enjoy your visit — visiting the garden

As your garden rests this winter, it can still be a hot bed of activity. Try attracting winter birds to your yard. They ask little of you and in return provide months of entertainment, beauty and song.

Different species of birds enjoy different types of food. Black oil sunflower seed is favored by a diverse group of birds and provides an excellent source of much needed nutrition. If squirrels are a problem, try millet instead. It is also enjoyed by many bird species and squirrels are almost always uninterested. It is best to offer one type of food per feeder. Mixed birdseeds are often wasteful as different birds dig out what they want, discarding the rest. Never feed birds salty or sugary foods, or anything spoiled.

Place the food in a feeder and scatter on the ground. Ground feeders such as juncos, sparrows and mourning doves will appreciate the spilled seed. Place the feeder out of strong winds and a few feet from protective cover such as shrubbery. This gives the birds a place to escape to if threatened.

For a fun “Bird Seed for Humans” recipe, please see below.

Trail Mix

Bird seed for humans to eat and enjoy

1 1/2 cups carob chips
1 1/2 cups roasted almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup finely chopped dried pineapple
1/2 cup finely chopped dried papaya
1/2 cup oven-dried banana chips
Chocolate twig candies for garnish

In a large bowl mix all ingredients except garnish. Divide the trail mix among 6 cups
and garnish the cups with the chocolate twig candies. Serves 6.