Garden Bird Feeders

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Snowdrops stand guard over tiny daffodil buds. Daylight is lingering a bit longer. The snow is receding and the robins are returning. The big thaw has begun. There’s no denying the signs. Spring is right around the corner.

If you’re like me, you can’t wait to get your hands into the soil. While you’re holding out for higher temperatures, there’s plenty you can do today to jumpstart the spring gardening season.

Sow Seeds Indoors

Take a trip to your local nursery or home store and buy seeds to start indoors.
In March I like to start annual flowers for my pots and containers. Currently, I have Coleus, Zinnias,
Impatiens, Petunias and Marigolds germinating. Follow the seed packet instructions and you’ll get excellent
results. Some plants will take longer than others to bloom or bear fruit, so plan accordingly. This is also a great time for starting culinary herbs and vegetables. If you’re looking for something new this year, try moonflower vine or cathedral bells to climb your fence or trellis. Both can be started from seed. If you have children, get them involved. Many children have a natural affinity for gardening. It’s a great quality to encourage and nurture in them.

Dust Off The Birdhouses

I put my birdhouses out in early March. Small birds like chickadees will be actively searching for appropriate homes to raise their families. Mine were up for less than 24 hours before the home tours began.

Give Your Garden Tools A Checkup

Take your pruning shears and other cutting tools to your local hardware store for cleaning, oiling and a good sharpening. On a warm day you may want to assess your lawnmower. Take it in for servicing or a tune up now-while you can. Many lawnmower repair centers are swamped shortly after the season starts. It’s one tool you don’t want to be without.

Get Inspired

Order your garden catalogs. Purchase your favorite garden magazines. Here in the northeast, there’s nothing like winter time to remind me how valuable my summer garden space is. Create a wish list of new plants, design features and outdoor furniture. With a little planning, you won’t be overwhelmed when May rolls around.

Seek Out Indoor Gardening Events

In March there are countless indoor garden, flower and landscaping expos. If you can’t find anything in your local area, a day or weekend trip to a flower show might be just what you need. Look for a botanical garden or arboretum with indoor facilities. In my area we have Longwood Gardens. It has year round indoor gardens and the displays are fantastic.

Clean Out Your Beds

As soon as the snow has melted and the weather permits, you can clean out your beds. It’s a good time to rake and clear your planting areas of dead branches, leaves and debris. I like to mulch as soon as possible in the spring, while there’s still plenty of space between the emerging bedding plants.

Learn A Landscape Design Software Program

There are so many inexpensive landscaping software programs available today, many of them under $50.00US. During the winter months you’ll have plenty of time to learn how to operate the system.
Create and sample new designs before digging. Take advantage of the overhead and 360 degree views. Many of the programs now offer a 3D walk through feature. It simulates the experience of walking through an actual garden. You can also advance the garden timeline into the future to see what it will look like when the plants and trees mature. It’s a wonderful creative tool to beat the winter blues!

Call Your Landscaper Now

If you’re planning to use a professional landscaper this year, make sure to schedule your work as far in advance as possible. When the ground is soft enough for digging, landscapers will be working overtime to keep up with the volume.

Book Your Garden Tours Now

Scour the internet for local and regional garden tours. Find out when tickets go on sale and plan ahead.
I’ve often read announcement lists in the newspaper after I’ve already made other plans. There’s nothing like
visiting other people’s gardens for encouragement and inspiration.

I hope these suggestions get you motivated to take action. The sooner you get started on your garden plans-the more time you’ll have to enjoy the rest of the season. Happy Gardening!

© 2007 John Conti

Are you establishing a new garden? Are you trying to bring a long neglected or difficult garden back to life again? You can create a flourishing garden anywhere. All you need is loads of desire, a little imagination and an open mind. In this article I briefly summarize some techniques that I have successfully used for encouraging growth in difficult areas of the garden. By adding a little magick to some basic ecological gardening principles your can create a sensation.

There are a few essential requirements for a healthy garden. These are: soil with the correct texture, nutrient levels, and drainage; water; sunlight and the appropriate plant choice for your local environment. Garden bed preparation is of utmost importance and you would be well advised to ensure that you have provided your plants with the best physical environment possible for their successful growth. But getting the physical environment right is just the first step. To get the best out of your garden you should provide a happy environment, full of positive energy and a little magick.

Visualize

When you first start planting out your garden it doesn’t look much like it will in two, three, five or ten years. Visualization is a crucial part of the garden design and planning process. It is also important for the growing process. To keep your garden growing in the direction would like it to grow, you should visualize regularly. This is just a matter of looking at the garden and imagining what it will look like when your plants are fully grown. In doing so you are mentally sending your plants messages and encouragement. Make a habit of visualizing your garden on a daily basis and imagine it as it will look in, say, five years of constant and healthy growth.

In the meantime … fake it

While you are in the early stages of garden creation, try making a ‘fake it ’til you make it’ garden. This simply means creating an interim garden. You can do this by placing pots filled with colorful plants around the area. This will give you some instant gratification for your efforts. It will also give your new plants some company. After all, plants are communal and are not meant to grow alone.

You can quickly and easily create new pot plants by taking cuttings from other plants in your garden or your existing pot plants. Put the cuttings in water until they sprout roots – some won’t grow roots this way, it will be trial and error but many will grow roots within a week. Alternatively, buy some plants, preferably colorful flowering plants. Of course, choose appropriate plants for the location of your garden – shade loving plants for areas with little sun, etc.

Place the pots around the area where you want the garden to be and in between the plants that you have recently planted. If the garden is located in a harsh landscape that is subject to extreme hot or cold or strong winds, you can place the pots so that young plants are protected from harsh winds or direct sunlight. If your environment is particularly harsh, you may consider adding small screens made from bamboo or other natural materials to protect young plants until they establish. In a dark or very shaded area, ensure that your pots will not block any sunlight that your seedlings may be receiving. Whatever the nature of your garden, use plenty of mulch to keep the moisture in the soil and the weed growth to a minimum.

Attract Native Animals

Life attracts life, so by attracting as many animals to your garden as possible you will increase the life energy of your garden which will help your plants to grow. Place rocks and logs in your garden to provide shelter and homes for small lizards and insects. If you do not have any tall trees, installing a pole that a bird can perch atop (but a cat can’t climb) is a great idea, as birds will contribute seed laden droppings that can bring additional plants to your garden as well as additional nutrients. Show your delight when you notice a new native occupant and let him know he is welcome.

Allow the ecology of your garden to evolve along with the growth and addition of your plants and other components. Resist interfering by killing particular animals that you don’t like such as spiders, if you are so inclined. Instead, become curious and learn about them. Talk to them. You will gain an entirely new appreciation for these animals and improve your karma at the same time.

Avoid Using Poisons

Garden shops are full of garden poisons. It’s big business. It would be easy to assume that weed killers, snail killers and the other exterminators are an essential component to gardening. However, the reality is that they are really bad for your plants and the animals that add value to your garden. There is almost always a natural or more gentle alternative to using poisons in the home garden. It is far more effective in the long term to pull weeds out by hand and you will save a lot of money.

Decorate and Communicate

Celebrate your garden area by decorating it with beautiful things, such as hanging pots, statues, bird baths, sculptures and low lighting, will add positive energy and atmosphere. If possible, include an outdoor table and chairs and spend some time there entertaining friends, laughing and having a good time, or just be there on your own relaxing and smiling upon your garden. Make sure you remove or disguise any ugly or unsightly objects. It is important to keep the area beautiful as you are more likely to spend time in, and give loving energy to, a garden that you like the look of and feel good about.

Take a leaf out of Grandma’s Book

Did your Grandmother speak to her plants? Mine did, and that practice was passed down to my mother and now I do it. It works! You don’t need to spend a lot of time in conversation with your flowers. Simply walk around and admire your plants for a few minutes most days. In the difficult spots, stop and talk to those plants that are struggling. Express pleasure when you see some growth. Smile at your plants and talk to them in a light manner as you are attending to their needs.

Crystals for Positive Energy

Use crystals and semi precious stones to add some beneficial energy to the area. Here are some ideas:

Agate

This crystal is known for its ability to produce abundance and increase yields in crops. It can be used to enhance the health of your pot plants or your garden plants.

Jade

Jade represents life and growth and has been associated with the health of plants and the environment. Place jade statues in the garden or use jade in a decoration that hangs above or nearby your plants.

Moonstone

Moonstone helps to enhance the growth and health of plants. Use it in decoration in your garden or wear it when attending to your plants.

Clear Quartz Crystal

Quartz crystal will amplify and enhance the qualities of any other stone and can be used to achieve any goal of pure intention. Use it alongside the other stones or alone in your garden to enhance plant growth. I hang crystals over pot plants to improve their performance.

These are examples of stones and crystals that have specific qualities that can assist plant recovery and growth. However, there are many crystals and stones that have healing and nurturing properties so it may pay to experiment. Crystals can be placed in pots, used as a display on a table, in a bird bath or water feature. They are particularly beautiful when they form part of a hanging decoration.

Add a Little Fairy Magick

Fairies have long been associated with gardens. Flower fairies were thought to live in the flowers of plants. They looked after the plant by ensuring it had everything it needed. You can add your own bit of fairy magick to your garden by placing a hanging fairy near the garden that you want to prosper from this energy.

If fairies are not your thing, hang or place sculptures of other powerful symbols around the area, such as the Sun for positive energy and the Moon for receptivity and supernatural powers. Both of these symbols together represent balance and harmony. There are many other symbols of good fortune such as Buddha that will enhance the energy and the feel of your garden. These symbols and bearers of good energy also look great.

Feng Shui Garden

Designing your garden for good Feng Shui

The Feng Shui garden is designed to allow Chi to flow. To create good Feng Shui, design your garden with plenty of curves. If you have a garden with very straight edges, add features that give the impression of curves. You can achieve this by the way you place your garden features and how you locate your plants. Choose rounded pots and curvy furniture to increase the positive Feng Shui in your garden.

Windchime Magick

Another way to increase Chi in your garden is by hanging a windchime or a windchime bell. Windchimes aid in the flow of Chi and add an additional element to your garden through sound. The right windchime can create a sensation of peace through its harmonic tunes. It is worthwhile selecting a well made bell or windchime that you enjoy listening to as this will make a valuable addition to the atmosphere of your home and give you joy every time the breeze blows.

Water Features

A water feature is also extremely beneficial in the creation of a positive Feng Shui garden. The water must be flowing, however, so that Chi can flow and so that it does not become stagnant. The addition of fish to your water feature will provide more positive energy due to the additional life. Be sure to find fish that do not eat the spawn of local frogs. Gold fish, which originated in China, have become an environmental nuisance in some countries and they will eat frogspawn. For frog friendly fish, check with your Government Fisheries Department.

Frog Magick

Frogs represent good luck in many cultures around the world. The first frogs hopped this earth alongside the Dinosaurs. They are wise beings, worthy of respect and they will bring good energy to your garden. Be sure to locate any pond a good distance from bedroom windows, however, as frogs can croak up a storm at night.

Scent

A wonderful way for a garden to enrich your life is through scent. You can create a special atmosphere by planting the shrubs, trees and flowers in your garden that provide certain scents that enhance particular moods. Add some instant inspiration by filling your pots with lavender, jasmine, geranium, lemongrass or whatever your nose desires.

Burn incenses outside or light a scented candle at night while sitting in the garden. Select the scent that will be most beneficial for your garden’s growth. Try gardenia or lavender for love and healing, ginger for success, patchouli or rosemary for love and growth, the invigorating benefits of sweet orange or frankincense and myrrh for healing and growth.

A closing thought ..

Your garden reflects the relationship it shares with you and the other inhabitants of your home. By increasing the positive loving energy in your garden you will create a place for growth and harmony, a place where life will thrive. In return you will receive much enjoyment. By combining good ecological concepts with a little magick you can turn a difficult garden into a sacred resort for the soul.

Do you think that your flower garden needs a little more drama? Consider adding a fountain water feature. Installing a water fountain is really not all that difficult, and the upkeep is minimal.

I love to sit by my fountain and relax with a good book — or even just watch the birds taking a bath. Hummingbirds, especially, like to take water fountain “showers.” So, if you add chemicals to prevent the green algae, be sure that it won’t harm the birds.

Since we live in southern California, our water fountain is surrounded by tropical plants and flowers. The types of plants that you use will be determined by the location that you live in.

When you add a water feature to your garden, consider the type of garden that you have. A natural rock waterfall might fit your theme better than a stand-alone fountain.

If you are having trouble deciding what kind of water feature would be best for your type of garden, go to the library and look at some gardening design books and magazines. I’m sure you’ll find a few that you like and that would be suitable for your area. Also looking online for ideas is a good choice.

You can have your water feature be part of a pond for a more natural look. If you have a formal garden, the pond would most likely be made up of concrete. Less formal gardens would do well with rock or brick. Pond liners can be purchased that can make your pond look more natural.

Be sure that you have access to electrical power before you make your final decision on the placement of your water feature. You can have an electrician add an outlet to a building or patio structure that is close to your garden. There are also extension cords available that are meant to be buried under your garden or lawn soil.

Water fountains and waterfalls are known for their soothing qualities. Doing yoga exercises near the sound of water falling helps to concentrate your positive energy. You can meditate to the quite beauty of sight and sound or just sit and relax.

There is something else that you should think about when deciding whether or not to add a water feature to your yard or garden. Some of your closer neighbors might not agree that the sounds made by your water feature are soothing. However, most people will appreciate it.

So, if you’re looking for a way to give your yard or garden more beauty and drama, think about adding a water fountain. It’s not as expensive have you would think it would be and the beauty it provides is worth the minimal cost of the installation.

Garden centers are known to be retail firms, which sell products and plants related to the different garden needs. A garden center is also considered as a primary business. It caters to the general public and is open in showcasing its display and facilities for plants and gardens.

The items one can find in the garden centers in the United States are the following:

?Perennial and annual flowers
?Shrubs
?Trees
?Roses
?Hanging baskets
?Container gardens
?Houseplants
?Water gardening
?Bulbs and seeds
?Potting mixes
?Mulch and soil amendments
?Chemicals and fertilizers
?Garden supplies and tools
?Pottery
?Garden decors, and
?Fountains.

Numerous garden centers in the United States consist of various departments, which include feeds for wild birds, gifts, floral displays, barbecue grills, and outdoor furniture, along with home decors, landscaping services and designs, as well as pet supplies. Usually, during the Christmas season, a lot of garden centers host large holiday season shops. Others also contain an additional coffee bar or cafe, unlike other restaurants situated in several garden centers in Europe.

In addition to this, a greenhouse is also commonly found in garden centers. Hence, a greenhouse protect plants from cold snaps, renders the store to safeguard houseplants in excellent condition, as well as provides the garden centers’ customers dry area to stay in during the rainy season. Furthermore, the horticulturist employees of garden centers are skilled and knowledgeable in diagnosing problems as well as in giving recommendations to all gardeners. In most garden centers, they are considered to be free service providers.

The following are the garden centers located in the United States:

Gilson Garden
Address: 3059 N. Ridge Rd., Perry, OH
Telephone Numbers: 440-259-4845 (wholesale), 440-259-5252 (retail)

The Gilson Gardens is situated right in the center of Lake Country historic nursery industry. It is a trade garden center, wholesale nursery, as well as florist. This year-round service store provides an assorted selection of trees, shrubs, and floral and perennial creations. As for their wholesale nursery, it offers ground covers, ornamental grasses, vines, perennials, and shrubs for the garden centers as well as landscapers all over the Midwest.

The Gilson Gardens has been founded in the year 1947. This family-owned garden company has started with only one greenhouse. Plus, it acts as a type of “along the side” road stand, which offer bare-root perennials as well as field-grown shrubs. At present, the Gilson Garden Company has about fifty employees and lets them be engaged in growing and retail operations of the company’s five farms consisting of forty acres in manufacture.

In addition to this, the company believes that a nursery plays an important and unique role in every community. It also must be a mellow and pleasant place to work or visit, an area where plants and people are connected, providing each to learn and to grow. A cherished and respected place alongside Lake Erie and the surrounding beautiful ecosystem, the Gilson Garden does all it can to be the finest and responsible steward of nature for years to come.

Dickman Farms Greenhouses & Garden Center
Address: 13 Archie Street Auburn, New York 13021
Telephone Number: (315) 253-3030
Garden Center Fax: 315-253-2983
Wholesale Fax: 315-253-3377
Here at Dickman Farms Garden Center, everyone is surely welcome!

In Dickman Farms, one will have the opportunity to find out the biggest array of lovely hanging baskets, specialty annuals, exhilarating new perennials, and designer-styled container gardens.

You can also stroll along its nursery. There, you will discover how it blooms together with its beautiful fragrant roses, and a wide collection of ornamental trees as well as flourishing flowering shrubs. Thus, the Dickman Farm Garden Center Division of expansive wholesale also offers its customers the ability and edge to transport an extensive range of beautiful perennials and specialty annuals that are fresh from its greenhouses straight to its garden center.

Hidden Timber Gardens
Address: 462 S. Chana Rd. Chana, IL 61015
Telephone Number: (815)751-4162

Hidden Timber Gardens dedicates itself to producing native plants, hardy perennials, specimen shrubs and trees, ornamental grasses, plus, stunning collector hostas, which range in more than sixty selections.

The Hidden Timber Gardens is located on five and a half acre land and is surrounded by eight hundred white pine trees as well as undisturbed woodlands. It also has planted numerous specimen trees. Moreover, it displays gardens for everyone to see and to relish. By touring its gardens, one will witness the occurrence of plants in its natural habitat, helping its customers decide on which plant is perfect and suitable right in their gardens. It also offers different ideas for several plant amalgamations.

Aside from this, the Hidden Timber Gardens possess perennial plants, which are ascertained to be hardy in both zones four and five, disease resistant as well as low maintenance. It also prides itself in choosing plants, which will provide its customers all seasons’ varieties. Picking out from the large variety of lush specimen trees, shrubs and evergreens, one is in no doubt of being bestowed with a unique garden setting perfect for its owner!
Visit and delight in Hidden Timber Garden’s beauty and tranquility!

Beachside Gardens
Address: 3725 E.U.S.HWY 12 Michigan City, IN 46360
Telephone Number: (219)879-8878

The Beachside Gardens has celebrated more than twenty-five years of excellent service, particularly in its Northwest Indiana region. This garden specializes in the natural and beautiful Dunes Landscape. In addition, it also produces its own hanging basket or containers, and bedding plants in the location. Moreover, it houses a large array of exuberant perennials.

The Beachside Gardens has a big selection of water garden tools and supplies such as pumps, fountains, liners, Koi fish and an assortment of water garden plants. Furthermore, it offers the one and only hardiest Michigan Grown Rhododendrons and Azaleas. All of these and more are a great addition to any beautiful garden.

Wanczyk Nursery
Address: 166 Russell Street Hadley, MA 01035
Telephone Number: 413.584.3709
Fax: 413.586.9698

The Wanczyk Nursery was established in the year 1954. It grows excellently featured nursery stock. This nursery stock is sold both in wholesale and retail, all the way to New England. This excellent nursery, based in Hadley, Massachusetts grows burlaped and balled nursery stock right on seventy-five land acres. It also containerizes plants on its eight-acre retail site near Route 9.

The Wanczyk Nursery’s broad assortment of notable burlaped shrubs and balled stock include Carol Mackie Daphne, Rhododendron, and Arborvitae. In addition, it also possesses an extensive collection of perennials, which has several arrays of Hemerocallis (Day Lilies) and a variety of annuals. It prides itself on its high quality and numerous selection of reasonably priced nursery stock.

The Wanczyk Nursery is the grower. Please do visit them!
Abbott’s Landscape Nursery
Address: 2781 Scio Church Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Telephone Number: (734)665-8733

The Abbott’s Landscape Nursery is known as a family-owned landscaping center, which serves the Ann Arbor community since the year 1981. Its property is a farm from the 18th century refurbished into a beautiful plant nursery as well as garden center. It offers products that ranges from topsoil and mulch through the hardiest shrubs and trees as well as astounding perennials.

In addition to this, it provides a wide variety of potting supplies, garden ornaments, garden tools, books, and wind chimes. Its services also range from great expert advice regarding the garden center, to consulting services, landscaping designs, and excellent work crews that are friendly and helpful with installing, planting, and mulching one’s landscaping dream into reality.

The Abbott’s Landscape Nursery greatest positive feature is its service. Far different from the usual big-box stores, which sell plants, it’s there for its plants and also loves to share its expertise with those found of gardening.

Please visit the Abbot’s Landscape Nursery and experience its beauty!

Gro-Rite Greenhouses & Garden Center
Address: 30 Hillview Road Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
Telephone Number: 973-694-7495
Fax: 973-305-8497

The Gro-Rite Greenhouses and Garden Center is a foremost family-owned garden center and green house situated in New Jersey. Having two attractive locations and a wide array of endless varieties, it has become a principal seller and grower of wonderful and vibrant perennials, annuals, landscaping and nursery products.

At Gro-Rite, one can discover the delights of gardening. By just touring its growing facilities, perennial and nursery yards, picking up unknown facts regarding plant care, planting, the latest stones as well as landscape products, it sure makes for a great experience.

Princeton Garden Center
Fax: 305-971-6719
Address: 26100, SW 177th Ave., Homestead, Fl 33031.

The Princeton Garden Center’s garden decors and outdoor patio furniture, which are from its garden center collection, are truly ideal embellishments to one’s home. With its outdoor patio style piece, it helps create the mood of your garden atmosphere. It also provides you with great garden decor selections to choose from in order to bring out the life of your garden setting. Thus, at this garden center, one will discover numerous decor items like statues, water fountains, solar garden lights, and plaques.

A garden is created ideally from YOUR idea of how much time and money you want to invest in it. Light, soil conditions and size all factor in to which choices you have for your garden.

If you love lots of color, enjoy butterflies, birds and bees busily humming through your yard, then the bright perennials are an excellent choice. Monarda, butterfly bush, red salvia, roses, lavender, foxgloves and shasta daisies are wonderful choices and fill your garden with color. Add heliotrope, honeysuckle, lilac, and Chilean jasmine for your climbing vines.

If you love growing vegetables but don’t have much space or time, try square foot or raised bed gardening. This is also ideal for disabled gardeners, as there is little to no weeding, watering or bending involved. This intensive form of low space gardening, involves the use of drip irrigation laid in under the newly created soil beds, with the slow drip emitters protruding 2 inches above the soil line. Crops and flowers can be grown much closer together, and yet produce heavier better fruits and blooms than in traditional garden settings.

You can begin to create your ideal garden by reading these excellent books on how to get the most from your garden!

Cubed Foot Gardening: Growing Vegetables in Raised, Intensive Beds Composite Plastic Timber

Square Foot Gardening

Grow-Bed Gardening

Although there are many ways to enjoy nature in your backyard, one of the most interesting ways to do so is to invite some feathered friends to live there. Most of us can recall a time in our lives when we observed a mommy bird catering to her babies in their nest. Planning your backyard landscaping to encourage birds to visit and nest can be fun, educational, and yes, even entertaining.

Do some background research first. Explore in books or online the types of birds you would like to draw to your yard. Some good websites to investigate are www.birding.com and www.birder.com. Once you make these decisions, you are ready to begin your project.

There are four main elements to include in your backyard plan: plantings, shelter for the birds, sources of food (both plant and feeders), and water.

1. SELECTING PLANTINGS

Firstly, birds love twittering among the landscape and finding places to rest, so an effective first step is to plant several varieties of flowers, bushes, and trees. Variety is significant because some birds prefer roosting in large trees while others are drawn to small shrubs, or flowers. Birds tend to be drawn to bright colors so including plants that have brightly colored blooms is important.

2. PROVIDING SHELTER

Not only do plantings serve as fine places to nest for many types of birds; they provide shelter for birds to protect themselves from predators. Birds are constantly seeking cover and are known to return to familiar, safe spots. Thus, another step to take in designing your backyard bird haven is to incorporate nesting boxes and bird houses into your plans. They provide real nesting possibilities as well as shelter for birds. Most birds seek boxes and birdhouses that face away from the wind.

3. OFFERING FOOD

Next, placing strategically located bird feeders in your backyard will yield great results in drawing birds to your yard. The types and sizes of bird feeders are endless. Visit your local garden supply store to check out what they have available. Be sure you have adequately researched the birds you hope to attract in order to assist in the selection of the proper bird feeder and feed for them.

4. PROVIDING WATER

A must-have element in a successful nesting habitat is water. The simple way to have water is to purchase a birdbath, set it up, and fill it with fresh water from the hose each morning. As this task may become cumbersome after awhile, you might want to invest in a bird bath or water treatment that uses a pump to keep water in the vessel circulating or moving. The sound of moving water is clearly one of the most effective lures for birds, as they are constantly seeking water in which to bathe and to drink.

SUMMARY

Once you decide on the types of birds you hope to attract, you can then research the types of plantings they like. Additionally, those plantings will very likely provide their preferred food. Also, your research will tell you in what types of structures and plants a particular bird prefers to nest. Then, offering water for your avian friends can make all the difference in attracting birds. Finally, incorporate all this information into the plan for your backyard habitat. Staging your backyard to please your feathered friends is fun, educational, and will truly entertain.

About 20 years ago, Marcia Neiman found herself with an empty nest, but instead of brooding overlong she set about devoting her life to birds of a different feather. Her business, Wild Birds Unlimited, with three Middle Tennessee locations, sells seed, supplies and gifts, and offers expert advice for free, to those who love birds, those “ethereal minstrelspilgrims of the sky.”

Wild Birds specializes in birdseed and birdfeed it carries bird chow in all size packages. Birds can be picky eaters, too, and if you’ve noticed that those in your yard are, well, eating like a bird, it could be because the food you’ve put out for them is full of wheat, oats, cereal and other insulting ingredients. Seed sold at Wild Birds is made from 100 percent edible and delectable seed, tailored to the taste buds of birds in the region.

Nesting season is upon us, the most important time of the year to feed birds. “Nature is depleted, and they need food now,” Neiman says. Bluebirds and chickadees are two of the area’s more plentiful species soon to be looking for a hand up, not a handout, to make it through the spring. Wild Birds is moving a lot of bluebird houses and poles, and bags upon bags of mealworms, a bluebird delicacy.

Neiman calls herself a bird feeder not a bird watcher, which made the Wild Birds franchise a natural for her. Wild Birds Unlimited (“Your Backyard Birdfeeding Specialist”) has more than 300 stores across the U.S., serving the teeming flocks of feeders and watchers from coast to coast. (Bird watching and feeding is the country’s second-most popular hobby, after gardening.) You can shop at Wild Birds for the functional (binoculars, birdbaths, feeders, houses, birdcalls, sundials and thermometers), the decorative (wind chimes, clocks, garden ornaments, globes, gourds, candles and flags), the informative (books, CDs and tapes), the commemorative (cups, coasters, plates and placemats), the rococo (heated birdbaths, bird gazebos and bird hotels), and those items that are pure flights of fancy (team-logo birdhouses, and the electronic bird song dictionary). And you can get advice about the best feeder to buy and the best food to put out to attract the best birds to your paradise.

Neiman moved to Nashville from Chicago with her husband in the late 1980s. With the kids away at school and being at loose ends, she started looking into the Wild Birds opportunity, and decided it could be unlimited. Her first store took wing in 1989, on Bransford Avenue

Yard art, lawn decorations, embellishments…just what ARE garden accents and what purpose do they serve?

Garden accents or yard art can be ANY decoration or adornment used for the purpose of accenting your yard or garden area.

Embellishments can range from simple to elaborate. Garden accents can be as simple as a solitary bird bath alone in the yard to as elaborate as multiple tiered decking with flower boxes, trellises, and plant stands strategically placed for eye-appeal.

Yard art may be singularly visible as a simple gazing globe on a pedestal. Or it may be found as a hidden surprise in the garden that catches the eye upon closer viewing. Maybe a whimsical faerie garden statue set upon an old tree stump within a small clump of trees and placed so as to be slightly hidden from view yet easily seen from different areas within your garden.

Garden accents can be replaced or alternated to provide variety or change in a yard or garden area. Smaller pieces of yard art or garden statuary can be moved around easily. A newly painted old wooden wheelbarrow of pansies could be moved around and placed anywhere in your yard.

Yard art can be store bought or homemade. Store bought accents may range from an inexpensive item picked up at a dollar store to an expensive specially customized piece of signature art. Homemade yard adornments can be anything from an unused colored bowling ball sitting atop a plant stand to an elaborately built garden trellis or deck seat and pergola complex.

What are garden accents or yard art used for? Garden accents mainly serve as a fun and creative way to personalize your lawn or garden area.

Sure, you can use the same planting design as shown in any book or mow your grass in the same pattern as a neighbor does. But, would you go so far as to also set out the exact same embellishments in your garden that were in that book (if there were any) or would you set out the same lawn adornment that your neighbor did?

Probably not.

You have personal preferences that show up everywhere else in your life so it only makes sense for your lawn or garden areas to exhibit your personal touch also.

Just what are garden accents, yard art, or lawn decorations? They are that special touch that add your personal signature to your lawn or garden areas that only YOU can provide.

Whether you are altering your already established garden or starting out with new borders, starting a flower garden can be great fun, as well as a minor challenge. Flower gardens can offer you an extensive array of delightful colors, whilst attracting bees, butterflies, and insect-eating birds, into your yard.

Before you commence planting in your flowerbeds, you will need to prepare the area and soil, contemplate color and size combinations, and arrange a set budget. You may need to allow some extra money for fertilizer or you can let nature take its course, perhaps with a little organic assistance from your own compost pit. If you opt for raised flowerbeds, you will also need to purchase materials to build the platform and possibly soil to fill it in.

Once you have your flowerbed design and budget organized in your mind, the first thing to actually do is to prepare the area that you plan to plant. Laying out the shape of the border if you do not already have an area set aside is best done with a piece of string. You can lay the string upon the ground in the place of your imagined border edge, whether you plan a straight or curved border. Once the string is to your liking, you can dig the rim and then work back into the entire border. This will help ensure that your flower garden designs turn out the way you really want them to.

You will need to ensure that the flower bed contains soil in a reasonable condition, rather than heavy clay or flyaway sand. Soil testing kits can be bought at most garden centers or nurseries these days, and even some supermarkets now stock these in their garden section. You may choose to dig in some manure or shop-purchased compost to make everything perfect for your new arrivals, or you may need to buy a preparation suggested by your stockiest to improve the quality of the soil.

When buying the flowers themselves, you need to consider:

* A range of colors

* A range of heights

* A range of bushiness

* How many seeds/seedlings/plants you will need

* Whether or not to buy annuals

* What care needs to be given to each flower plant

* That all flowers enjoy the same soil type

* That the flowers you have chosen will be suited to your light/shade, weather, and climate conditions throughout the season(s)

Planting from seed, you may need to plant in a shade house if you are aiming for color from each spring garden flower, unless your local climate is frost-free. If you have seedlings, you will need to make sure they are healthy when you purchase them. Otherwise your plants may not last very long, or put on their best display. If you are buying ready-grown plants, you will need to dig a hole for each plant and firmly secure them into their new home with a solid watering.

Flower gardening can be very rewarding if done properly. If you have any problems arising, or are not quite sure which flowers are suited to your specific chosen location, there are usually staff on hand to discuss your concerns with at both garden centers and nurseries. If not, you can search online for the information you need. Alternatively, your local library should have some gardening books that deal specifically with flower gardens that should cover the majority of your questions. If you still cannot locate an answer, try searching for a nearby gardening club. They generally have helpful and knowledgeable members, and you may even want to join and share your pride in those new and colorful flowers.

People ask me all the time what to do with their garden. I can immediately sense their frustration and disappointment. They feel intimidated and disconnected from their landscape. After studying garden magazines and design plans, they still don’t know where to begin. I often hear, "I thought it would be more fun." I agree. Gardening should be more fun. It should also be more natural. So how do we create these rich, inviting spaces that are both beautiful and personal? Perhaps it’s as simple as putting the gardener back into the garden, the inner gardener who speaks to us through the senses.

What is your preferred sense to enjoy the garden? Close your eyes and think about the word "garden." What memories, sounds, tastes, scents or images come to mind? Are you inundated with visuals or do you immediately imagine yourself biting into a ripe, red tomato? Maybe you see yourself sipping iced tea in the shade, or smelling roses. Take note of the impressions you receive and compile a list. It’s natural to give your dominant sense first priority. Just remember to include secondary elements to incorporate all of the senses.

Sight

Although the visual garden is the most obvious, it doesn’t have to be ordinary. Are you drawn to flowers with bright bold colors or tranquil landscapes with deep shade and minimalism? Maybe you prefer the intricacy and precision of an English formal garden. Sign up for your local garden tour and gather ideas from established gardens. Don’t forget solar lighting, candles and citronella torches to extend your enjoyment. Gardens can be magical at night!

Sound

Sound in the garden is often overlooked. For instant gratification, you can install wind chimes or a free standing fountain. To invite singing birds, add birdhouses and a feeder. Consider all-weather speakers if you like to entertain outdoors. You can purchase waterproof speaker systems in the shapes of rocks.

Smell

Everyone loves the fragrance of roses in bloom. Consider adding beds of lemon thyme and sage. Try growing moonflower vine on your fence. It blooms at night and has a clean, refreshing scent. Pick up a book on herb gardening, the possibilities are endless. I like to grow rosemary, patchouli and lavender for soap making.

Taste

There’s nothing like growing culinary herbs. Many of them can be dried or frozen to enjoy year-round. My favorites are basil and chives. Vegetable gardening is a passion for many. Don’t let a small yard inhibit your plans. I like to mix small vegetable plants among my perennials and annual flowers. You can grow tomatoes and peppers in a planter on your back porch. Small fruit trees are easy to grow and maintain. They add ornamental value as well. Try a dwarf peach or apple variety.

Touch

Few people think about the tactile sense while planning a garden. It’s a key element that we take for granted. We may have forgotten how much we enjoyed walking barefoot in the grass as a child. Have you ever stopped to watch people in a garden nursery? You’ll notice people touching pine needles, rubbing leaves or blades of grass. It’s a natural inclination. There are many subtle ways to connect with the sense of touch in the garden.. Think about adding a hammock or porch swing to enjoy the breeze against your skin. I love to use my copper fire pit as often as possible for warmth and ambience on a cool night. Try stargazing in a hot tub. The heat and stimulating jets can sooth aching muscles and rejuvenate the spirit. Anything that makes you feel physically comfortable in the garden can satisfy your sense of touch.

Now that you have an appealing list for inspiration, grab your shovel and get back out there. Indulge the senses, and your inner gardener will emerge.