Garden Tip: Give Christmas gift to backyard birds
Submitted December 15, 2011 10:50AM
Make a pinecone bird feeder for your feather friends this Christmas. | Submitted
Updated: May 9, 2012 12:05PM
Our winter birds will enjoy an extra treat as winter weather sets in. Get the kids involved to make a wonderful Christmas gift for your backyard birds by creating pinecone bird feeders.
You’ll need:
Large, open pine cones
Peanut butter
Birdseed, chopped dried fruit or chopped nuts
Fishing line, twine, ribbon or string
Plate or dish
Butter knife
Cut a long piece of twine and tuck it under the top sets of scales on the pinecone, then tie securely. Spread the peanut butter on the inside and outside of the cone. Sprinkle seed mixture on top of cone, then roll it in a dish of seed to get maximum coverage. Hang the cone from a branch near where birds are likely to shelter such as evergreens or dense shrubs.
Tip: If you have collected cones from the neighborhood, consider drying them on a foil-lined cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven for about 45 minutes with the door cracked. This will kill any critters and allow the sap to melt, making them much less sticky to work with.
Garden Tip is courtesy of Heather Prince, The Growing Place, 630-355-4000,
www.thegrowingplace.com
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