Save something for the birds

When (and if) you clean up your flower beds, leave some (or all!) of the seed heads to feed the birds. Sunflowers are obvious choices, but plants such as Rudbeckia (black eyed susans) and Echinacea (coneflower) will attract birds to your yard. Keep water available for the birds all winter if possible. They need it as much as they need food throughout the winter.

These coneflowers may look spent, but they can still provide nutritional seeds for birds.

Don’t rake, mow!

Mowing with a mulching mower and leaving the clippings behind now is one of the best things you can do for your yard. You can eliminate a lawn fertilization program by leaving clippings on the lawn all year (no, they do not cause thatch). And, you can fertilize the trees and shrubs that are part of the landscape by putting the nutrients from the leaves that fall right back into the soil. If you mow them instead of raking them, you keep most of what the trees need in the soil, as nature intended. The small chips of leaf will decompose into the lawn over the winter. You’ll have saved yourself time and made your lawn richer.

November Craft

Don't forget that the November monthly meeting is a craft night... we'll be making a unique holiday wreath made of painted yardsticks and pine branches, creating a STAR. Inspired by Pinterest, demonstrated by Gail.  Please let us know if you'll be participating that night!

http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/wood-yardstick-star/