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Plant
Deciduous Fruit
The
dead of winter is the perfect time to plant blueberries, grape vines,
and deciduous fruit trees for a home orchard. If you plant peaches,
apples, or blueberries, pay close attention to the bloom times of the
varieties you select to help avoid freeze damage. There is quite a
difference in chilling hours from North Alabama to the coast. Your
regional Extension agent can recommend varieties for your county.
A Recipe
for Birds
To
increase the number of birds visiting your yard, give them water,
shelter, and food. A combination of dense evergreen plants, plants with
berries, and seed feeders will attract different types of birds. Choose
feeders that protect the seed from wind and rain so that it doesn’t
mold.
Woodpeckers
love suet and you can make your own with the following recipe shared by
my late mother-in-law who got it from one of her Audubon birding
buddies. She liked it because it is easy to make, won’t melt on a warm
day, and is a good source of protein for birds.
1
cup crunchy peanut butter
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups Crisco® (2 sticks)
1 cup white flour (avoid self-rising)
1/3 cup sugar
Melt
Crisco and peanut butter over low heat. While Crisco and peanut butter
are melting, stir together the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.
After the Crisco and peanut butter are melted, combine with the
remaining ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Pour into plastic
containers that are the same size as your suet basket. Store in freezer
or refrigerator.
Note:
One recipe is just the right amount to fill an aluminum foil pan (that
rolls come in) to about 1/2 inch deep. After it hardens, cut into
squares that fit your basket.
About
Rose Grades
This
is the time to start thinking about your rose bed and varieties that you
may want to add. Did you know that roses get grades? The grade refers to
the size and vigor of the plant. Those rated #1 are the best. Anything
lower sacrifices cane size and root strength. Look for the grade printed
on the package or tag.
The
sandy, nematode infested soil and almost never-ending season of South
Alabama can be especially hard on fancy hybrid roses. Varieties grafted
onto fortuniana rootstock are more vigorous and resistant to nematodes.
If you’ve ever had a favorite hybrid rose just sort of fade out after
a few years, you may want to try the variety again on a fortuniana
rootstock. It will have a better chance for a long life!
Helpful
Tools
Before
the gardening season gets cranked up, take a hard look at your hand
tools. It pays to own good quality, sturdy tools with proper functional
and ergonomic design. Good tools do a lot of the work for you. Strong,
sharp hand pruners are first on the list. Without them pruning is like
struggling with a dull knife. Trowels are also a must. Styles with a
large handle are comfortable and less tiring to use. Many gardeners have
more than one trowel to vary sizes, scoop designs, and tips best suited
for specific jobs. Rounded, scoop-like styles are good for potting,
while those with a deep, pointed tip are great for digging new planting
holes in the ground.
Lois
Trigg Chaplin is author of The Southern Garderner's Book of Lists
and former Garden Editor of Southern Living Magazine. |
