Helping Out Our Feathered Friends

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern

Many of us feed the birds during the cold weather, but they also need water in the winter despite the snow around them. Always provide clean water with no additives. Place it in a shallow container that is less than 3 inches deep. You can add small pebbles to the bottom of the container to give it texture and keep the surface from getting slippery. If you have a deck or a windowsill that you can access easily in the winter, you can add fresh water daily. Consider the location of the water so it's not accessible to cats or other predators. As with feeders, it helps to place the water about 10-12 foot from a shrub or bush.

You can buy a special heater that will warm the water and keep it from freezing. Be sure it's a UL listed heater made for this purpose and it should be plugged into a outdoor socket. It should have a safety feature or an automatic shut off in case the water goes dry and use grounded plugs.

The sound of dripping or running water will help attract birds and a simple way to do this is to drill or punch a hole in the side of a bucket near the bottom (but not on the bottom) so the water drips into the birdbath. You can hang it from a shepherd's hook over the birdbath.

Birdbaths can be made out of many things including trash can lids, ceramic, clay or terra cotta saucers, pie plates etc. If the surface is smooth then be sure to add a layer of pebbles or sand. Wash your birdbaths on a regular basis as they become soiled.

On OFL we have more tidbits on backyard birds:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/stations.html

~Brenda

Fall Tips: Birds, Houseplants & Herbs

A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises. Ghosts were created when the first man awoke in the night. ~J.M. Barrie

Goldfinches are one of my favorite birds because they remind me of little bits of fast moving sunshine as they hunt for seeds. They will eat seeds from many garden plants and herbs such as catnip, lemon balm, coneflowers, rudbeckia and sunflowers. They also have a reputation for being "weed eaters" because they love thistle seeds and other weed seeds so much that they reduce their number by eating so many! If you have any of these plants in your landscape consider leaving the seed heads rather than cutting them down for the winter.

Many people are convinced their houseplant foliage should shine, so they buy commercial leaf-shine products, but these really aren't good for your plants. They clog the pores and cells of the plant. Instead, wipe the leaves off with a clean cotton t-shirt or other cotton rag, dampened with water. Hold the leaves gently in your hand to clean. Spray your plants regularly and provide good air circulation to keep them looking their best, and give them an occasional "shower" by placing them in your bathtub, giving them a gentle rinse with shower water.

Remember, if you haven't cut back herbs such as oregano, mint, chives, thyme and lavender do it now before winter sets in. If you don't have time to preserve and harvest the plant cuttings, add them to your compost pile.

READER'S TIP:
I have a tip for those who would like to grow Christmas cactus.....

These are "tropical" plants, even though they're called "cactus".....so make sure they get LOTS of sun in the summer. In fact, I move mine out of the house and put them on the back porch where they get lots of afternoon sun (not directly overhead since they're "inside")...but it's very hot in that porch, so toasty warm for them. Also whenever I'm home at the same time that there is a gentle rain shower, I move the plants out on the porch rail, so they get a good dousing.

I recently purchased an "Easter" cactus (I don't know if that's for real or not, but it did bloom in spring), with white blooms. It's a baby, though, and only had three gorgeous white blooms this past spring. I'm hoping for better in a couple of years. As you said, it takes a bit of time to get them well established and "root bound."

~God's blessings from an avid-reader and friend in Wisconsin, Deb H.

On OFL we have tips on fresh and ground ginger in your cooking:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/ginger.html

~Brenda

Readers Questions & Answers

I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work. ~Pearl S. Buck

I shouldn't have bragged about the nice weather on Saturday. Yesterday it was only 38 degrees! Today I have more questions and answers:)

I bought a butterfly feeder No instructions as to what to put into to feed the butterflies. Do you use the same mixture that is used for hummingbirds? or something different? ~Lee

This recipe will work for homemade butterfly nectar.

Butterfly Nectar

You'll need:
4 cups of water
1 cup granulated white sugar

Add the sugar to the water in a medium sauce pan. Heat the mixture, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cool before filling your butterfly feeder, and store any remaining nectar in the refrigerator for up to a week. Clean your feeder with hot water between fillings and change the nectar at least once a week. DO NOT use honey, syrup or any other kind of sweetener.

I have a recipe for Old Fashioned Meat Loaf and it mentions serving with potato with melted butter, crisp bacon chips and Smetina. I have never heard of Smetina. Any ideas? ~Nita

Smetina was a brand of sour cream produced by Raskas Dairy in St. Louis, Missouri. Substitute any regular sour cream in recipes.

I have some old hand crochet items from my grand mother and these items have some brown spots from age. They are white and I am afraid to bleach them. ~Peg

Bleach is not a good thing for vintage pieces, including a color safe bleach, so you were right to not do that. Try using a cleaner made for delicate washables, a gallon or so of cool water and 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide. Mix it up with your crochet piece in a tub or plastic bowl and let it soak for about 6 hours. Rinse it in cold water, and check the spots. If they aren't gone you can repeat it again, using a new solution. Place it flat to air dry when you are finished.

We also have tips on attracting butterflies and hummingbirds:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/butterflies3.html

Reader's Questions: A Hodge Podge

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

I have recently come across the German tradition of those twelve christmas ornaments every newlywed should have for a happy marriage. I am looking to see if there is a company that will make all twelve in a set, in its own storage box. I read your article, and if anyone should know, I feel it would be you. Hope you can help. ~Christine

There were several listed online, including Amazon, but the nicest seemed to the Inge-Glas of Germany Bride's Tree Assortment Christmas Ornament. I'm sure you could find this online easily by putting it into Google or another search engine. I also found out Hallmark made a set called: A Happy Life Ornament Collection, which is a set of 12 miniature ornaments. I'd visit a Hallmark store and ask about it, or try finding it on ebay. I hope this helps!

I have an oak tree growing in my backyard that about 50 something old. It's still growing. I can't afford to have it cut down. But I feel like it is a danger to my home and the neighbors. Especially during Hurrican season. Do you know if there are any tree angencies or organizations that try and save trees by cutting some of the limbs for safety sake. ~Elayne

The first thing that comes to mind is checking with your state extension office. Mississippi has a great website (http://msucares.com/ ) with information and contacts you can call if you don't see what you are looking for. The second thing I thought of is putting an ad in your local paper. With the economy the way it is now, someone may be willing to cut the tree down for you in exchange for the wood. It's worth a try putting in a small text ad in the classified section, and placing a couple of notes on boards in the grocery store, laundermat etc.

Can you tell me if anyone has heard of female cardinals flying into windows. My daughter has this problems it is a constant thing. ~Catherine S.

It's a common problem with many type of birds. The site for the University of Minnesota Raptor Center says:

"...it is likely that the cardinal sees his reflection and is defending his territory against the handsome male cardinal reflection that he sees. The solution in this case need only be temporary and should be in place for a matter of weeks or until the breeding season is over.

Hanging a window feeder on your window will actually decrease collisions, but having bird feeders a few feet from your window will increase collisions. The reason for this is that a feeder placed within five to ten feet of a window allows birds sufficient time to reach a flight speed at which they could kill themselves should they hit the window. It's best to place feeders within two feet of the window or 15 to 35 feet from the house."

There are other things you can do such as:
Put the screens in your windows to make them less reflective. (which is how our windows are and we have not had this problem except once when the sliding door screen wasn't in place.)

I haven't had to do this since our screens work so well,but spraying fake snow (the type in a can) on your windows will break the reflection as well. You can also buy special silhouettes of flying hawks and other decals that will take care of the problem.

On OFL we have tips on cleaning the outside of your house:http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/siding.html

Home & Hearth: Feeding the Birds

Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings. ~Victor Hugo

Birds have a tough time during cold, harsh weather, especially when the snow is covering their food and the insects are dormant.

The first thing to do is wash your feeders with a stiff brush and a solution of one part bleach to nine parts warm water. Rinse well afterwards and dry. Wet seed can really clog your feeders and it can grow bacteria. Another note on old seed--in the spring be sure to rake or sweep up the old seed and add it to your compost or waste pile. Once your feeders are clean it's time to fill them with seed and put them up.

Feeders that are on poles or stakes should be at least 5 foot off the ground and not too near trees, bushes, fence etc. They should be about 8-10 foot from any surface that would provide a place for cats or squirrels to jump from. Though you should have some type of bushes, trees or evergreens beyond that 8-10 ft. area that the birds can use to safely perch. Provide a few different feeders and you will have a nice variety of birds to watch.

Seeds that will really provide the best nutrition for the birds and a good selection of birds for you to watch will be black-oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, niger (thistle) and suet. If you want to limit what you buy, go with the black sunflower seeds. It will attract woodpeckers, blue jays, goldfinches, purple finches, titmice, nuthatches and chickadees. Cracked corn and seed on the ground, or a seed table or platform that is lower to the ground, will attract the mourning doves,juncos and bobwhites. If you have a tree stump you can put on a plastic pot tray, securing it with a screw or nail, and use that for a feeding platform. It's always neat to try different types of feeders to observe which ones are used the most and what birds are attracted to them. You can make simple feeders out of milk jugs, bleach containers, soda bottles etc. Always make sure they are washed and rinsed well.

Visit OFL to read about Chickadees in Winter:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/chickadee.html