outdoors
FEBRUARY GARDENER
— Jane McKeon,
Nature’s Garden
editor
W hat do von think?
h i n g s t o d o
o r s o O n - t o -
a r r i v e b i r d s .
When birds warble their first
hopeful songs of spring, it’s
time to get busy in your yard.
■ Tidy up the house.
Birds turn up their beaks at
messy houses. Roll out the
welcome mat by removing old
nesting material, which can
harbor harmful parasites.
■ Prepare for turf wars.
Birds get territorial when love
is in the air, even to the point
of attacking their own
reflection. To avoid fatal
collisions, use decals or tape
strips on windows; mount
feeders less than
3
feet or
more than
30
feet from glass.
■ Keep feeders filled.
By late winter, nature’s larder
of berries and seeds is low.
Birds appreciate handouts of
sunflower seeds, peanuts,
nyjer, proso millet, and suet.
■ Provide fresh water.
Birds love birdbaths, especially
when other water sources are
frozen. To keep water from
icing over, use an electric
birdbath heater.
WHAT KIND OF FLOWER DO YOU MOST LIKE TO
RECEIVE ON VALENTINE’S DAY? Take
and see how your favorite compares to others’. It might even
give you an idea of what to get for your someone special. Visit
BHG.com/favoriteflower
and fill us in.
THIS M O NTH
IN THE GARDEN
l l U
i 1 1 1 While trees and
shrubs are still dormant, finish
any needed pruning. One
exception: Don’t trim spring-
flowering shrubs such as lilac,
magnolia, and forsythia until
after they finish blooming.
As fescue lawns
start actively growing again,
apply the first feeding of the
year. Use a fertilizer/crabgrass-
preventer mix if you’ve had
problems with crabgrass in
previous years.
W
C M
Tender summer
bulbs such as canna, gladiolus,
caladium, elephant ear, and
dahlia,
above,
can be planted
now (except in colder high-
elevation areas). tfa
114
F E B R U A R Y
2010
B E T T E R H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S
PHOTOS: (BIRDFEEDER) KRITSADA; (FINCH) DAYBREAK IMAGERY; (ALL OTHERS) PETE KRUMHARDT
