FUN THINGS TO DO:

**Make a bird feeder using a pine cone. Put peanut butter on the tips and it hang outside.

**Feed the birds.  Come see us for different seeds for different birds. (Winter-berries are natural bird feeders)

               Birds need water in the winter.  Put out a pan daily.  They also like the cover of brush or shrubs.

**Get seeds from Village Greene and plan your garden for planting. (Make a drawing on paper to refer to)

**Put up a peanut feeder just for the squirrels. (Squirrel Appreciation Day is Jan.21st)

**Record daily high and low temperatures on a calendar.

**Build a simple birdhouse.

**Create a indoor terrarium. (succulents are very popular right now)

**Plan a trip to a botanical garden. (Longwood Gardens or New York Botanical)

CALENDAR:

**JAN. 1: NEW YEARS DAY! (Make resolution to start composting) (The colder it is, the more Rhody leaves curl)

**JAN. 5: FULL MOON. (Check out All-America Selections at www.all-americaselections.org)

**JAN. 10: HOUSEPLANT APPRECIATION DAY. ( BUY A HOUSEPLANT)

**JAN. 21: MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY. (Buy seeds and seed starting items now) 

            (Look for seeds that are disease resistant, especially tomatoes)(Use seed mat to speed up germination)

**JAN 30: PLANT PANSY AND VIOLA SEEDS. (If possible, start forcing some bulbs)

**FEB. 1: GROW SPROUTS INSIDE FOR NATURAL ADDITION TO ANY MEAL.

**FEB. 2: GROUNDHOG DAY. (Install fence to keep groundhogs out of garden)

**FEB. 7. CARY AWARDS. (Find the best New England plant award winners at www.caryaward.com)

**FEB. 12. LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY. (Give houseplants a shower to remove dust)

**FEB. 14: VALENTINE'S DAY. (Buy local flowers.  80% of flowers are imported)

**FEB. 18: PRESIDENT'S DAY/WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY.

**FEB. 19: FULL MOON. (Find Perennial plant of the year at www.perennialplant.org)

**FEB. 24: START ONIONS, LEEKS, AND CELERY INDOORS NOW

**FEB. 26: CUT FORSYTHIA SHOOTS AND BRING INSIDE TO FORCE.

CHORES/PROJECTS/MISC:

**Let houseplants dry between waterings to prevent bugs and diseases.

**Organize and clean your garden tools.

**Turn houseplants every few days to prevent them from growing toward the light.

**Snow cover helps prevent damage to most plants.

**Remove Amaryllis flower stalk after bloom but leave the foliage)

**Wood Ash is alternative to limestone for raising soil pH.

**Deer ticks are active any day the temperature is above freezing.

**Flat topped shrubs are easily damaged by snow.  Brush the snow off right away.

**Watch for damage from voles and other animals such as deer.