January - For the Birds

January's meeting kick-started event and activity planning for the year.  Exciting things are certainly ahead!  

After sharing our ideas for themes and possible tours, we created pine cone bird feeders.


Lori brought the supplies (along with some treats for us!):

- Pine cones
- String
- Unsalted peanut butter and lard mixture (2:1)
- Knife or spoon for application
- Plates and plastic bags for transport  

We then:
1. Tied string to the pine cone
2. Dipped the pine cone into the unsalted peanut butter and lard mix, and used a butter knife to get more into the cracks
3. Set the coated pine cone onto a plate and placed it outside in the cold to set

After another cup of tea... voila!  Our bird feeders were done.

The whole craft was easy and fun to make (only slightly messy).  And a perfect treat for all the birds we've been seeing out and about!



Have you a variation on this simple bird feeder?  Send in your stories and photos.

Sweet or Sour Soil?

Blueberry leaves yellowing?  Hydrangea blooms not returning true to colour?  One possible reason for such woes might be soil pH.

Plants have different ideal conditions for growth and different ranges of comfort.

The Old Farmer's Almanac and West Virginia University lists over a hundred plants each indicating their optimal growth pH and is a probably a good place to start to see if your troubled plant likes sweet (alkaline / basic) or sour (acidic) soil.

Audrey shared as last night's meeting that she performed a simple pH test on her soil with vinegar and baking soda.  About Money "Frugal Living Expert" Erin Huffstetler outlines a similar test here, step-by-step.

While this DIY is nowhere as accurate or precise as a home kit or sending samples away to a lab, it may help eliminate one possible problem and/or point you in the right direction.

Now, how to adjust soil pH?  That's another story!