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Pinecone feeders are easy and fun to make. Hang these in trees or near your windows to attract birds and squirrels. These feeders are great in winter, offering animals a little "extra" when natural food sources are scarce. WHAT YOU NEED: 1. Several large pinecones that have "opened" a bit. 2. Peanut butter, honey or both. 3. Wild bird seed (available at pet stores and garden/feed stores) 4. A large bowl 5. Spatula 6. Florist wire or heavy twine. 7. Scissors or wire cutters WHAT YOU'LL DO: Cover your work area with newspaper. Using scissors or wire cutters, cut a six to eight inch length of florist wire and attach one to each pinecone for hanging (wrap one end of wire tightly around tip of pinecone). Using a rubber spatula, coat pinecones with a thick layer of peanut butter, honey or both. Be sure to fill the pinecone's nooks and crannies! Fill a large bowl about halfway with wild birdseed. Roll the peanut butter covered pinecones in the seed until well coated. Hang by wrapping the wire (or tie the twin) around tree branches or hang with a hook near a window. Soon you will have many guests arriving for dinner!  Do you have a great garden idea? GARDEN PROJECTS
Terrariums are planted, enclosed glass or plastic containers. The great thing about terrariums is that they are easy and fun to create, and if you set them up correctly, they form their own unique,
self-sustaining ecosystems. The plants inside release oxygen and the enclosed containers condense all the moisture the plants will need. Thats right, you won't even have to water them! Plus, they look great and make really cool gifts. WHAT YOU NEED: 1. One clean medium/large glass or plastic container with a fitted lid 2. Potting soil, gravel (aquarium gravel is fine), and sphagnum moss (available at garden supply stores) 3. A scoop or cup 4. Two or three small plants (see below) WHAT YOU'LL DO: Begin by choosing your plants. By design, terrariums are moist, warm environments, so you must choose plants that enjoy this. Many garden centers carry all the supplies you'll need. Ask someone in the nursery to help you in choosing plants that will thrive in your terrarium. Succulents like aloe and jade plants do very well. Start small, so the plants have room to grow. Cover your work area with newspaper. Place a 1-2 inch layer of gravel in the bottom of your container to drain excess moisture away from the plants' roots. Top the gravel with 4-6 inches of potting soil (depending on how large your container is). Leave enough space for the plants to grow taller. The soil should fill your container a little over halfway. Top the soil with a layer of moistened sphagnum moss to help support the plants and hold moisture. Loosen your plants from their pots and plant them in the container, leaving room around each to grow. Press the sphagnum moss around the base of the plants. Lightly water the container--just till the soil is uniformly moist. Place the lid on the container and you're done! Your terrarium will do best if placed near a window, but not in direct sunlight. You should always be able to see clearly into your terrarium. If it becomes foggy, just crack the lid until the moisture evaporates. In no time at all your plants will be growing strong! Do you have a question, comment or request? E-mail us, we'd like to hear from you!
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