May

20

8:00

—3:

00 E

T

Ha

rdin

Co

un

ty E

xte

nsio

n O

ffic

e

20

1 P

ete

rso

n D

rive

, E

lizab

eth

tow

n,

KY

(27

0)

76

5-4

12

1

Rai

n or

Shin

e!

Serv

ice

An

imal

s O

nly

Lin

co

ln T

rail

Are

a

Maste

r G

ard

eners

Har

din

Cou

nty

Mas

ter

Gar

dene

rs’

Pla

nt F

air

Cooperative Extension Service Hardin County

201 Peterson Drive Elizabethtown KY 42701

(270) 756-4121 hardin.ca.uky.edu

Hi Readers! I hope you are going to like the new look of the Four Seasons Newsletter. I was tired of the same old format and decided to switch it up for the new year.

With the new year people think about changing, making resolutions, and trying to be a better person. Although I try not to make resolutions, (they don’t last very long) I am making a concerted effort to:

1. Get the newsletter out in a timely fashion.

2. Post more information to social media (Facebook, and the new Hort webpage.)

3. Maintain a level of office organization.

With that said, I hope by the end of 2017 I can report back that I have made an effort to accomplish

my goals!

May your dreams be filled gardens. Happy Gardening!

Amy Aldenderfer County Extension Agent for Horticulture

Winter Bird Feeding 2-3

Birdseed Cookies 3

Can U Dig It? 4

A Bird’s Favorite Seed 5

Gardener’s Toolbox Classes 6-7

Class Information 7

Inside this issue:

Winter 2017

You have good company if you maintain a bird feeder this

winter. A government survey found that more than 60 million

Americans share your enthusiasm for feeding birds.

Anyone who has ever fed wild birds a commercially

packaged birdseed mixture soon observes that birds eat some

seeds faster than others. But until recently, very little

scientific information was available on seed preference to help

you in selecting the types of seed most desired by the birds in

your neighborhood.

Some seeds are prized by many birds, some are ignored by

most, and others can be used to selectively attract certain birds

or discourage them from using the feeder.

You can use the table on page 5 to help mix your own bird

seed. Generally, your best results will be obtained by mixing

black sunflower seed and white proso millet. This mixture will

attract the most birds to your feeder and none of your money

will be spent on unattractive seed.

Many people, however, wish to discourage house (English)

sparrow use. By shifting from

white proso millet to red, you

wil l di scourage house

sparrows from coming to your

feeder a lot more than you

will the other more desirable

bird species.

Birds also differ in how

they feed. Some prefer to

feed from elevated feeders

while others prefer the

ground.

In general, the birds that

An easy bird feeder made of a recycled bottle and two wooden spoons.

How to Grow: Tomatoes—April 19, 6 pm. COST: $5 Wow! How do you pick your next favorite tomato variety? Let’s talk about favorites and new favorites. Learn how to have the first tomato on the block. Get a few plants to try and test.

Attracting Pollinators—May 1, 6 pm. COST: $5 What are the key ingredients in attracting butterflies and bees to a garden? Discover the “secret” sauce in this talk about plants that draw in the birds, bees and butterflies.

Perennial of the Year—June 6, 6 pm. COST: $5 Every year the Perennial Plant Association bestows one exceptional plant the title of “Perennial of the Year”. Find out what plants made the cut for the past 20 years. You may even get to take one home and try it!

Payment for each of the Gardener’s Toolbox classes are

required to be enrolled TWO WEEKS prior to the class date.

You will be registered on a first pay, first registered basis.

Cancellations will be fully refunded TWO WEEKS prior to the

class date. Please let us know as early as possible if you

have to cancel, we probably have others on a wait list.

HOW TO GROW Classes: If you would like to attend the

class but do NOT want the supplies, there is the option of

not paying the class supply fee. Please notify the front desk

when registering.

How to Register: Go to http://hardin.ca.uky.edu/content/line-class-registration to sign

up for any class. You can also now make your payment on this page!

Or call (270) 765-4121 and talk to the receptionist. Then mail in your payment.

You will be registered on a first pay, first registered basis. All classes have a maximum number of participants. When this number is reached, there will be a waiting list.

New Plants for the New Year—Feb 1, 6 p.m. COST: FREE. Dying to find the next trend in garden plants? Try a new plant that plant breeders have improved, or plant hunters have found from far away locales. After combing the catalogs and websites, learn what I have found (plant-wise) that has a chance of growing in your garden. There will be no guarantee that the plants in this one-hour lecture will be found in the garden centers or live in Kentucky.

Vegetable Gardening 101—Feb 8, 6 p.m. COST: $5. Starting at the beginning, this class will get you started on your first vegetable garden. We will address planning a garden, how much to plant, growing, and harvesting.

Growing Bouquets from the Garden—Feb 21, 6 p.m. COST: $5 Learn which annuals and perennials make great cut flowers. Then find out how easy they are to grow!

Starting Vegetables from Seed—March 6, 6 p.m. COST: $5 Be the envy of your neighbors with the first tomato on the block! You can also have the most unusual or tastiest lettuce! How, you ask? By starting them yourself. Don’t rely on the varieties that the store has for your vegetables, with thousands of varieties to choose from, come and discover how to start your own.

How to Grow: Carrots—March 15, 6 pm. COST: $5 Did you know that everyone can grow carrots? There are long ones, short ones and even carrots that aren’t orange! Learn all about the lowly carrot and the exciting new varieties, how to grow them in Kentucky clay and the best recipes ever!

How to Grow: Asparagus—March 20, 6 pm. COST: $5 This early-season vegetable is a delight to eat and easy to grow. Find out the tricks and tips on growing a perennial favorite in your garden.

How to Grow: Daylilies—April 4, 6 pm. COST: $5 Daylilies are a favorite garden flower. Come and see how to incorporate these one-day wonders into a perennial garden or landscape.

prefer black sunflower are attracted to elevated feeders, while

those preferring white proso millet like to feed on the ground.

Tubular feeders generally should not be filled with millet-

sized seed because these type seeds are preferred by ground

feeding birds.

Niger thistle seed, which is primarily attractive to gold-

finches, house finches and pine siskins, is dispensed best in

specially designed feeders. Lastly, remember that feeders need

periodic cleaning to work properly.

Not all birds are attracted to seed in the winter. Mesh bags

of suet are choice foods for woodpeckers, nuthatches and

brown creepers.

Winter feeding can be a rewarding experience and offers the

best opportunity to observe birds up close. And, with some

understanding of bird-food preferences, you can maximize your

results.

To make “bird seed cookies”

empty the packets of plain gelatin

into the bowl and add boiling

water. Stir until dissolved. Add

the birdseed. Stir until the seed is

coated with the gelatin.

Layout your parchment or wax

paper and your cookie cutters.

Spoon the seed into the

cutters, making sure to fill the

corners and mound

the top.

With another piece of paper, firmly press the

seed. With the drinking straw, make a hole in

the top to hang the feeder.

Allow it to “dry” overnight, occasionally

turning it over so each side can dry evenly.

Voila! Let the birds enjoy!

What You Need: 2 packets of

plain gelatin 1/2 cup boiling water 1 1/2 cup of birdseed Cookie cutters Parchment or wax

paper String Microwaveable bowl Spatula Drinking straw

Discrimination Complaint Procedure: The Cooperative Extension Service prohibits discrimination in its programs and employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. To file a complaint of discrimination, contact

Rosemary Veach, UK College of Agriculture, Lexington, KY 40546 or the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

B

ird

Se

ed

Bir

d S

pe

cie

s B

lack

Su

n-

flo

we

r

Stri

pe

d

Sun

-fl

ow

er

Hu

lled

Su

n-

flo

we

r

Nig

er

This

tle

W

ho

le

Pe

a-n

uts

Pe

anu

t H

ear

ts

Ge

r-m

an

Mill

et

Wh

ite

Pro

so

Mill

et

Re

d

Pro

so

Mill

et

Can

ary

Milo

C

rack

ed

C

orn

W

he

at

Rap

e Sa

fflo

w-

er

Blu

ejay

1

* 6

1

0

1

0

1

0

1

0

0

1

1

0

0

0

Car

din

al

10

9

3

0

1

1

0

2

1

0

1

0

1

0

3

Even

ing

gro

sbea

k 1

0

7

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Co

mm

on

gra

ckle

5

1

0

9

0

4

3

0

1

1

1

1

5

1

0

0

Ch

icka

dee

s 1

0

4

1

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Go

ldfi

nch

4

1

1

0

6

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Ho

use

fin

ch

9

4

10

4

1

1

0

2

0

1

0

0

1

1

0

Pu

rple

fin

ch

10

3

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

Tuft

ed ti

tmo

use

2

4

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Co

wb

ird

1

1

1

0

0

0

4

1

0

7

3

1

1

0

0

0

Ho

use

sp

arro

w

2

2

2

0

2

1

5

10

4

5

1

2

2

0

0

Wh

ite-

thro

ated

spar

row

6

7

9

1

1

0

4

5

8

6

4

2

5

1

0

2

Mo

urn

ing

do

ve

9

4

4

2

1

1

8

10

9

6

4

3

2

1

2