Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2004
PDFfile available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/birdsquirrels.html

Color in the Garden
November/December 2004
Mike Hargrove, Johnson's Ridge Rd. Greenhouse Manager

    Activity in the garden doesn't have to stop once the temperature has
fallen below freezing. Winter can still be colorful with cardinals,
goldfinches, juncos and chickadees flitting across the yard. Feeding
winter birds has long been a tradition of gardeners and Johnson's Garden
Centers can help you enjoy the hobby more by suggesting the right seed
and feeder to attract the birds you want and to avoid some of the
messier aspects of feeding the birds.

    This season, we are offering a new line of tube birdfeeders from
Woodlink. These feeders have all-metal seed ports, caps and bases
(powder coated) to prevent squirrel damage and ensure years of service.
The perches on the feeder are looped to make it easier for the birds to
feed and watch for predators. Both the seed tube and the thistle tube
are priced at $21.98, a great value for a well-made feeder. Seed trays
are available to make feeding a little neater and allow more birds to
eat at the feeder. A caged tube feeder is also available to keep
squirrels and larger birds off the feeder, allowing only the smaller
songbirds to dine.

    Johnson's also offers a complete line of quality Audubon Park
birdseed formulated with the birds in mind. None of our mixes contain
filler seeds like wheat, oats, milo or grain by-products. We use only
seeds that are attractive to the birds you want to attract to your yard.
My favorite birdseed blend is "Tidy Gardener." It is a mixture of
sunflower chips, hulled proso millet, peanut pieces and nyjer (thistle).
Since the shells have been taken off the sunflower, millet and peanuts
and the nyjer is sterilized, this mixture leaves no mess behind and no
surprise plants in the garden next spring. It is a great blend to use in
hopper-style feeders or platform feeders.

    Anyone who feeds the birds also feeds the squirrels, whether we want
to or not. For those of you who enjoy them, try feeding "Critter Crunch"
a blend of whole corn, peanuts in and out of shell, striped sunflower
and mixed nuts. This blend works great in the squirrel "lunch box"
feeder. For those of you who cannot abide those furry creatures, there
is safflower that the squirrels don't care for. An added bonus is that
the blackbirds don't like it either. While it is not a favorite of the
birds, cardinals, chickadees, house finches and doves quickly become
accustomed to the taste and will usually go to a safflower feeder first
because there is less competition there.

    In mid October, the juncos (snowbirds) arrived from the North, a
sure sign winter is almost here. Of course my ground feeder was empty so
I had to get some "Pretty Boy Mix" to put out for them. This is a blend
of red and white proso millet and sunflower that is great for doves,
juncos and native sparrows. It should be only a few more days and we
will be seeing Harris sparrows in the yard.