All the Dirt on Gardening

Gardeners may be the easiest people to have on your gift-giving list since their interests range from houseplants and herbs to landscaping, water gardens and vegetable production. Gift ideas can range in price from free garden help to high end power tillers with decorative containers and seed packets in between.  Easy to find items such as gloves, small tools and a magazine subscription can be combined in a gift basket. For stocking stuffers consider nature-themed ornaments for pots, binoculars for bird watching, an Eco newspaper pot maker or a rain gauge. For more ideas we visited Grogg’s Green Barn in Tulsa, a local resource for everything organic. They have squirrel-proof bird feeders with an outer wire cage where birds can perch and an inner wire cage where the seeds are placed.  Grogg’s also has Water Right Featherweight hoses, Tumbleweed WormCafe above ground worm farms, Gorilla Grow Tents available as complete indoor growing systems and Rokz Spirit Infusi...

Make bird feeders for bird lovers and for your own back yard. We used sonbird feed from Lowe's because it has nuts and dried fruit as well as canary feed all in the same bag and was on sale. The classic cake mixing directions are to mix the dry ingredients in one bowl  to ensure good combining. This is the flour and plain gelatin. This is the flour and plain gelatin. Then the wet ingredients are combined in another container. I put a few drops of olive oil in the measuring cup and used my fingers to coat the cup so the Karo syrup wouldn't stick to the sides or bottom of the glass. Then, the cold water went in. When the wet and dry ingredients were combined it was more watery than I expected. Also, it had to be beaten to get the lumps out. Next the bird seed. We used 2.5 measuring cups to get the flour mix saturated with seeds. I had read that if you skimp in the seed, there will be chunks of flour/gelatin mixture that the birds don't like.  I put a pie...

Birds help reduce the population of unwanted insects so gardeners encourage birds to take up residence.   Making wild-bird feeders is an ideal indoor project for your garden and to give as gifts. Hang homemade bird feeders under the eaves or on tree limbs where family members can enjoy observing which birds show up. GOURD OR GRAPEFRUIT BIRD FEEDER Backyard Landscape Garden Shop Cut off the top and hollow out a gourd, or winter squash.   Remove enough of the inside to make a bowl. Use a hammer and nail to make holes on each side where you will thread a string for hanging. Stretch the string across the opening, leaving a long piece on both sides to knot into a hanger. Large grapefruit and melon skins can also be used. Make suet to fill the feeder. Melt ½ cup lard or bacon grease and ½ cup crunchy peanut butter in a saucepan. Stir in 1-cup oatmeal, ½ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, 1-cup cornmeal and ¾ cup birdseed. Pour into the hollow fruit or vegetable and chill in the refrig...