Dig This!

Attracting Birds to Your Winter Garden Birds  need clean fresh water daily, which is often not available  when the temperature is below freezing.  A heated birdbath is a must during our severe Kansas winters.  There is a wide selection of heated birdbaths available online and through amazon.com, and my shipment arrived in less than a week.  Since ground feeding birds tend to prefer a ground water source, a heated ground birdbath, as well as the heated birdbath on a stand, is a wise purchase. Robins enjoying fresh water from a heated birdbath. Both heated birdbaths, as well as our birdfeeders, are located in a garden area with some shrubs, lavender and Echinacea stalks to provide cover for the birds in case of danger.  There is also a cypress tree near for a quick escape from predators. When our temperatures were in the single digits the birds flocked to the feeders and the heated birdbaths.  If you loo...

 Herb Gardening 101 Do you enjoy herbs and want to learn more about growing and using them? We will be holding an herb gardening class on Thursday, February 20 from 6:30 to 8:00pm at Dillon Nature Center. Cost for the class is $10 and $8 for Dillon Nature Center members. You'll learn about planning an herb garden, starting herb seeds indoors, planting and caring for your herbs and ways to harvest and store them. You'll also receive plans for this easy to make light stand for starting seeds and even start some herb seeds in class to take home. To register, call Dillon Nature Center at: 620-663-7411.  

Paper whites Paper whites are a very easy bulb to start for early spring boom. My paper white bulb was placed in a narrow necked vase with enough water added to just barely come up to the bottom of the bulb. Place in a sunny window and watch the 'magic'. In just a few days you will see green leaves appearing and soon after a stalk will form with a beautiful white flower on the top. Blooms remain for several days. After the bloom as faded and the foliage has turned brown discard the bulb and start all over again the next time you want an early sample of spring flowers.

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