The Garden Enthusiast- Backyard
Nature Station Update
February 2013
Fellow Backyard Nature Lovers,
Spring is
around the corner. Sunday was a beautiful day to be out. The birds were out
serenading us as we worked. It was
wonderful to work out in the garden getting beds ready. Next weekend, rose
pruning is on my agenda. Hope you're enjoying some of these spring-like days.
Want a
case of suet (extra ones keep in a cool place for several months) or readying
your garden for spring and need multiple large bags of amendments? Give us a
call and we'll get it for you.
From Our Customers
From
Suzanne: My son said he saw a yellow and green humming bird last week
(mid January) in our back yard in Pine Lake. Thanks for all the news.
Almost everyone is talking about
their bluebirds. Many have Goldfinch and Pine Siskins going rapidly through
their thistle seed.
On a gardening note Beverly asked
for information on straw bale gardening watch for an article on that in next
month's newsletter.
Classes & Events
Please call us at 404-474-7072 to
pre-register for classes. Jeanne George will be our instructor for the
following classes.
Saturday,
March 23rd, 10-12: Kite Making - This class
is specifically for 3rd graders and up and a parent. You'll take
home your very own kite, ready to fly. Materials included. Cost: parent/child
$20. To register, call (404)474-7072, email or register online
Thursday,
April, 18th, 3:30-5: Bird Mobile -While,
learning about different birds, you'll use geometric paper forms and feathers
to create a hanging mobile. Great for Scouts and home-schoolers. Materials
included. Cost: $12.
Thursday,
May 9th, 10:30-12: Botanical Watercolor Painting
- Create a watercolor while learning the parts of the flower. Includes all
materials. Cost: $16. To register, call (404)474-7072, email or register online
.What's New in the Store?
Come in and browse catalog for your
spring flags, mat mates and yard
DeSigns. There are also several other catalogs out for you to peruse from which
you can order!
Sometimes, prices go down! We're pleased to
reflect a recent drop in the price of 50lb Black Oil Sunflower. It's now
$36.99.
Birding: bird
baths from Evergreen, meal worm feeders, peanut feeder
Garden Art: Garden stakes
Gardening: Lots of new vegetable,
herb and flower seeds. Do you have a
wedding, birthday party or some other event coming up? Seeds make great favors.
Bachelor's buttons? Sweet Pea Wedding Blush? Sunflowers? Let us know if you're
interested and we can get them in bulk for you.
Miscellaneous: carpenter
bee traps; T-shirts: Life is Simple (Eat. Sleep. Bird.), Gardening Yoga
Upcoming
Event on Main Street
The following event is sponsored by the Old Town Tucker
Merchant's Association (OTTMA). Proceeds benefit the Main Street District and
the Dekalb Rape Crisis Center.
Saturday,
March 16, 1-5pm: Chili Cook-off
There is still time to register your team. Don't forget - the
award categories are Best Individual/Team Chili, People's Choice, Best
Restaurant Chili and Best Booth
(judging criteria
will include booth decoration, costumes, choreographed dance routines and anything else you can think of to differentiate yourself from the
competition). $30 entry fee for individuals and teams; $50 entry fee for
restaurants. March 1 is the deadline for registration. Contestants will need
to bring five gallons of chili to serve. The public entry fee is $5 and grants
access to all the chili in competition, as well as a vote for the People's
Choice prize. Live music. [email protected]
Old
Town Tucker Update
Growler Town Beer Company has been hard at work preparing to open a beer
growler retail store on Main Street. It looks Iike all of that hard work will
pay off with a mid March opening. The newest addition to Main Street will offer
craft draught beer to go in 64oz and 32 oz refillable glass containers.
They will also carry a small selection of wine and ciders. You can find them on
Facebook or on the web at www.growlertown.com. Cheers!
Community Events and Spirit
Monday, February 25th, 6pm: DeKalb Master Gardener
Association (DMGA) monthly meeting will feature Joe Washington presenting a
program describing gardening with an eye toward conserving
resources. As a TV reporter and personality, Joe Washington is
familiar to Atlantans. The Northlake Public Library (Barbara Lohar
Branch) is at LaVista Rd and Harobi Dr. More details of the meeting and other
activities of the DeKalb Master Gardener Association can be found at the
website: www.dmga.org .
Sunday,
March 3rd, 2:00 to 4:00: 2nd
annual Great Henderson Hunt (a wildlife treasure hunt in Henderson Park)
The Great
Henderson Hunt is an outdoor adventure that's sure to delight kids, seniors,
and everyone in between! Like last year's hunt, teams will be given a map
and a list of clues, and will set off on the wooden trails to find hidden
"treasures" representing the diversity of wildlife in Henderson
Park. But this year, teams should expect a few surprises on the way
to the finish line. The Friends of Henderson Park is gearing up
for this year's hunt and collecting some fabulous prizes for the winning
teams. Thanks to TYSA, this year's hunt will begin at the soccer complex. Register
and see photos from last year's hunt at hendersonpark.org.
Saturday, April 20, 10
am - 2pm: Georgia Native Plant Society Plant Sale
McFarlane Nature Park
(easily accessed from 285 and 75) Follow the GNPS signs! Plenty of free
parking. The park is not handicapped
accessible.
Select from thousands
of sun and shade loving native plants: trees, shrubs, perennials and ferns for all
growing conditions. Knowledgeable volunteers to assist in making your
selections. Over 600 native azaleas. Cash and checks accepted. No credit cards.
Bring wagons or carts
to carry plants. For more information visit: www.GNPS.org
75 285 N Roswell Rd 400
McFarlane: Turn onto Atlanta Country Club Dr
Saturday,
April 20th, 8am - 1pm: Tucker
Historical Society "Plant Swap and
Share"
Saturday,
May 11th: Georgia Hosta Society Show & Plant Sale at Tucker
First United Methodist Church/Wesley Center
Saturday, May 11th,
9am to 4pm - Tucker Day on Main Street
Saturday, May 18th -
9am - 5 pm: 2013 Eleventh Annual Tucker Historical Society Garden Tour.
GARDENING,
ETC.
According to which chart you
read for average last date of frost in Atlanta,
it's time to sow outdoors: bok choy, broccoli, escarole, kohlrabi, onion,
parsley, peas, radish, squash, spinach, English Daisy, larkspur, poppy, sweet
peas, cleome, calendula, Gaillardia and Lavender.
It's also time to put out
pre-emergent for your lawn. Hi-Yield Dimension can be used (not on food crops)
as well as Treflan (can be used on vegetable gardens). Espoma makes Organic
Weed Preventer Plus which is for lawns. It has corn gluten in it which is the
only organic pre-emergent. This is not for use on vegetable gardens. It lasts
about 30 days. We can get any of these products if you are interested.
|
||||
BIRDING
Win a Free Feeder Contest in Progress
Brome is giving away 120 Squirrel Buster Mini's, 18 Squirrel
Buster Peanut+ and 12 Squirrel Buster Plus. 3 Squirrel Buster Mini's are drawn
each day for 40 consecutive days -120 feeders in all; Weekly draws of 3
Squirrel Buster Peanut+ are drawn each Saturday for 6 consecutive weeks -18
feeders in all; 12 Grand Prize draws of a Squirrel Buster Plus will be drawn on
Saturday March 30th..
Customers who visit The Garden Enthusiast -Backyard Nature
Station and spend $25 will receive our unique
store code starting. Once received, enter the code via Brome's Facebook, Web page or
by simply calling Brome Bird Care's toll free number.
Brome will contact us with the customer's contact
information and then we get in touch with the winners. Brome Bird Care will
follow up with the winner to make sure everything went well. The feeder is
shipped to our store for you and we arrange with you to pick it up.
Have
you got your window feeder out? You might see some Downy Woodpeckers, Tufted
Titmouse, Chickadees, Bluebirds as well as many other birds. No waste seeds
such as sunflower meats are a great thing to fill them with. It's good for
those birds that don't have the beak to crack the black oil sunflower seeds.
You can also mix suet pellets in your feeder.
Remember,
too, that suet is a good all year round energy source for birds.
Bird of the Month:
Pine Warbler
- Pine Warblers are yellowish with olive backs, white bellies, and white wing bars on their gray wings. They have yellowish lines over their eyes.
- Their song is a "musical trill".
- Pine Warblers eat insects and berries primarily but will also come to your feeders for fruits and seeds.
- They stay in pine trees.
- The Pine Warbler nests are found at the end of a tree branch (Pines) and are deep with an open cup.
The Atlanta Audubon Society has
some great field trips coming up through March: check these out and in get in
touch with them for more information (678-973-2437):
Saturday, March 2: Piedmont Park -8:00AM
Birding Focus: Migratory, permanent & winter
residents. All levels welcome. Excellent for beginning birders or those
desiring gentle terrain.
Sunday, March 3: Child-Friendly Walk at EL Huie Land
Application Facility and Newman Wetlands Center -8:00AM
Birding Focus: waterfowl, waders, shorebirds,
raptors, songbirds
Sunday, March
3: Panola Mountain State Park -8:00AM
Birding Focus: Permanent and winter wetland &
forest residents, including warblers, vireos, flycatchers, sparrows,
blackbirds, raptors, waterfowl, waders, and any migrating shorebirds.
Sunday, March
3: Noonday Creek Trail -
9:00AM
Birding Focus: Primarily a beginner bird walk for
children & families, but any level of skill is welcome; just bring
binoculars and wear walking shoes.
Thursday, March 7: Sweetwater Creek State Park -9:00AM
Birding Focus: Migratory and permanent residents of
wetlands and forest, including herons, wood ducks, warblers, thrushes, and
vireos. With its falls, overlooks, and lake, Sweetwater Creek State Park is Georgia's
most-visited state park and is the closest state park to the city of Atlanta.
It offers a diverse birding habitat of woodlands, streams, wetlands, grasslands
and a large lake.
Sunday, March 10: Lullwater Conservation Park -8:30AM
Birding Focus: winter residents, Red-headed
woodpecker, Hooded merganser, Belted kingfisher, Palm warbler, Pine warbler
Sunday, March
10: Leone Hall Price Park -9:00AM
Birding Focus: Primarily for children, families,
& beginners, but any level of skill is welcome; just bring binoculars and
wear good walking/hiking shoes that would withstand a creek crossing.
Thursday, March 14: Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve - 7:30AM
Birding Focus: Winter & permanent resident
wetland & woodland birds plus possible early spring migrants.
Sunday, March 17: Carter's Lake, Re-Regulation Lake,
and Hidden Pond Trail -8:00AM
Birding Focus: Late winter songbirds, early migrant
songbirds, and migratory waterfowl.
Sunday, March 17: Hard Labor Creek State Park - 8:00AM
Birding Focus: Hard Labor Creek is the 2nd largest GA
State Park. It boasts a variety of habitats and has a history of birds like
Loggerhead Shrikes, American Kestrels, and a variety of waterfowl on Lake
Rutledge. We'll look for woodland birds, waterfowl, raptors, and other winter
residents.
Saturday, March 23: Big Creek Greenway - 8:00AM
Birding Focus: Big Creek Greenway is a bottomland
forest; home to water, wetland
and forest birds. Springtime will mean an even greater diversity with the
addition of migratory birds, especially warblers. All levels are welcome, but
binoculars are suggested.
Thursday, March 28: Cochran Shoals, CRNRA -7:30AM
Birding Focus: Sparrows, woodpeckers, raptors, winter
& permanent residents, & any waterfowl & herons that might be on
the river or wetlands. Interesting plants & wildlife sightings will be
incorporated into the walk too!
Saturday, March 30: E.L. Huie Land Application
Facility and Newman Wetlands Center and - 8:00AM
Birding Focus: Migratory songbirds, shorebirds,
raptors, and a few lingering wintering waterfowl. Children 9 years and up are
welcome if they are really interested in birds. Binoculars are necessary and
may be borrowed from the NWC if needed.
Hope to see you soon,
Linda, Brittany, Jessica, Jeremy, Stephen & Greyson
The
Garden Enthusiast - Backyard Nature Station
2316
D Main Street
Tucker,
GA 30084
Hours:
Monday - Saturday 10am to 6PM
Closed Sundays
Contact us at 404-474-7072 or [email protected] -we love to get your feedback!
Like us on facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Garden-Enthusiast-Backyard-Nature-Station/183052068407686
