What a difference a good camera makes when it comes to capturing the detail of birds visiting our feeder! Our daughter’s friend Michael saw my blog posting and photos I took over a 5 minute timeframe at our bird feeder earlier this month. (Click here to see my photos and the list of birds we are seeing along with some extra bird feeding tips.)
Michael’s camera is much better than mine so we were both interested to see his shots compared to mine. WOW what a difference! Check out these photos taken by Michael Van Cise: (And before I forget, here is a link so you can get more info on the great bird food that is attracting all those birds.)
Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Goldfinch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Mourning Dove
Tufted Titmouse and Mourning Dove
You can help your lawn get ready to survive a long, hot summer (and the possibility of a long, dry summer as well). Here are three lawn tips to help your grass hang in there if there’s a drought in our future.
First, you want to make sure your grass roots are not starving. Feeding your lawn while we’re getting some late spring rain will strengthen your grass and help it grow new roots. Research has proven that the slow, steady feeding that is unique to Scotts helps your lawn develop a healthier root system that uses water more efficiently. A healthy lawn that’s been fed 4 times a year with one of the Scotts Lawn Foods will look darn good this summer on less water than a starving lawn with weak roots.
Second, mow your grass taller. Taller grass blades mean deeper roots to match the leaf growth. So adjust your mower to leave your grass height at around 2-1/2 inches for Bluegrass, Ryegrass and Fine Fescue; at 3 inches for Tall Fescue and Buffalograss; at 3 to 4 inches for St. Augustinegrass; and at 1-1/2 to 2 inches for Bermudagrass, Centipedegrass and Zoysia.
That leads us to the third tip: get rid of dandelions and other aggressive weeds, otherwise they’ll steal what little water there may be from your good grass. If you have just a few weeds, you can spot treat them without hurting your good grass by spraying Ortho Weed-B-Gon MAX plus Crabgrass Killer.
Here I am minding my own business taking a walk out back and Kudzu grabbed my leg and threatened to tie me to this old house along the path.
Seems like Kudzu grows while you watch it!
Now that may sound like a Tall Georgia Tale, however it is pretty close to the truth.
You can now stop Kudzu, Poison Ivy, Wild Blackberry and other tough to kill brush with Ortho Poison Ivy and Tough Brush Killer (click here for more info).
Just remember to read the directions and do not spray plants you wish to keep.
For all you tomato loving folks, this is guaranteed to make your mouth water while it puts a smile on your face.
Now if that doesn’t get you in the mood to plant your own tomatoes this year, I don’t know what will. I check mine each day to see how much they have grown. Can’t wait for the first bite!
No worry… you can kill young crabgrass that may have germinated in your lawn during the past several weeks with Ortho Weed B Gon MAX plus Crabgrass Killer. And more good news… this spray will kill hundreds of other kinds of weeds, including dandelions, without harming your good grass. You can spray weeds in any kind of lawn except for Floratam (a variety of St. Augustinegrass). If you have Centipedegrass, Bentgrass or other kinds of St. Augustinegrass you may get some temporary yellowing after spraying. It is best to spray on a day when temps are between 45 and 90 degrees with no rain or irrigation for at least an hour after spraying. You can plant grass seed 4 weeks after spraying.
Now that is good news for Mother’s Day Weekend!
Crabgrass seedlings sprouting in early spring
There is a new way to kill tough lawn weeds like Nutsedge, Wild Onion, Wild Violet, Ground Ivy, and about 50 others including Dandelion and Clover. Up until now Ortho Nutsedge Killer only came in a ready to spray squeeze trigger bottle that works great if you only have a small patch of weeds you are trying to kill.
Here is the good news: Now this product is available in a hose-end spray that really helps if you have a bigger area where you want to attack tough to kill lawn weeds. (Click here to check it out.) And more good news: This product can be used on any kind of lawn. (Note: This product is available for sale in all states except New York.)
You think you are getting rid of Nutsedge (also called Nutgrass) because it is easy to pull. However, it quickly grows back from the bulb-like roots that are left behind in your soil.
Even if you have already figured out what you are going to do for Mother’s Day, here is an idea that is guaranteed to be remembered as an extra special surprise for Mom or Grandma.
So here’s the plan: On Sunday afternoon your family makes a surprise visit to the local garden center to pick up the components for an extra special Mother’s Day surprise gift. And… the best part – Mom is in on the “picking-out-part”. She selects a container, three or four herb plants, along with the “can’t fail” ingredient to success: Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix (sorry for the shameless plug, but this stuff really makes a difference in container plants). Then here is the cool part. When you get home you and your kids put this gift together. Kids learn something cool, Mom is impressed that she has such a thoughtful family, and oh yes… you score some extra points that are sure to come in handy.
Select herbs that have different colors and textures. Pinch frequently to enjoy fresh herbs in the kitchen and to keep the container looking good
The really great thing about an herb planter is you can sit it in a sunny kitchen window or on the back porch or deck where it is easy to snip fresh herbs to help liven up a dish. Parsley for your salad. Sage for your stuffing. Rosemary for your potatoes. Thyme on your fish. ( I Just reminded myself of an old Simon & Garfunkel album from 1966: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.) Your container can contain Basil, Chives, Marjoram or Oregano. You could grow a container of mint (this particular herb likes to grow by itself since it crowds out other herbs). There are so many great choices for this gift that will keep on giving all summer.
Note: Mom if you are the one reading this, suggest you drop a hint in your husband’s ear of how this would be a great family activity. I just know you will have a way of suggesting this that will make it seem like his idea!
