HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2003-05-14, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2003.
Many advantages to having birds in the garden
After a long and gloomy winter,
we’re all excited to see and hear the
first signs of spring. What better
indications that spring has arrived
than warm weather, sunshine and
the sound of chirping birds?
Not only are birds a sign that
spring is here, but they’re also a
good indication that your garden is
part of a healthy environment.
There are many advantages to
having birds in your garden. They
control pesky insect populations,
pollinate flowers, disperse seeds
and, above all, they’re an eye
catching addition to any outdoor
setting. So, why not make your
Forts keep kids in garden
How do you get kids into the
garden and keep them there with a
life-long passion for planting?
According to Mark Cullen, host of
Mark Cullen Gardening on Home &
Garden Television (HGTV), the
trick is to tap into their imaginations
at an early age and carve out a
special place in the garden just for
them. And what could be cooler for
kids than a fort grown entirely from
Essential tools for
lawn and garden
“The right tool makes every
gardening job easier,” says Aaron
Mahoney, a lawn and garden expert.
“You don’t want to get involved in a
project only to find you don’t have
the right equipment to complete the
job.”
Here are a few tools you may want
to consider for your gardening
arsenal:
• The round point shovel is the best
choice for digging holes
• Flat-edged spades are designed
for scraping and moving material
and edging beds and walks
• A hand trowel can be your best
friend, especially if it has an
ergonomic handle
• A leaf rake can do double-duty by
raking up bits of grass, lawn litter
and loose winter mulch
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garden a haven for birds and enjoy
the benefits all summer long.
“Introducing feeders, baths or the
proper shrubbery are easy ways to
make your garden an attractive
feeding and nesting spot for birds,”
says Aaron Mahoney, backyard
expert.
“A feeder is an irresistible
invitation to a variety of birds and a
great spring project for the
family.”
Feeders vary in size, shape and
purpose and can be made out of a
number of materials, ranging from a
pinecone and wire, to an elaborate
wooden or plastic structure.
shrub cuttings?
Inspired by a fort he saw at the
Waldorf School in Heidelberg,
Germany, - a school that
inco.porates gardening into the
curriculum from the earliest grades
- Cullen successfully replicated the
project for his own children to enjoy.
He offers these instructions for
constructing a foliage-covered fort
in your own backyard.
• A good quality garden hose is a
sound investment because it will
kink less and last longer
• A watering can with a large head
helps disperse water gently
• Bypass hand pruners work like
scissors with both blades moving
and make clean cuts
• Hedge trimmers work for cutting
along the surfaces of shrubs to trim,
maintain and shape
• A pole pruner easily removes
overhead branches
• Garden gloves protect your hands
from cuts and dirt
• A garden hat and sunscreen
protect you from the sun
• A wheelbarrow is a landscaping
workhorse, saving time and your
back
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The size and style of your feeder
determines the type of birds it will
attract, for example, a feeder with
small perches that are close together
is optimal for smaller varieties, such
as sparrows, chickadees and finches.
Larger feeders attract birds like jays,
cardinals and robins, which need
more room to feed.
Feeders can be hung from a tree,
attached outside of a window,
placed on the ground or on a pole in
your yard.
To avoid the threat of predators
and to keep food thieves, like
squirrels, away, placing the feeder
on top of a pole is your best option.
• Start with dormant pussy willow
or forsythia cuttings, between five
and eight feet in length.
• Create a circle, several feet in
diameter - which will form the
floor of the interior of the fort - by
planting the cut end of the branches
approximately one foot into the
ground. The branches should be
spaced about two inches apart.
Water and allow the cuttings to
take root.
• Be sure to leave an opening -
perfectly kid-sized, but too small
for grown-ups - that will be the
entrance to the fort.
• Gently bend the top ends of the
cuttings, gather the tops in the
centre and tie together with
gardening twine to form the shape
of an igloo.
• Approximately one third of the
cuttings should take root and begin
to grow, filling in the gaps where
the other cuttings will eventually
rot away.
• Pruning from season to season
will allow you to control the shape
of the fort as it grows.
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Once you’ve completed your
feeder and found the perfect
location, don’t forget to find out
about the best kind of seed. Like all
animals, different species of birds
have different preferences. To keep
it simple, choose a premixed
package that appeals to a wide
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variety of birds.
As a final reminder, once birds
find your feeder, they become
dependent on the food you provide,
so always make sure the feeder is
full, especially in the winter, when
food is not as plentiful.
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