I spied a Robin last week and again this morning. The plump, red-red bird bob-bobbing for worms along my garden path is often among the first indicators that spring has arrived, or at least uncommonly warm days that mimic spring. For me the best sign of spring's arrival is a sighting of my resident garter snakes. I saw one yesterday.

I'm really not an "ophiophilist", a snake lover or someone with a special fondness for snakes. They always give me a start when I detect a slithering shadow at my feet. Jumping sideways or a few feet into the air is a common response. The idea of trying to pick one up doesn't enter my mind because I'm certain it will never happen. But I like having garter snakes in my garden.

There are two snakes that enjoy my planting spaces. One is substantially bigger than the other and is usually the one I spot first. He tends to hang out at a big rock I placed at the base of our deck stairs just for his benefit. It was the smaller one I saw yesterday.

As a gardener, seeing snakes tells me that the ground is warming up and soil organisms are becoming active. Snakes are reptiles, cold-blooded creatures that slow their metabolism dramatically in winter and cold periods. Commonly thought of as hibernation, for them it is actually called "brumation".

To avoid freezing their slender bodies in our frigid winter conditions they find a deep spot below the frost line underground and wait for warm weather to return. My snakes live somewhere under my backyard sidewalk. I've seen both of them enter and exit at a spot close to the garage steps. I assume they found a route to the base of the house foundation possibly benefiting from some residual heat our home emits in winter. I've seen them curled up together near their rock so I also assume they brumate together, sharing their body warmth.

For months they don't eat. They enter brumation with an empty stomach so that any food in there won't spoil and rot when their metabolism slows down. At some point they detect warming conditions and venture out to eat. If the ground were still frozen, the worms and frogs that make up part of their diet would be absent so they only arrive when the food is present.

That's why I like knowing they're active again. The earthworms are moving through the soil. The presence of the snakes and the robins confirm this. When the soil is warm enough for the worms it's usually warm enough for plant roots. That means I can consider planting and sowing soon.

Of course there are other considerations for planting. Last frost date, soil temperatures for germination, length of daylight, snow possibility, and many other factors come into play before I put anything in the ground. One snake's appearance is not enough to override good gardening decision-making, but it is ample evidence for good things to come.

Spring is really here! It has been unseasonably warm, but I've been fooled by our finicky weather before. This time it looks like it's here to stay. Long-term weather forecasts confirm it (for now) and at least one snake is venturing out of his safe winter home to test the hypothesis.

There are still many chores and tasks to finish to fully prepare my garden for the season. Occasional cold days and nights are still ahead for the next five or six weeks. It's not clear sailing yet, but a little snake is enough to lighten my spirits and brighten my day.

Potatoes are easy to grow in a vegetable garden. They can be started in cool weather so spring is a great time to plant, a couple weeks before your last frost date. Chit them, plant them, follow standard garden habits, and in a few months you dig up your harvest.

I've written previously about some concerns with potatoes in a home garden. With standard growing methods you devote a lot of space for little comparable payout. There are many other delicious vegetables and fruits that you can grow in the same space for a better investment. In other words, it's far cheaper to buy a 20-pound bag of potatoes from the grocery store than to grow the same quantity, and unlike many crops like tomatoes and squash, potatoes from the garden don't taste much different than store-bought.

Potatoes are a crop that shouldn't be grown in the same spot as the previous year. You should actually rotate the locations on at least a three-year cycle to avoid some diseases and soil issues. This can be difficult for many gardeners with small gardens.

Potatoes grow deep and like to be planted in loose, well-amended soil. Preparing the planting bed can be hard work and keeping the soil evenly moist through the growing season requires a lot of water and attention.
 
Another concern arises at harvest. Using a spade or garden fork to dig up the potatoes invariably results in some sliced and speared tubers. It's hard to dig up all of the potatoes damage-free. I've tried many techniques and always injure some of my crop, regardless of how careful I am.

All of these issues can be dealt with by growing potatoes vertically, in a potato tower. A small space and big payout, easy rotation, easy maintenance, and easy harvesting make this an ideal method for growing potatoes.

The concept is simple: you start potatoes in an enclosed vertical planter and add soil and compost as the plant grows. Many potatoes will grow roots and ultimately new tubers wherever the main stalk is covered with soil. A seed potato planted in a garden bed will give you a handful of potatoes at harvest. If that same plant is covered with soil when it is about eight inches tall (20 cm), it will produce tubers at the original harvest depth and again at the new level. If covered with soil when it reaches eight inches again, it will produce another harvest level.

A tower three or four feet (1 to 1.3 meters) tall can multiple the quantity of potatoes that a single plant normally produces. A small planting footprint gives you a harvest comparable to a large planting bed. Just two pounds of seed potatoes can give you more than 20 pounds at harvest.

I begin making a potato tower with welded metal fencing four feet tall. A piece 12 feet long (3.6 meters) makes a tower about four feet wide when the ends are attached together. A potato tower four feet tall and four feet wide can hold many tubers. The wide tower is very stable and won't tip over like slender ones can.

I select an unused spot in my garden for a tower. Since it needs just a four-foot space it can be almost anywhere. The base soil is amended and loosened as deep as possible. In this soil, I plant the prepared seed potatoes  about 4 inches deep (10 cm) and 12-15 inches apart (30-40 cm) within the four-foot ring. You can plant closer together but the final potatoes will be smaller.

Water to keep the soil moist and in a few weeks there will be potato plants growing within the tower. When the plants are about eight inches tall cover with soil, though I prefer a mix of straw and compost. The straw and compost will not weigh as much as soil and stays within the open-wire ring better. Also, it retains moisture very well and reduces the amount of watering the tower needs. If you choose to use a well-amended soil for each new level, you'll need to support the tower with rebar stakes and wrap it with fabric or plastic to keep the soil from spilling out.

Keep evenly watered and in no time the plants will be about eight inches tall again. Cover with more straw and compost. Continue this process two or three times. Ultimately you'll have 32 or 40 inches (.8 - 1.2 m) of soil or straw and compost inside the ring. You've effectively created a potato taproot more than three-feet long (1 meter) with tubers growing along the entire length.

Keep the plants watered throughout the summer and during flowering. A few weeks after they flower they'll turn yellow and begin to die back. Stop watering at this point and let the plants rest for a week or two.

My favorite part of growing a potato tower comes at harvest. A couple weeks after the dieback, the ends of the metal fencing are released and the entire contents of the tower spill out. At this point it's very easy to pluck the potatoes from the soil and loose compost and straw. Not a single tuber is pierced, sliced, or damaged in any way.

Another huge benefit of a potato tower is revealed at that point too. The compost and partially decomposed straw mix are perfect amendments for my garden soil. Turning it into the existing soil at that spot makes it suitable for new plants in the next year -- just not more potatoes. An out-of the-way garden location has just been primed for more crops.
 
The tower can be constructed with many other materials. Some gardeners use old tires. Plant the seed potatoes and cover the spot with an auto tire. When the plant reaches the top of the tire, fill it with soil and stack a new tire on top. Continue stacking until the tower is four or five tires high. At harvest just remove the tires to reveal the tubers.

You can also make a planting square with cinder blocks. You follow the same basic procedure of adding soil and stacking a new level of cinder blocks. At harvest, just one wall of the tower needs to be removed to access the crop. If you have carpentry skills you can built a wooden box with removable slats for your tower.

Growing potatoes in your garden, particularly in a tower, gives you great flexibility with which varieties of potato you choose. However not all potatoes will grow new tubers along the entire taproot. Some varieties like Russet will provide a bountiful harvest. Red Pontiac and fingerling potatoes do well. Others like Yukon Gold will not. I prefer Yukon Gold on my dinner table so even though I use the tower method I don't need to fill the tower more than a few feet tall because it won't increase the quantity at harvest.

Typically, indeterminate potatoes should do best in a tower. I haven't found a definitive authority or list identifying all of the varieties that will work so if you have a favorite potato try it in a tower and let me know your results.

A potato tower allows you to create a new planting bed without dedicating prime gardening real estate; you can save your raised beds and open rows for other crops. It gives you great flexibility in how many potatoes you grow and where you put them. After harvest the same tower can be used again the next year for a new crop, ideal garden recycling.

If you grow potatoes, consider a potato tower. You may never revert to the old system again.

Like restless people spending a nice spring day looking for a new apartment, many active birds are searching for a new abode in the warming sun. With a little effort you can play landlord and make their search easier. Build a birdhouse.

I understand that not every gardener relishes the idea of encouraging more birds to invade their planting beds. One of the nice things about making a birdhouse is that you can design it for specific birds. You get to choose which birds move into your neighborhood and which ones have to look elsewhere.

Every bird has unique requirements when it comes to their housing. The entrance hole needs to be a certain size, the inner cavern can't be too big or too small, it has to be a certain height above the ground, the proximity to trees or grass or buildings matters. Vary any of these factors and you change the appeal of the house for different birds. By focusing on combining these attributes you can encourage favorite birds to move in.

I'll use the House Wren as an example. Wrens are pretty little song birds common to all of the Americas and can be a great benefit to gardeners. Unlike my nemesis the Magpies which seem to enjoy eating the seeds, berries, and fruit in my garden, wrens primarily eat insects, slugs, and snails. Attracting more wrens improves my pest control plan.

Wrens have very basic housing requirements. A nest made up of twigs, hair, bark, and moss, in a cavity a few meters above the ground is all they need. Building a wooden box and placing it where they can find it is all that's necessary to promote their arrival. So I made some wren bird houses.

I started with a standard wooden fence board that can be found at most big box home and garden centers. A one inch by six inch cedar plank, four feet long (1" x 6" x 4') is enough to make one house. This board will be cut into six pieces, one for each side of the box that becomes the bird house.

There are no fancy cuts or designs. The birds don't care if it matches your home decor or if it has won a design contest. They're just looking for a hole where they can make their nest. This bird house is just a wood box. You can decorate and paint it if you like, but it's not necessary.

The back of the house is 11 inches long; this is the longest piece and provides extra space to secure the bird house to a fencepost or tree. The front and two sides are eight inches long. The floor is four inches deep. The roof is 8 1/2 inches long and provides an overhang to help keep rain out. Lay out the board and mark lines at 11", 8", 8", 8", 4", and 8 1/2" for straight cuts.

On one of the wall pieces a hole is drilled about six inches from the bottom. This is the most important part of building a wren house, or any bird house. The hole needs to be 1 1/8 inch to 1 1/4 inch in diameter and it needs to be a specific height above the floor. Change the size and you change the occupant. If you cut the hole 1 1/2 inches wide you're inviting sparrows, swallows, and bluebirds. Believe it or not, 1/8 of an inch can make a big difference.

At this point you put all the pieces together to form a box. I start by nailing together the floor and one side wall. A pneumatic finish nailer makes the job faster, but finish nails and a hammer will work fine too.

Turn the piece over and connect the other side. Using exterior wood glue at the joints will make the house stronger.

With the two sides and floor together, attach the front piece, being sure to line up and square all edges.

Attach the back piece allowing for an inch to 1 1/2 inch overlap at both the top and bottom. Holes drilled in this overlap is what you'll use to attach the bird house to a post or tree.

To prevent water and moisture buildup inside the house, drill some drainage holes in the bottom. A 1/4 inch drill bit works well.

For extra ventilation, drill a few holes at the top of each side. After drilling the holes shake out extra sawdust from the inside of the house.

The top piece is not nailed into position. One side or the top needs to be removable so the house can be cleaned out at the end of the season and readied for new occupants the next spring. You can make a pivoting side piece where you put pivot nails at the top of each edge and use a screw to secure the bottom. I find it easier to drill holes in the top and connect the top piece with screws so it can be removed as needed.

The birdhouse is complete. Mount it in a tree, under the eaves, or on a fence or wall about two to three meters high and hang out a rental sign for wrens.

Bird houses can be made with just about any wood. Pine is cheap and available, but it tends to have sanded surfaces and the rough wood of the cedar I use actually helps baby birds get a grip and climb from the nest. If you use smooth pine, rough up the interior walls.

You don't need to put a perch at the entrance of the house. Most birds can land on the edge of the hole and climb inside without assistance.

Predators are a definite concern with bird houses. If you mount it on a pole or post you might want to attach a metal guard to prevent squirrels, raccoons, or cats from climbing up. You can also buy predator guards that fit around the entrance hole to keep the same animals from reaching in the nest; attaching another piece of wood with the same hole dimensions to double the entrance depth can work too.

You can find many guidelines and plans for birdhouses online and at the library. I found great information and plans at www. 50birds.com. Enter "how to make bird houses" on google and you'll get millions of suggestions.

If you like birds in your garden and want to attract more, consider building a bird house. It's easy, inexpensive, and encourages wildlife in your garden.

Go to www.50birds.com

We got our chicks yesterday. My wife and I had been holding out for the chick arrival at a nearby feed store in a few weeks, but we journeyed to a different farm and ranch supply and decided to buy three small, energetic, balls of fluff on the spot. I'd avoided the urge a few weeks ago, despite their uncontrollable cuteness, because the store employees had no idea what breeds the chicks were. The other, local feed store staff knows precisely what they are getting, but we've been chomping at the bit to get chicks and didn't want any more delay so we decided to take the plunge into the unknown.

Last year I wrote about choosing specific breeds of chickens for specific purposes (see the bottom of the page). We live in a very cold region, want lots of eggs, and have grandchildren that will play with the chickens. Not every chicken breed can handle the cold, will lay in quantity, and are calm and social enough to tolerate kids. After researching their differences, I selected a handful of breeds that fit easily into all three of those categories.

By buying chicks without a known pedigree, we were putting ourselves at risk for choosing chickens that are inappropriate for our plan. But, gosh, they sure are cute.

I was also determined to get female chicks, or pullets, because laying is our primary reason for getting chickens. When you purchase chicks you typically have two options: buy "straight run" chicks that are pulled straight from the incubator after hatching and are a mix of male and female chicks; or buy "pullets" that have been sexed by an expert to identify them as female. The sexing process adds about a dollar to the price of the pullets, but I think it's worth it to avoid the 50/50 chance that a straight run chick might turn into a rooster.

But my wife was in a gambling mood and thought it would be fun to try a straight run chick. So we went home with two unidentified pullets and a chick of unknown sex.

The brooder was ready for them. I built it a few weeks ago in preparation of our inevitable purchase. With the food, water, heat lamp, and shaved wood bedding in place, my wife placed them in their new home and we stood back, grinning, like new, proud parents.

And like a proud papa I took photos of the event. Partly to document the process, but also to start working on the identification of these unknown orphans. Like a TV detective, I started combing the internet for clues.

A bit surprisingly, I didn't find a central database for baby chicks. Most of the photos and identification charts have been compiled by average people who like chickens and put together websites on the subject. Most just document a few different breeds. Even many of the university or extension sites link to these website efforts of passionate chickeners. One of the best is feathersite.com. It offers pages of chick photos for comparison.

Two of my favorite sites, mypetchicken.com and backyardchickens.com, have great photos but you have to know what you're looking for to begin. They don't have the grand chart that shows all of the different chicks side by side so you can look and decide. Like feathersite.com, you enter with the name of a breed and then see what the results are.

Luckily, because on my earlier research, I had a basic idea of what chicks we had. At least enough of an idea to make the search relatively quick.

The first chick I confirmed is a Rhode Island Red. This is good news because this was one of my finalists in the chicken selection competition I conducted last year. They're good layers, are friendly, and handle cold well.

The second chick was a little more difficult to identify because it looks like so many other chicks in a blind, random internet search. I'm pretty sure it's a New Hampshire Red. This news isn't as good, but isn't bad. Though New Hampshire Reds were derived from Rhode island Reds, they tend to produce fewer eggs. However, they can handle the cold and are friendly.

The third chick, the possible rooster, was the hardest to figure out and I'm pretty sure, but not positive, that's it's an Ameraucana or Easter Egger. Those names are often used interchangeably and depending on the source each is the preferred title; it depends on how purebred they are. This breed just missed the cut on my earlier list so it's not a bad determination. Easter Eggers are friendly and calm and lay colored eggs, perfect for grandkids.

So it looks like our impulse buy turned out okay. I think I might still get a couple more chicks from the feed store when they come in, assuming they are among my top-five choices, but for a starter flock these three will work fine.

Now the day-to-day chicken chores begin. They need regular and clean food and water. They also need lots of warmth and cleanliness in their home. I have little doubt they'll get much attention and love.

I'll write about the entire chicken journey as it progresses. It's already great fun.

Link to:
 
My "Choosing Chickens" blog
feathersite.com chick page
backyardchickens.com
mypetchicken.com

Forget March 20th, today is my spring, or vernal, equinox. More accurately it's my vernal "equilux". On the equilux, day equals night, sunrise and sunset are exactly 12 hours apart. Technically the equinox is the point in time when the sun is directly above the equator. It's commonly associated with the solstice and we recognize the day as the beginning of spring; on the calendar that will be March 20. Specific equiluxes around the world vary from that day depending on latitude and mine is today.

While many gardeners look forward to the equinox or solstice or beginning of spring as a transition day, to me the equilux is more exciting.  This is the day I've been looking for as I note the sunrise and sunset times in the local paper. I don't have to wait four more days to celebrate the season. Starting tomorrow the sun stays up longer each day. The soil will warm, the buds will break, green will pop forth throughout the landscape. Spring is definitely in the air.
 
Life has begun and will continue to explode around me. It's a tad ironic that the day began with a woodpecker tap-tapping on the outside wall above our headboard. 

The thought that for the next six months I'll have more time to enjoy the sun is warming. I love gardening throughout the year, but I tend to like it more when I don't have to put a coat on. A hot sun and warm soil work well together. Symbolically, today is when it begins to happen for me.

There will be more time for gardening each day. More time to get my fingers dirty. More time to sow, plant, water, weed, prune, and harvest. More time to do what I love to do.

Mentally a threshold has been crossed. The chains of winter have been broken. My equilux is today and my growing season begins. Warm and productive days await. It helps that we're expected to set a record high temperature this afternoon.
 
I'm headed outside to do some of the garden clean up that seemed like a chore when the skies were grey and the wind was chilled. Now the same task seems more like easy preparation for the seeds and transplants that will follow soon.

I'm enthusiastic. There is so much to do and already there doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything done. But I'm more than willing to make it all happen and enjoy myself in the process. What a difference a day makes.

Not all seeds and seed mixes are equal, but some are more equal that others. When it comes time to make a seed purchase, take a few minutes to analyze the seeds and make an informed decision. Spoiler alert: there's math involved.

For a demonstration, I purchased three different sizes of wildflower seed mixes from local garden centers. The flowers that result after sowing are very similar in the different mixes so for our purposes they're the same blend. But even for seed mixes that are alike, packet quantity and prices can vary dramatically.

A 7 gram wildflower mix packet cost about $2 US (30 cents per gram), a 113 gram packet cost about $5 (4.5 cents per gram) and  a 640 gram bag cost about $10 (1.5 cents per gram). That's quite a difference in cost effectiveness and at first glance, the big bag is clearly the best deal.

Closer analysis shows less of a difference. On the back of the seed packets or bags you'll find a label that lists the specific seeds contained and the composition of the mix. While the 640 gram bag lists an impressive array of flowers, it also shows that 95.89% of the mix is inert matter, walnut hulls. Only 4.11% of the seed mix is actually seeds. The actual flower seed weight is 30 grams. That makes the cost for those seeds about 33 cents per gram.

That's a surprise. The smallest packet, which seemed to be the most expensive, is now less costly. It's 30 cents versus 33 cents per gram, a 10 percent difference.

The 113 gram packet reveals that there is 81.25% inert material and only 21 grams of actual seed in the box. That makes the cost of those seeds about 24 cents per gram. The middle size packet is about one-fourth as expensive as the other two.

So why is there such a disparity in price? Why are there three different sizes in the first place? And what's with the inert matter?

For the most part it comes down to how we gardeners sow our seeds. The seed distributors have designed the seed packets to match the needs of the consumer. A problem arises in that many of the consumer gardeners don't know what their needs really are.

I'm here to help. Let's start by comparing the two larger sizes, with inert matter in the mixes. The middle size, the one that is obviously the best relative price, says that it will "plant" 50 to 75 square feet. The largest bag, the most expensive, says it will "cover" up to 1000 square feet. What?!

The largest bag has just 50 percent more seed but will cover up to 2000 percent more space?! At first glance that doesn't make much sense. But that's where the walnut hulls come into play. The bits of walnut act as little spacers to make sowing more effective. Believe it or not, fewer seeds can actually cover a larger area when you add fillers to the mix.
 
Have you sown individual seeds in a furrow or over open soil? Ever notice that the seeds tend to clump together? You get a couple seeds side by side in one spot, maybe three or four close together some place else, and unevenly spaced seeds everywhere. It's usually not a big deal because we know that thinning out the little seedlings is part of gardening. After the seeds sprout we go back and pluck out the seedlings that are too close to others so that they are more evenly spaced. Sure, it's a waste of seed, but that's the way gardeners do it.

When you have inert matter in a seed mix and sow the same way, now there's a better chance that when the little bits hit the soil and they clump together a part of the mass will be seed and part will be the inert matter. The higher the percentage of inert matter, the higher the possibility that individual seeds will be separate from each other. The middle-size seed packet has fewer seeds and less filler than the big bag, but when you sow the seed mix it will separate in a similar way.
 
A visual inspection of the mixes shows a difference in the size of the inert matter. The big bag, with larger distribution capability, has much larger chunks of walnut hulls than the middle box which appears to have little pieces of corn cob. Similar size piles of the mixes shows a distribution of many more seeds when the inert matter is small. The bag with big chunks of walnut hulls actually had comparatively few seeds in a pile.

So the big pieces of filler separate the seeds better and when you sow the mix you can expect wide distribution of the seeds. The big bag of seeds is designed to "cover" a very large area, in this case up to 1000 square feet. The bag itself has a built-in plastic baffle to help spread the seeds even more effectively. For a large space you can swing the bag, spread the seed, and expect that you'll have flowers pop up throughout the area. An actual count of of the flowers that germinate will show that you'll only have about 50 percent more than in the smaller area that the middle box is designed to "plant", the same difference as the total seed quantity.

Let's get back to the small packet that is 100 percent seed. The distribution of the seed is only as good as your fingers can control. Theoretically, the seed can cover up to 250 square feet; it's about a quarter of the actual seed count of the big bag that can do 1000 square feet. Try as I might, I don't think I can take a handful of small seeds and evenly spread it over such a large zone.

I might be able to get closer to 25 square feet; the pure seed is about one-third the amount as the middle-size mix and that's one-third the coverage to "plant" the 75 square feet on the label. Looking at the number of seeds in the packet, I think it's a pretty good estimate of the seed coverage. However, I'd be lucky to not dump all the seed in one clump on the soil.

So now we get down to the terminology on the seed packets and how we intend to sow the seed. The big seed mix bag will "cover" up to 1000 square feet. That means that you can spread the mix and expect that you'll get a fairly even distribution of flowers separated over a large area. You've "covered" that space with the seed and inert matter mix, but haven't filled it with plants.

The middle mix will "plant" up to 75 square feet. Again you'll get even distribution of separated flowers, but you can expect that they'll grow closer together. This may be what you want if you're looking for a space to be filled by plants.

The small packet of pure seed gives you the greatest control over how thick your planting becomes. There is no guidance on the label for expected coverage, it's up to you. If you want well-spaced plants you can try and broadcast the seed over a large area. If you want plants close to each other you can sow in a small space and thin seedlings as needed.

Three sizes of seed mix means three different ways to sow and three different outcomes of flower spacing. Comparing these three packets, you pay more for the privilege of covering a large area or to have control over sowing a smaller area. The best price, the middle size, may actually be the best deal also. For a gardener looking to sow an average size bed of 50 to 75 square feet, that mix should provide even seed distribution and effectively fill the bed with plants.

For a smaller bed it makes sense to buy the smaller packet and try to get even distribution by hand. For a very large area it makes sense to pay more for the ability to evenly distribute the seed.

It comes down to you and what you want to do with the seed. Before you make your seed purchase based on cost alone, take a look at labels and compare them. Find the seed packet that most closely matches how you sow and your desired outcome. In the long run you'll probably save yourself time, effort, and money.

Did you ever plan a vacation to Florida and get off the plane in North Dakota? Would you want to? I once left Hawaii where it was 82F degrees (28C) and sunny and landed hours later in Montana where it was -10F (-23C) degrees and snowing. It's an experience I don't recommend repeating.

Late winter often provides some of us similar extremes and we don't have to leave home to experience them. Residents along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains are in the middle of such an event and much of the Eastern U.S. will follow soon.

Yesterday we enjoyed a high temperature near 70F degrees (21C). Today will be about 45F (7C) and tomorrow we'll be lucky to reach 30F (-1C) for a daily high. The low temperature tonight will reach 10F (-12C). Along with an 80-degree temperature difference in just over a day, we'll also receive inches of snow.

I knew about the forecast temperature in Montana when I left Hawaii and was able to put warm clothes on in the airplane. I can do the same tonight and tomorrow for this storm. But my plants are like the vacationers to Florida. They're prepared for sunny, warm weather and are about to be surprised by an unexpected arrival in Minot, North Dakota.

This is the time of year that can lead to damage and death of many garden plants. During the gradual climate changes of fall and early winter, plants prepare for cold conditions and change their growth cycles accordingly. In late winter and early spring as weather and soil warms, many plants come back to life and begin growing again. When a sudden burst of arctic cold interrupts that cycle they can suffer.

As a concerned and conscientious gardener it's my job to try to reduce that suffering. By taking a few simple precautions I can limit plant damage when faced with a huge temperature swing.
 
It's important to note that not all plants need protecting when conditions like these threaten. I encourage gardeners to make a regular survey of their gardens. That's why I'm often wandering through the garden at this time of year to check on plant growth. Many sections of my yard are still buried in snow and have no new growth. Some shaded spots still have frozen ground. It's only the areas that have started to thaw and where the plants have responded that need attention.

And even in those areas not every plant is a concern. There are perennial plants like some of my daisies and penstemons that shrug off the cold. The strawberries are peeking above the mulch but can handle freezing conditions. Many groundcovers don't care how cold they get. A lot of plants stay partially green even through cold winters and are ready to grow rapidly when spring finally arrives. A sudden 80-degree temperature shift may slow them down but it won't kill them. I'm not worried about those plants.

It's the bushes and small trees that concern me most. Buds begin to open and grow on the warm days and they're not designed to handle extreme cold. If they grow too soon in the season and get hit by harsh cold, damaged buds affect branch, flower, and fruit growth. I've had an entire apricot tree lose its blossoms in an April freeze.

A tarp or blanket thrown over the plant can head off disaster. By shielding the plant and holding in some of the heat from the warm day, a simple covering can prevent serious damage. You may not be able to protect the entire bush or tree, but anything saved is good. You can't cover larger bushes and trees and they will probably lose buds in severe temperature changes, but their size and girth should provide some natural protection.

Small and young perennial plants are most susceptible. I lost 10 lavender plants about this time last year. They were planted in early fall and made it through the winter fine. I kept them covered with protective straw through the worst months. A fellow master gardener and I checked their new growth after early-season, warm weather and confirmed they were alive, supple, and doing well. A devastating cold surge a week later changed all that.

Simple milk jug coverings can cover and save small plants. The protective umbrella holds some of the soil and plant heat in, usually enough to counter the sudden cold. If they're sturdy or if you provide short supports, a tarp thrown over a grouping of plants can save them all. The concept is just to give them some protection from the cold.

A close look at the forecast can save you some effort and worry. Snow is a great insulator and actually provides protection. Snow does not get much colder than 32F degrees (0C). That's warmer than our current average night temperatures so any buds that are growing can handle 32 degrees. A blanket of snow provides a relatively constant temperature that can be well above the extreme low temperature of outside air.

So that means that if the forecast calls for inches of snow before the severe cold temperatures, a natural blanket will help the plants and less covering may be needed. If the forecast has the cold temperatures coming before the snow, that's when you have to take protective action.

By focusing on plants you know are growing and that you know are susceptible to cold damage you can center your protective efforts. By analyzing the type of weather expected you can decide how much action is necessary.

In the end, how many of your plants survive drastic and severe temperature changes may be up to you. I'll take another look this afternoon before temperatures plummet to make a final evaluation. My tarps and milk jugs are ready.

Making seed balls is a great garden project for gardeners of all ages. A seed ball is a small object that packs seeds together with a growing medium for planting. The concept is accredited to Masanobu Fukuoko, a Japanese farmer and philosopher who developed the basic formula of mixing clay with humus or compost, and seeds. The balls can be sown in a "natural farming" method where soil tilling isn't necessary. The seed balls are thrown or laid on the soil and nature's rains dissolve them to reveal and germinate the seeds.
 
Last week I wrote about "seed bombs" and how to make them. Seed bombs are essentially seed balls with a sometimes nefarious purpose. The clay and compost balls are tossed into vacant city lots or barren fields and flowers and grasses sprout depending on the seed in the seed bomb.

For a more aesthetic seed ball, a family gardening project, and a fun gift idea, consider making seed balls from recycled paper. Instead of clay and compost, paper holds the seeds together in the ball.

When water is added to paper it can be pulverized to a pulp. Seed is mixed with the paper pulp and turned into seed balls. These seed balls can be formed into many different shapes and made in many different colors.

To make the pulp you'll need a blender or food processor. I recommend using one that is old and not regularly used for your meals. Inks in the paper will be transferred to the plastic and are hard to clean. I purchased a used food processor from Goodwill for a few dollars. It's now dedicated to the task of making seed balls.

The paper needs to be torn or shredded before adding to the blender. If you pack in a wad of paper and then add water you'll probably burn up the motor pretty quickly. Smaller paper pieces work better.

I began with four full sheets (four pages each) of newspaper and ran the newspaper through my paper shredder. I've also used shredded bills and junk mail to make seed balls. The shredded paper breaks apart easily in the blender when water is added.


Working in batches, put the torn or shredded paper in the blender and add water. I've found that soaking the paper in a tub of water before adding it to the blender helps it break apart easier. Even if it was soaked beforehand you'll still need to add water to the blender.

We're talking about a lot of water. The four sheets of newspaper required cups and cups of water. I tried measuring to develop a precise recipe but stopped after the first batch. A couple handfuls of shredded paper required more than two cups of water.

The paper needs to turn into a mushy mash. The blades of the blender or food processor will rip the paper into shreds only when it is overly saturated. If you don't use enough water you'll get a clump that just bounces around the blender or stays in one place, not breaking apart. Add more water as the blender is blending until you get the paper thoroughly disintegrated and a mushy pulp develops.

Remove the pulp and set it in a bowl or put it into a colander to allow some of the water to drip out. Continue blending all your paper and water in small batches until all of it is pulp.

At this point try to remove a good part of the water by pressing or squeezing the pulp with your hands. Discard the water or save it for another batch. With the pulp very damp, but not dripping water, transfer it to your mixing bowl.

I added 1/4 cup of wildflower seeds to the entire pulpy mass that four sheets of newspaper produced. Using my hands I kneaded it all together like making bread dough. You want the seeds to be fully mixed into the paper pulp.

When it's all incorporated, takes small pieces of the mix and press them into molds, into cookie cutters, or form them with your hands into balls. I find that using small cookie cutters give you a greater variety of shapes to choose from. Keep adding the pulp and seed mixture until the mold is filled.

The seed balls will need to dry so removing as much water as you can at this point will accelerate the entire process. Begin by compacting the paper as much as you can to force water out and then soak up the water with paper towels or newspaper. These blotting materials can be turned into more seed balls later on.

Gently remove the seed balls from your mold and let them dry for a few days. Removing them allows you to use the mold for the next batch and also give the seed balls exposed surface area for drying. They'll expand slightly in the process.

By using water tinted with a few drops of food coloring you can get seed balls of any color you like. You can also try shredding colored paper and mixing that with water. Varying the shapes and colors provides wonderful gift opportunities.

While seed balls made with clay and compost can be thrown on the soil surface and will sprout, seed balls made with recycled paper work best when planted in pots beneath a thin layer of potting soil. The decorative shapes and colors make the planting a fun activity for kids.

Making seed balls with recycled paper works well on many levels. You reuse waste materials while adding fun to planting. It's not as messy as the clay seed balls can be and the finished products look better. The entire project takes just a few minutes and the paper seed balls can be stored for months before giving away or being planted.

If you're looking for a fun gardening project, try making recycled paper seed balls.

More info read my article "How to Make Seed Bombs."