I noticed today that the Austrian Pines are beginning to drop their cones.

These are wonderful for holiday decorating. They also work well as bird feeders when packed with a peanut butter and seed mixture.

Now is the time to collect them and store in a dry place. They will be ready for you when you’re ready to decorate.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I was recently asked how to rid a yard of mosquitoes without the use of harmful chemicals.

They had already taken the first step. That is to eliminate as many breeding areas as possible and prevent standing water.

Another way to help accomplish this is to find something that will feed on those mosquitoes and other pesky bugs in our yards and gardens. So let’s invite birds into our yards.

A bird feeding station can be the answer. They can be purchased or made at home.

Something as simple as a post in the ground will work. Add a few “arms” to it to hang your feeders [homemade or purchased] and it’s done. Just don’t forget to keep those feeders full! Soon the birds will be dining there and on insects as well.

One thing to remember is that the birds will want water. There are many styles of birdbaths available in many price ranges. There are many homemade options as well.

If the birdbath water is kept fresh there will be no mosquito problems associated with it. Just empty the old water out before refilling.

I’ll see you in the backyard.

I was cleaning up a few limbs in the yard. The strong winds on Saturday brought them down. It was then I realized that a large well branched limb would make a great bird feeding station for all seasons.

The limb would just need to be set in the ground like a post. The difference is that the branch can be placed straight or noticeably crooked. The choice is yours.

Just be sure the branches are strong enough to hold filled feeders. You can decide whether to purchase feeders or build your own.

Built in suet feeders are as simple as drilling large hole in the branch where the birds have room to perch. These holes can be filled with a sticky type of food. I make my own by heating inexpensive peanut butter. When it becomes almost liquid mix in bird seed and let it cool.

Don’t forget to keep all the feeders full. Your visitors will soon be helping themselves to the mosquitoes and other bugs in your yard and garden as well.

I’ll see you in the backyard.

Welcome to The Backyard Gardener. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it.

My goal is to help everyone get the most out of their gardening experiences. It doesn’t matter whether you are growing vegetables or plants, wondering what perennials would work best in that shady spot, or have other questions about anything else; I’m here to help.

Here is a sampling of things I’ll be including:

• At the Garden Gate (page) – To answer your questions and offer helpful tips
• In the Shed (category) – Covers hand an powered tools; includes tips for care and maintenance, and purchasing suggestions
• Birds and Bees (category) – Here you can read all about beneficial insects, birds, and related items

There are many things I hope to cover throughout the year; but much will depend on your questions and requests.

Spring is upon us, so I’ll begin with typical springtime projects. When summer arrives, I’ll cover ways to get more abundant harvests from our gardens. As fall approaches, it will be time to harvest the last of our plantings, and hope to extend the growing season as long as possible. That will also be the time for lawn and yard cleanup, and preparing our tools for winter storage.

I hope to finish the year off with topics such as: choosing and caring for a live Christmas tree; decorating; and gift ideas for the gardener.

I’ll see you in the backyard!