globe for additional interest. Try mixing these evergreens with spring bulbs or perennials like Russian sage. They can be grouped to soften the corners of a house or create an area in your front yard.

Since dwarf evergreens are easy going there is not much work associated with them once planted. Keep moist in well-drained soil with some organic matter added. They are not heavy feeders; however, a spring dose of fertilizer helps them along in the early years.