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111 112<![endif]--> 113 114<!--[if IE 7]> 115<link href="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/themes/dandelion/css/style_ie7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> 116<![endif]--> 117 118 119 120<!-- Custom Theme CSS --> 121<style type="text/css">body{background-color:#6f737a;}body{background-image:url("https://livinthing.com/wp-content/themes/dandelion/images/patterns/pattern9.png");}#logo-container img{height:5px;}#logo-container img{width:auto;}a,.post-info, .post-info a{color:#f06338;}#menu ul li a{color:#333333;}</style> 122 123</head> 124 125<body class="home blog"> 126 <div id="main-container"> 127 <div class="center"> 128 <div id="site"> 129 <div id="header" > 130 <div id="header-top"> 131 <div id="logo-container" class="center"> 132 <a href="https://livinthing.com"> 133 <img src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/top-logo-empty.png" /> 134 </a> 135 </div> 136 <div id="menu-container"> 137 <div id="menu"> 138 <div class="menu-topmenu-container"><ul id="menu-topmenu" class="menu"><li id="menu-item-2748" class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom current-menu-item current_page_item menu-item-home menu-item-2748"><a href="http://livinthing.com/" aria-current="page">Home</a></li> 139<li id="menu-item-1746" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1746"><a href="https://livinthing.com/articles/">Articles</a></li> 140<li id="menu-item-2460" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2460"><a href="https://livinthing.com/events/">Events</a></li> 141<li id="menu-item-1747" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1747"><a href="https://livinthing.com/media/">Media</a></li> 142<li id="menu-item-1749" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1749"><a href="https://livinthing.com/bookreviews/">Book Reviews</a></li> 143<li id="menu-item-1748" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1748"><a href="https://livinthing.com/contact/">Contact</a></li> 144</ul></div> </div> 145 </div> 146 <div class="mobile-nav"> 147 <span class="mob-nav-btn">Menu</span> 148 </div> 149 <div class="clear"></div> 150 </div> 151<div id="slider-container"> 152 <div id="slider-container-shadow"></div> 153 <div id="static-header-img"> 154 <img src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/LT_staticlogo_v1.png"/> 155 </div> 156</div> 157</div> 158 159<div id="content-container" class="content-gradient "> 160<div id="content"> 161<div class="blog-post show-post-info post-2960 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-annuals category-books category-container-gardening category-indoor-gardening category-uncategorized"> 162 163 164 <h1> 165 <a href="https://livinthing.com/natures-healing-power/">Natureâs Healing Power</a> 166 </h1> 167 168 <div class="post-info"> 169 <ul> 170 <li><span class="no-caps"> On</span> <a>September 11, 2020</a></li> 171 <li><span class="no-caps"> By</span> <a href="https://livinthing.com/author/meleah/" title="Posts by Meleah" rel="author">Meleah</a> </li> 172 <li class="post-info-categories"><span class="no-caps"> In </span><a href="https://livinthing.com/category/annuals/" rel="category tag">Annuals</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/books/" rel="category tag">Books</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/container-gardening/" rel="category tag">Container Gardening</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/indoor-gardening/" rel="category tag">Indoor Gardening</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a></li> 173 <li class="post-info-comments"><img src="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/themes/dandelion/images/comm.png" /><a 174 href="https://livinthing.com/natures-healing-power/#comments"> 2 </a></li> 175 176 </ul> 177 178 </div> 179 <div class="clear"></div> 180 181 <p>In his essay titled âWhy We Need Gardens,â neurologist and author, <a href="https://www.oliversacks.com/">Oliver Sacks</a> wrote: âI cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on our brains, but I have seen in my patients the restorative and healing powers of nature and gardens, even for those who are deeply disabled neurologically. In many cases, gardens and nature are more powerful than any medication.â</p> 182<p>Sacks, who died of a rare cancer in August of 2015, explained how he was introduced to the wonder of gardens as a child. And, as a physician in New York City, he took his patients to visit gardens whenever he could, believing that, just like music, gardens were vital âtherapyâ for people living with chronic neurological diseases. What is it about nature that is so calming and reinvigorating? he wondered, recounting the time a friend with Touretteâs syndrome became calm and tic-free on a hike in the desert. And how is it that patients with advanced dementia or Alzheimerâs disease canât remember how to do everyday things like tie their shoes. âBut put them in front of a flower bed with some seedlings, and they will know exactly what to do. I have never seen such a patient plant something upside down,â Sacks recalled.</p> 183<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-2963 aligncenter" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/iStock_Plants-on-windowsill-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/iStock_Plants-on-windowsill-300x200.jpg 300w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/iStock_Plants-on-windowsill-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/iStock_Plants-on-windowsill-768x513.jpg 768w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/iStock_Plants-on-windowsill-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/iStock_Plants-on-windowsill-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/iStock_Plants-on-windowsill-200x133.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100v
183w, 300px" /></p> 184<p>âClearly, nature calls to something very deep in us,â he continued, explaining his belief that nature affects us deeply spiritually and emotionally, as well as physically and neurologically. Had I read that essay before his death, I might have written Dr. Sacks a letter saying that, as a longtime gardener and lover of long walks in the woods, I couldnât agree more with what he said in that lovely bit of writing. (Which can be found in the posthumously-published collection, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Its-Place-First-Loves/dp/0451492897"><em>Everything in Its Place: First Loves and Last Tales</em></a>.) Iâm not sure how I developed biophilia, an urge to connect with living things and nature, which I suppose progressed over time into hortophilia, the desire to interact with, manage and tend nature. But Iâve got both Big Time. And I know a whole lot of other gardeners who would say they do too.</p> 185<p>Like Sacks, I canât precisely tell you how nature works its mojo on people, but I do remember the first time I saw it happen. I was in college and working nights and weekends at a womenâs shelter in North Minneapolis. The shelter had once been a convent for nuns, so the narrow, tile-floored room I used as an âofficeâ had probably once been a nunâs bedroom. Our country doesnât care about people who are struggling with mental illness, so the underfunded shelter paid me, and several other young women, about $8 an hour to look after dozens of women of all ages who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and/or other serious mental health issues. Tucked away in their own narrow nunnery rooms upstairs, those women were also often dealing eating disorders, broken hearts, drug-and-alcohol addiction and abusive boyfriends who showed up to bang on the front door at all hours of the night.</p> 186 <a href="https://livinthing.com/natures-healing-power/">Read More<span class="more-arrow">»</span></a> 187 188<div class="clear"></div> 189</div> 190 191<div class="blog-post show-post-info post-2953 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> 192 193 194 <h1> 195 <a href="https://livinthing.com/growing-tomatoes-is-easier-than-you-might-think/">Growing Tomatoes is Easier Than You Might Think</a> 196 </h1> 197 198 <div class="post-info"> 199 <ul> 200 <li><span class="no-caps"> On</span> <a>June 10, 2020</a></li> 201 <li><span class="no-caps"> By</span> <a href="https://livinthing.com/author/meleah/" title="Posts by Meleah" rel="author">Meleah</a> </li> 202 <li class="post-info-categories"><span class="no-caps"> In </span><a href="https://livinthing.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a></li> 203 <li class="post-info-comments"><img src="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/themes/dandelion/images/comm.png" /><a 204 href="https://livinthing.com/growing-tomatoes-is-easier-than-you-might-think/#comments"> 0 </a></li> 205 206 </ul> 207 208 </div> 209 <div class="clear"></div> 210 211 <p>Iâll just say it: It took a global pandemic for me to actually grow tomatoes from seed successfully. Sure, Iâve saved tomato seeds and tried to start them under lights in my basement in the past, but something (or lots of things) always went wrong. I think thatâs because Iâm more of a big-picture personâdetails, shmetails, I think, as my loaves of bread fail to rise, and the quilt I started 20 years ago is still in pieces in a box.</p> 212<p>But this year, fearing that I might not be able to buy tomato seedlings because of the coronavirus quarantine, I planted a few varieties, using seeds I already had stored away in the basementâblack cherry, Black Krim, red and <a href="https://www.reneesgarden.com/products/tomato-red-yellow-mini-pear">yellow mini pear tomatoes</a> from Reneeâs Garden, as well as Cherokee Purple. I didnât have high hopes but Iâm happy to report that every single tomato seedling survived in my care and, you know, it really wasnât that hard. I might even start my own tomatoes from seed from now on. But letâs not get too carried away right now.</p> 213<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2955" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0853-300x203.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="203" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0853-300x203.jpg 300w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0853-1024x694.jpg 1024w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0853-768x521.jpg 768w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0853-1536x1041.jpg 1536w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0853-2048x1389.jpg 2048w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0853-200x136.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100v
213w, 300px" /></p> 214<p>Iâve got all of the tomatoes transplanted, like you probably do by now. So the next step is to keep them healthy all season. Anyone who grows tomatoes knows weird stuff can go wrong. Sun is important, of course, and more is better. Now that the trees have matured around our yard, my tomatoes only get about 5 hours of sun, so itâs ânot exactly Tuscany over here,â as a friend recently said to me. But we get enough of a crop to make loads of great salsa, so itâs worth it. If youâre struggling with not enough sun, one thing you can do is grow your tomatoes in large pots on rolling plant stands. I got mine at Ikea a long time ago, and a lot of garden centers carry them now too. If youâre home a lot, like many of us are these days, itâs easy to roll your plants into the sun as it moves around throughout the day.</p> 215<p>And hereâs a neat tip that you might not know: Tomatoes should be buried deeply at planting time. I know that sounds weird since most things should not be buried underground like that. But what you want to do with tomatoes is pull off the leaves along the lower 2/3 of the stem, and bury that part in a nice, deep hole so that only the top 1/3 is above ground. Doing that will help your tomatoes develop much stronger root systems because buried stems sprout additional roots to support the plants.</p> 216 <a href="https://livinthing.com/growing-tomatoes-is-easier-than-you-might-think/">Read More<span class="more-arrow">»</span></a> 217 218<div class="clear"></div> 219</div> 220 221<div class="blog-post show-post-info post-2944 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-annuals category-herbs category-seeds category-uncategorized"> 222 223 224 <h1> 225 <a href="https://livinthing.com/planting-seeds-and-waking-bees/">Planting Seeds and Waking Bees</a> 226 </h1> 227 228 <div class="post-info"> 229 <ul> 230 <li><span class="no-caps"> On</span> <a>March 17, 2020</a></li> 231 <li><span class="no-caps"> By</span> <a href="https://livinthing.com/author/meleah/" title="Posts by Meleah" rel="author">Meleah</a> </li> 232 <li class="post-info-categories"><span class="no-caps"> In </span><a href="https://livinthing.com/category/annuals/" rel="category tag">Annuals</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/herbs/" rel="category tag">Herbs</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/seeds/" rel="category tag">Seeds</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a></li> 233 <li class="post-info-comments"><img src="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/themes/dandelion/images/comm.png" /><a 234 href="https://livinthing.com/planting-seeds-and-waking-bees/#comments"> 1 </a></li> 235 236 </ul> 237 238 </div> 239 <div class="clear"></div> 240 241 <p>Spring is nearly here and it feels like an extra special relief this season as Coronavirus sweeps the world. We’re all supposed to stay at home to protect others and help save lives, and since it’s probably a bad idea to eat cake and drink wine 24/7, let me suggest that we all plant a few seedsâflowers, herbs, vegetablesâweâve got loads of seeds in the Little Free Seed Library on our boulevard. In case you donât already know, we always use the top shelf of our Little Free Library for seed sharing in the spring and fall. If youâd like to pick up or drop off some seeds, the library is located on our boulevard on the corner of 45th Street and Washburn Ave. S. in Linden Hills.</p> 242<p>If you have seeds to share, please bring them in their original packets or label them in envelopes or baggies so people can clearly see what they are. A HUGE thank you to whoever dropped off a whole bunch of great seeds recently, all seemingly harvested from their own garden and neatly labeled, including tall purple allium, <a href="https://www.brecks.com/product/yellow-meadow-rue">yellow meadow rue</a>, butterfly weed, blue Baptisia, <a href="https://www.prairiemoon.com/gentiana-andrewsii-bottle-gentian-prairie-moon-nursery.html">bottle gentian</a>, Shortâs aster, Grandpa Ottâs morning glories and clematis integrifolia (a bush-type).</p> 243<div id="attachment_2948" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2948" class="wp-image-2948 size-medium" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0679-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0679-300x225.jpg 300w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0679-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0679-768x576.jpg 768w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0679-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0679-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_0679-200x150.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100v
243w, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-2948" class="wp-caption-text"><em>The Little Free Seed Library is all stocked up!</em></p></div> 244<p>We always appreciate seed donations so we can keep the library stocked, but we are especially grateful this year because our biggest source of donated seeds is no longer able to get them and pass them on to us. Because of that, Iâve been writing to seed companies to see about getting some donations. Several responded positively, but only <a href="https://www.reneesgarden.com/">Reneeâs Garden</a> actually sent some, asking only for the price of shipping, which I happily paid. Sharing seeds is one way I try to make the world a little brighter. If you feel the same, please come on by with some seeds to share, and take some home for yourself!</p> 245<p>PLEASE NOTEâbecause people who feel fine can still have the virus, you should wash your hands well after touching the seed packets and/or books in our library.</p> 246<p><strong>Wake Up Little Bees</strong><br /> 247Did you store a native bee house in a garage or shed for the winter? If you did, donât forget to bring it outside in early spring. As I wrote in my <a href="http://livinthing.com/keep-your-wild-bee-house-safe-for-bees/">September column</a>, this is the first year Iâve overwintered a bee house so Iâm learning along with you. Hereâs what to do: when you first start seeing early spring flowers, bring the bee house outside and, if you havenât already, put it in a cardboard box or plastic container with a small hole cut in the top or side. Find a spot where the box will be protected from rain and wind and give the bees some time to wake up and fly out of the box through the hole. Theyâll be looking for a new place to stay, so have another bee house ready and waiting for them, if possible. Be patient, it may take several weeks for all of the bees to leave.</p> 248<div id="attachment_2925" style="width: 295px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2925" class="wp-image-2925 size-medium" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-285x300.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="300" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-285x300.jpg 285w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-768x809.jpg 768w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-972x1024.jpg 972w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-190x200.jpg 190w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px" /><p id="caption-attachment-2925" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Soon I’ll be moving our bee house back outside.</em></p></div> 249<p> </p> 250<p><strong>A Few Spring Tips</strong><br /> 251Believe me, I want to run out into the muck and start planting as much as you do, BUT try not to do that. Walking on, and digging in, wet soil harmâs its structure, making it more apt to become hard and compacted. If you can pick up a handful of soil and wring moisture out of it, itâs too wet to work with.</p> 252<div id="attachment_1238" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1238" class="size-medium wp-image-1238" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_2697-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_2697-300x300.jpg 300w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_2697-150x150.jpg 150w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_2697-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_2697-200x200.jpg 200w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/IMG_2697.jpg 1936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1238" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Soon it will be spring!</em></p></div> 253<p>Donât despair. Thereâs plenty of other stuff to do: take off tree wraps, cut back perennials and grasses that you left up all winter, <a href="https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/pruning-trees-and-shrubs#trees-and-shrubs-to-prune-before-ne
253w-growth-1336762">prune shrubs</a> (not the ones that will bloom on last-yearâs growth like lilacs, mock orange, forsythia and witch hazel), toss out dead annuals that are still hanging around. Do not decide until way into June whether your hardy hibiscus is dead or alive. It can take a long while for those to come up. Maybe order up a couple of yards of compost and/or manure and have it delivered to your driveway. That way, you can take your time breaking your back (and the backs of your loved ones) hauling it over to top off planters and garden beds. Itâs stinky, dirt work and I really enjoy it because I know how happy our plants will be. My husband, Mike, um, not so much.</p> 254 255<div class="clear"></div> 256</div> 257 258<div class="blog-post show-post-info post-2933 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-critters category-naturalwonders category-uncategorized"> 259 260 261 <h1> 262 <a href="https://livinthing.com/hey-buddy-can-you-spare-some-turkey-chow/">Hey, Buddy, Can You Spare Some Turkey Chow?</a> 263 </h1> 264 265 <div class="post-info"> 266 <ul> 267 <li><span class="no-caps"> On</span> <a>November 17, 2019</a></li> 268 <li><span class="no-caps"> By</span> <a href="https://livinthing.com/author/meleah/" title="Posts by Meleah" rel="author">Meleah</a> </li> 269 <li class="post-info-categories"><span class="no-caps"> In </span><a href="https://livinthing.com/category/critters/" rel="category tag">Critters</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/natural%e2%80%94wonders/" rel="category tag">Natural Wonders</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a></li> 270 <li class="post-info-comments"><img src="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/themes/dandelion/images/comm.png" /><a 271 href="https://livinthing.com/hey-buddy-can-you-spare-some-turkey-chow/#comments"> 0 </a></li> 272 273 </ul> 274 275 </div> 276 <div class="clear"></div> 277 278 <p>Winter is coming, so weâre busy cleaning birdhouses, putting up more feeders and plugging in a few heated water bowls for birds and other wildlife. We know itâs ill-advised to bring every shivering creature into our house when it gets cold. So we do what we can to make the freezing months a little less harrowing by providing some food, shelter and water.</p> 279<div id="attachment_2936" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2936" class="size-medium wp-image-2936" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_2_iStock-300x221.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="221" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_2_iStock-300x221.jpg 300w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_2_iStock-768x566.jpg 768w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_2_iStock-1024x754.jpg 1024w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_2_iStock-200x147.jpg 200w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_2_iStock.jpg 2017w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-2936" class="wp-caption-text"><strong><em>Two wild tom turkeys strutting their stuff. Courtesy of iStock</em></strong></p></div> 280<p>Bitter cold makes me worry about all living things that must survive outside. But I probably worry most about <a href="https://fmr.org/news/2017/11/13/lets-talk-turkey">wild turkeys</a>. Those strange-looking animals, which are ubiquitous in the city these days, will eat all sorts of things. But they canât forage for food in deep snow because their little pokey turkey legs just canât propel them through it, especially when the snow is powdery. So the turkeys hunker down under evergreen trees and shrubs, trying to wait it out. But if the snow doesnât melt, they will starve to death in just a few weeks.</p> 281<p>Last winter was the first time Iâd ever heard about this sad turkey situation, so my husband, Mike, and I only spent a couple of months trying to feed hungry wild turkeys before the snow melted. This year, weâre prepared to do more. Of course, I know that for a lot of reasons, people arenât supposed to go around feeding animals in winter. But while some of those reasons are well-founded, thereâs plenty of dumb, cruel rationalizing going on out there too. So I looked up why we shouldnât feed turkeys, and one of the most-made arguments falls into the latter category, Iâd say.</p> 282<p>Iâm paraphrasing here, but the basic rationale is that since a 15-pound turkey usually eats about 5 pounds of food per week, you would have to put out thousands of pounds of food routinely if you wanted to save more than a few turkeys from starvation. What? How do you ever get anything done with that sort of attitude? I may not be able to feed a whole bunch of turkeys, but Iâm sure the ones I can find and feed will be glad to have lived through the winter.</p> 283<div id="attachment_2938" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2938" class="size-medium wp-image-2938" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_1_iStock-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_1_iStock-300x200.jpg 300w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_1_iStock-768x512.jpg 768w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_1_iStock-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Wild-Turkeys_1_iStock-200x133.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100v
283w, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-2938" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Lady, it’s cold outside! Courtesy of iStock.</strong></em></p></div> 284<p>How did Mike and I get so hung up on turkeys? We see them all the time when we visit his momâs grave at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. That place is crawling with turkeys and they almost always seem to be little families, everyone walking around together, necks bobbing as they search the ground for acorns, seeds, berries, worms, spiders, snails, beetles, slugsâeven frogs and snakes. I know turkeys can be a nuisance, and even aggressive in some situations. But, in my experience, they mostly just run off when they see people coming toward them. I mean, whoâs really more likely to turn the other into a sandwich?</p> 285<p>While researching this whole turkey-feeding thing, I did find one good reason not to feed them, and that was because it might make them too tame. No one really wants turkeys coming to the door for a snack. And being too comfortable with people might also get the turkeys into trouble if they approach the wrong person and wind up hurt. When circumstances are dire, though, New Hampshireâs Fish and Game website says that exceptions can be made if âthere is 15 or more inches of soft powder snow on the ground for a period of 10 or more days.â In that case, they say, feel free to feed wild turkeys âcracked or whole kernel corn, sunflower seeds, oats, wheat, or non-medicated commercial poultry or turkey rations.â</p> 286<p>Once the snow starts falling, we plan to keep plastic buckets of âturkey chow,â as we call it, in the car. Like last year, when we spot wild turkeys, or go to specific places we know they are likely to be, weâll stop and put out some food. If youâre interested in feeding wild turkeys when times get tough too, another approach is to feed them where you see them roosting this winter, often under evergreen trees. That same Fish and Game site advises spreading the food around, about ½ cup per turkey daily, so everyone gets something to eat. Try to do this away from busy roads and buildings. Stop when the snow has melted away enough for them to forage again.</p> 287<p>Know that your kindness just might help a bunch of weird-looking turkeys live to enjoy another spring.</p> 288 289<div class="clear"></div> 290</div> 291 292<div class="blog-post show-post-info post-2921 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-bugs-and-pests category-naturalwonders category-uncategorized"> 293 294 295 <h1> 296 <a href="https://livinthing.com/keep-your-wild-bee-house-safe-for-bees/">Keep Your Wild Bee House Safe for Bees</a> 297 </h1> 298 299 <div class="post-info"> 300 <ul> 301 <li><span class="no-caps"> On</span> <a>September 30, 2019</a></li> 302 <li><span class="no-caps"> By</span> <a href="https://livinthing.com/author/meleah/" title="Posts by Meleah" rel="author">Meleah</a> </li> 303 <li class="post-info-categories"><span class="no-caps"> In </span><a href="https://livinthing.com/category/bugs-and-pests/" rel="category tag">Bugs</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/natural%e2%80%94wonders/" rel="category tag">Natural Wonders</a>, <a href="https://livinthing.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a></li> 304 <li class="post-info-comments"><img src="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/themes/dandelion/images/comm.png" /><a 305 href="https://livinthing.com/keep-your-wild-bee-house-safe-for-bees/#comments"> 3 </a></li> 306 307 </ul> 308 309 </div> 310 <div class="clear"></div> 311 312 <p>Itâs not news to anyone that honey bee populations are declining due to disease, pests, loss of habitat, pesticides and other issues. But most of us have a lot to learn about native bees, which Iâve seen many more of in my garden this yearâand you may have too. North America is home to about 4,000 native bee species, many with names that reflect their nest-building styles and/or habits such as leafcutter bees, mason bees, cuckoo bees, bumble bees and carpenter bees.</p> 313<p>Often so small as to go unnoticed, native bees of various sizes and colors are out there busily foraging and pollinating plants. But unlike honey bees, most native bees are more solitary than social. Meaning, they donât live in hives or work together as a group. Instead, they create nests of their own in all kinds of oddball places; mud holes, abandoned burrows, fallen trees and tunnel-like spaces such as hollow plant stems and holes made by woodpeckers and bugs.</p> 314<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2925" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-285x300.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="300" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-285x300.jpg 285w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-768x809.jpg 768w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-972x1024.jpg 972w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House_2019-190x200.jpg 190w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 285px) 100v
314w, 285px" /></p> 315<p>Sure, you might see a bunch of native bees nesting in the same small area, but theyâre still going to keep mostly to themselves even though theyâre neighbors. That kind of Iâll-do-my-thing-you-do-yours style of communal living community has inspired the creation of all sorts of native bee boxesâthe cuter ones dubbed houses or hotels. In an effort to help native bees, well-meaning people, including me, have gone out and bought (or built) a bee house of one kind or another. Once I nailed the house up, I did some research to better understand how to care for it and found out that, having a nesting spot for native bees can be a great thing if you manage it properly. But things can go terribly wrong if you donât.</p> 316<p>Just like human dwellings, unkempt bee houses can be gross places that play host to viruses, pests, fungi, bacteria and other harmful things. If you want to help keep the bees youâve invited to stay safe and healthy, hereâs what you need to know. Bee dwellings are designed to replicate the different sorts of nesting sites many native bees like, so theyâre usually some kind of a wooden structure with a whole bunch of hollow tubes made of reeds, bamboo, heavy cardboard or other tunnel-like material in one area. Other spaces are stocked with blocks with holes of various widths and depths drilled in them, and maybe even some pinecones. (To learn more about native bees and how to build your own bee house, read this <a href="https://www.beelab.umn.edu/sites/beelab.umn.edu/files/native_bees.pdf">University of Minnesota Bee Lab article</a>.</p> 317<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2926" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House-Close-Up-2019-261x300.jpg" alt="" width="261" height="300" srcset="https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House-Close-Up-2019-261x300.jpg 261w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House-Close-Up-2019-768x882.jpg 768w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House-Close-Up-2019-891x1024.jpg 891w, https://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/Bee-House-Close-Up-2019-174x200.jpg 174w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px" /></p> 318<p>Bees nest and lay eggs in different ways but, in general, they mate in the spring and summer and the females lay their eggs inside whatever cavity or tunnel sheâs made or found. Often, the mom bee divides the nest into separate brood cells, starting at the back of the cavity or tunnel and moving outward, so that each egg is laid in its own separate space with just enough pollen to feed the emerging larva. Sections are sealed with a bit of mud, leaves, flowers or whatever else sheâs got on hand until, finally, she reaches the end of the tunnel and caps the end with more of the same. Iâve watched bees doing this at our bee box all summer, and itâs been an amazing thing to see, all those tubes packed with different-colored material, bees-to-be tucked snugly inside.</p> 319<p>As you can imagine, those tubes and holes are going to get pretty mucked up by summerâs end. Hereâs the problem: If you bought a cheap, but cute, little bee house like mine to see how this whole native bee thing works, those tubes and blocks are probably glued in so you canât take them out to clean them. Itâs fine to reuse a house two years in a row, but after that, those bargain houses need to be thrown away since they canât be cleaned. My bee house was $14, so Iâm fine with having made that initial investment in bee housing. Now that Iâve seen how bees really use it, I plan to ask my handy husband, Mike, to help me build a nicer bee box that we can clean next year.</p> 320<p>Whether you use an inexpensive box that you throw away after a couple of years, buy a high-quality one (Crown Bees is a good source) or make your own, there are a few things you can do as winter approaches to help protect the bees-to-be. Sometime in October, take your bee house down and put it in an unheated shed or garage so that hungry birds and other critters wonât snack on whatâs inside. In early spring, when the first flowers arrive, put the bee box inside a cardboard or plastic container with a small hole cut in the top or side. Find a spot outside thatâs protected from rain and wind and allow the bees some time to emerge and fly out of the box through the hole. Itâs best to have a fresh bee house already waiting nearby for them to start using.</p> 321<p>Once the bees are all gone, which might take a couple of months, depending on the type of bees that have nested, you can clean the box if itâs cleanable. If youâd like to learn more about native bees, have a look at local author Heather Holmâs fantastic books <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bees-Identification-Native-Plant-Forage/dp/0991356357"><em>Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide</em></a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pollinators-Native-Plants-Identify-Beneficial/dp/0991356306"><em>Pollinators of Native Plants</em></a>.</p> 322 323<div class="clear"></div> 324</div> 325 <div id="blog_nav_buttons" class="navigation"> 326 <div class="alignleft"> </div> 327 <div class="alignright"><a href="https://livinthing.com/page/2/" >Next <span>»</span></a> </div> 328 </div> 329 </div> 330 <div class="sidebar"> 331 <div class="sidebar-box widget_search" id="search-3"><div id="sidebar_search"> 332 <form role="search" method="get" id="searchform" action="https://livinthing.com" > 333 <input type="text" name="s" id="search_input" /> 334 <a href="" class="button" id="search_button"><span> Search</span></a> 335 </form> 336</div> 337</div><div class="sidebar-box widget_text" id="text-7"> <div class="textwidget"><form name="FeedBlitz_7af20fed158011e29f67003005ce8903" method="POST" action="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?AddNewUserDirect"> 338Enter your email address in the box below and click "Subscribe" to follow my blog and get new posts by email.<br><input style="display:none" name="EMAIL" maxlength="64" type="text" size="25" value=""> 339<input name="EMAIL_" maxlength="64" type="hidden" size="25" value=""> 340<input name="EMAIL_ADDRESS" maxlength="64" type="hidden" size="25" value=""> 341<input name="FEEDID" type="hidden" value="859556"> 342<input name="PUBLISHER" type="hidden" value="29803714"> 343<input type="button" value="Subscribe" onClick="FeedBlitz_7af20fed158011e29f67003005ce8903s(this.form);"> 344<br> 345</form>
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348 349<br> 350<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1492" title="feed-icon16x16" src="http://everydaygardener.com/wp-content/image_library/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" width="16" height="16" /> <a title="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/everydaygardener" href="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/everydaygardener">Or, click here to subscribe in a reader.</a></div> 351 </div><div class="sidebar-box widget_text" id="text-3"> <div class="textwidget"><a href="http://livinthing.com/?attachment_id=303" rel="attachment wp-att-303"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-303" title="biopic-small" src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/biopic-small2017.png" alt="" width="100" height="113" /></a>Hi. My name is Meleah Maynard and I garden in crazy-ass cold, zone 4 Minneapolis, Minnesota. My book, co-authored with Jeff Gillman, <em>Decoding Gardening Advice: The Science Behind the 100 Most Common Recommendations</em>, was published by Timber Press. <a title="http://everydaygardener.com/contact/" href="http://livinthing.com/contact/">Click here to email Meleah</a>. 352</div> 353 </div><div class="sidebar-box widget_text" id="text-4"> <div class="textwidget">My book, <em>Decoding Gardening Advice: The Science Behind the 100 Most Common Recommendations</em>, can be found at IndieBound, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 354<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://livinthing.com/wp-content/image_library/bookimage-250.jpg" alt="" title="bookimage-250" width="250" height="245" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-334" /> 355<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604692200/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sldo0a-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1604692200">Buy on Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sldo0a-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1604692200" 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/></a></div> 360 </div> 361 <div class="sidebar-box widget_recent_entries" id="recent-posts-3"> 362 <h4>Recent Posts</h4> 363 <ul> 364 <li> 365 <a href="https://livinthing.com/natures-healing-power/">Natureâs Healing Power</a> 366 </li> 367 <li> 368 <a href="https://livinthing.com/growing-tomatoes-is-easier-than-you-might-think/">Growing Tomatoes is Easier Than You Might Think</a> 369 </li> 370 <li> 371 <a href="https://livinthing.com/planting-seeds-and-waking-bees/">Planting Seeds and Waking Bees</a> 372 </li> 373 </ul> 374 375 </div><div class="sidebar-box widget_categories" id="categories-3"><h4>Categories</h4> 376 <ul> 377 <li class="cat-item cat-item-7"><a href="https://livinthing.com/category/annuals/">Annuals</a> 378</li> 379 <li class="cat-item cat-item-16"><a href="https://livinthing.com/category/books/">Books</a> 380</li> 381 <li class="cat-item cat-item-18"><a href="https://livinthing.com/category/bugs-and-pests/">Bugs</a> 382</li> 383 <li class="cat-item cat-item-25"><a 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href="http://blog.amystewart.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dirt by Amy Stewart</a></li> 433<li><a href="http://www.fungi.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Fungi Perfecti</a></li> 434<li><a href="http://www.gardenrant.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Garden Rant</a></li> 435<li><a href="http://www.gardensmackdown.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Garden Smackdown by Andrew Keys</a></li> 436<li>
436<a href="http://www.gardendrum.com">GardenDrum</a></li> 437<li><a href="http://martagon.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Gardening While Intoxicated</a></li> 438<li><a href="http://ghosttownfarm.wordpress.com/">Ghost Town Farm by Novella Carpenter</a></li> 439<li><a href="http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/category/blog/joes-blog/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Growing a Greener World</a></li> 440<li><a href="http://mynortherngarden.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">My Northern Garden</a></li> 441<li><a href="http://www.northerngardening.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Northern Gardening</a></li> 442<li><a href="http://www.otterfarmblog.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Otter Farm</a></li> 443<li><a href="http://pollinators-welcome.blogspot.com/">Pollinators Welcome</a></li> 444<li><a href="http://scratchandpeck.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Scratch & Peck</a></li> 445<li><a href="http://thegardenbuzz.typepad.com/the-garden-buzz/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Garden Buzz</a></li> 446<li><a href="https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs/urbanhort/default.aspx" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Garden Professors</a></li> 447<li><a href="http://www.renegadegardener.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Renegade Gardener</a></li> 448<li><a href="http://www.transatlanticplantsman.typepad.com/">Transatlantic Gardener</a></li> 449 450 </ul> 451</div> 452<div class="sidebar-box widget_links" id="linkcat-37"><h4>Bugs</h4> 453 <ul class='xoxo blogroll'> 454<li><a href="http://www.billjohnsonbeyondbutterflies.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bill Johson Nature Photography</a></li> 455<li><a href="http://urbanext.illinois.edu/bugreview/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Bug Review</a></li> 456<li><a href="http://www.whatsthatbug.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Whatâs That Bug</a></li> 457 458 </ul> 459</div> 460<div class="sidebar-box widget_links" id="linkcat-36"><h4>Check This Out</h4> 461 <ul class='xoxo blogroll'> 462<li><a href="http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/potd/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Botany Photo of the Day</a></li> 463<li><a href="http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/starthere.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Plants In Motion</a></li> 464 465 </ul> 466</div> 467<div class="sidebar-box widget_links" id="linkcat-35"><h4>Look Stuff Up</h4> 468 <ul class='xoxo blogroll'> 469<li><a href="http://www.extension.org/search" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Cooperative Extension Search Site</a></li> 470<li><a href="http://www.gardening.cornell.edu" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Cornell University Extension</a></li> 471<li><a href="http://www.findthedata.org/">Find the Data</a></li> 472<li><a href="http://www.finegardening.com/pguide/pronunciation-guide-to-botanical-latin.aspx" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Fine Gardening Plant Pronunciation Guide</a></li> 473<li><a href="http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/2008/09/the-garden-writ.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Garden Writers Discussion Board</a></li> 474<li><a href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder.aspx">Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder</a></li> 475<li><a href="http://plantfacts.osu.edu" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Plant Facts</a></li> 476<li><a href="http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Plant Hardiness Zone Map</a></li> 477<li><a href="http://blog.lib.umn.edu/efans/ygnews/2012/04/flowering-plant-video-library.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">U of MN Flowering Plant Video Library</a></li> 478<li><a href="http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/">UBC Botanical Garden</a></li> 479<li><a href="http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/">University of Minnesota Extension Service</a></li> 480<li><a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">USDA Plant Databases</a></li> 481<li><a href="http://www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/insectgallery/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">What Insect Is This?</a></li> 482<li><a href="http://www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/diagnostics/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">What's Wrong With My Plant?</a></li> 483 484 </ul> 485</div> 486</div> 487 488<div class="clear"></div> 489</div> 490 <div id="footer-container"> 491 <div id="footer"> 492 <div id="footer-columns"> 493 <div class="four-columns"> 494 495 </div> 496 <div class="four-columns"> 497 498 </div> 499 <div class="four-columns"> 500 501 </div> 502 <div class="four-columns-4"> 503 504 </div> 505</div> 506</div> 507</div> 508<div id="copyrights"> 509<h5>
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