Western Mountains and High Plains
Invite Overwintering Birds to Your Yard
Attract our feathered friends to your yard by locating bird feeders throughout the landscape. A constant supply of food and water will bring birds to your landscape all year round. Place bird feeders where trees and shrubs are nearby to offer birds protection from predators.
Check Indoor Plants
Keep your house plants healthy and happy by periodically checking them for troublesome insect pests. Warm conditions indoors provide perfect conditions for pests to thrive and increase. Inspect the underside of leaves, plant stems and leaf buds. Early pest detection and control will save your plants from severe damage.
You Still Have Time for Tree Wrap
Reduce the incidence of "sunscald injury" to tree trunks by applying a reflective tree wrap. This is especially important for newly planted fruit trees and thin-barked trees including lindens, locusts and mountain ash. It prevents the bark from heating up during the day, followed by plummeting temperatures at night.
Plant Fragrant Paper Whites
Paper white narcissus are among the easiest to start as they don't need pre-cooling. Just plant and they'll be in full bloom in four to six weeks. If you plant outdoor types, you'll need to provide a chilling treatment in an unheated garage or crawl space so they'll root properly. Enjoy fragrant and colorful blossoms during the cold of winter.
Take Inventory of Your Tools
If you haven't cleaned your garden equipment and tools, take some time before you forget. Remove caked on dirt and rust. Dip tools in a bucket of oily sand or use a rag saturated with some motor oil. This will easily remove rust and soil deposits.