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Backyard Wildlife Gardening

Winter Care of an Outdoor Water Garden

Winter Care of an Outdoor Water Garden

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

Depending on what kind of water feature you have, there are some winter preparations you should have already made because we are well into the season for freezing temperatures. However, if you do what I do and keep your small water garden from freezing with a bird bath de-icer, there is not much winter preparation that is necessary. Winter maintenance may be a little different, however.

Bird bath de-icer
Bird bath de-icer

The de-icer I’m using does not keep the water at tropical temperatures, it just keeps it above freezing. I moved my live plants back inside in the fall because none of the ones I have would survive winter temperatures here. If you are warming the water in any way, you may see an increase in evaporation in the winter. Check your water feature frequently and top off with new water if needed.

My current water garden fish are native Missouri minnows so they don’t need warm water – they just need at least part of the surface to be ice-free so they can get enough oxygen. If the water temperature is below 50 degrees, refrain from feeding your fish because they can’t digest the food as well and the water may get polluted. Fish are more sluggish when it’s cold and may be more vulnerable to predators – raccoons and several species of herons live in my neighborhood for example. If you don’t have an area already where fish can hide from predators, you may want to add one. You could use driftwood, rocks, artificial plants, artificial floating rocks, planting pots or anything you have on hand that is aquarium safe to build an underwater shelter.

Keeping my water garden clean is very easy in the warm months – once a week I siphon debris off of the bottom with an aquarium gravel vacuum and change 20% of the water. As I do this I also rinse out the sponge filter. My water garden is small, only 30 gallons, so this is just as easy as maintaining an aquarium. Larger water gardens would need to be managed differently. In the cold months vacuuming the bottom is not a very pleasant job so I don’t do it as often. It’s probably not as necessary in winter with the fish eating less, but you should regularly clean the filter if you have one and if you run it in winter. Periodically sweep debris out if possible with a leaf skimmer or net. If birds like to drink and bathe in your water feature they can cause a water quality issue with their waste and by dropping food in it, as can decomposing leaves and plant parts that fall in.

Categories
Backyard Wildlife Gardening Sustainability

Plant Milkweed Now to Help Monarchs

Plant Milkweed Now to Help Monarchs

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

If you have been doing any reading about gardening lately, you have probably encountered many articles urging people to plant milkweeds for Monarch butterflies whose numbers have declined at an alarming rate in recent years. At the risk of bringing up a topic again that is already well-covered, I will mention milkweeds because right now is a great time to plant them. Milkweed seeds need a period of cold in order to germinate. Last year I simulated that effect by cold-stratifying Common Milkweed and Swamp Milkweed seeds in the refrigerator – a successful effort that resulted in many new plants. This year I’m going to use nature to accomplish the task.

The photo above shows a Monarch caterpillar on the left and monarch chrysalis on the right on swamp milkweed in my garden. My proudest garden achievement of 2015!

The most recent issue of Missouri Conservationist has a timely article about planting milkweeds. They recommend planting the seeds outdoors in January or February in weed-free bare soil. Press the seeds into the soil. If planting into pots, sprinkle 1/4 inch of soil on top of the seeds and press down. Place the pot in a sunny exposed area and water regularly after the seeds sprout. Transplant after the plants have two to three sets of true leaves.

If you start milkweed seeds this winter you will probably not get any flowers from your milkweeds until next year, but caterpillars can still use them as a host plant until then. Try planting some annuals among them to add color and hide leaves that caterpillars have chewed until you get blooms. When they do flower, get ready for quite a show of winged visitors! Schnarr’s carries three varieties of Milkweed seeds – pick some up now to improve your habitat!

Categories
Gardening

Start Some of Your Spring Planting Right Now! Part 1

Start Some of Your Spring Planting Right Now! Part 1

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

I live in a condo and space is very limited. As a result I haven’t done much experimenting with starting seeds indoors so far. Over the last year I’ve been updating the Calendar on the Schnarr’s Blog with planting times of some of the seeds that we sell in the store and a few others that I grow. My source for these planting times, indoor or outdoor, is using the average first and last frost dates for the St. Louis area as a guide along with the When to Plant App published by Mother Earth News. It’s amazing how early some of these dates are. This year I want to see what kind of success I can have actually following the schedule and not just throwing some seeds in the ground when I have time!

Since I collect and save seeds from year to year, first I took inventory of what I have and used the Calendar as a guide to see when to start the seeds. Three of the seeds in my stash, Yucca filamentosa, Purple Coneflower and Columbine will be ready to plant indoors in mid-January. I refreshed my memory about starting seeds by reading some articles on the Dave’s Garden web site.

I have some work to do before I’m ready to plant but I am making sure I have on hand the following:

Seeds*
Covered growing containers with a clear lid*
Peat pellets*
Sterile seed starting soil*
Spray bottle for watering*
Plant markers*
A source of light for the seeds*
A source of heat for the seeds
Gardening journal for notes
*Available at Schnarr’s


When I get ready to plant, I’m going to make a page in my journal about each plant I’m attempting to sprout and make notes about what conditions the seeds require, then I will do my best to meet those requirements. I’m planning to make use of an aquarium that is currently empty to house some of the seeds. The aquarium light will act as both a light and heat source and the lid will help hold in moisture to create a mini-greenhouse. As an experiment, in an atrium in a building where I am renting a studio, I’m going to put some covered seed starter trays with some of the same species of seeds to see where they do better. I already have some of my house plants over there. Gardening involves a lot of trial and error – I will take good notes so in the future I will know what worked and what didn’t.


Here are some examples of seed starting supplies you can pick up at Schnarr’s:


Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Mix

Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Mix

Garden Markers
Garden Markers

Jiffy Seed Starter Kit
Jiffy Seed Starter Kit
Categories
Gardening

Schnarr’s Hardware is launching a new gardening newsletter

Schnarr’s Hardware is launching a new gardening newsletter

Garden Notes from Scharr's Newsletter

Our bi-weekly email will include lawn and garden ideas and fun projects with an emphasis on seasonal tips to help you enjoy your garden all year round.

If you would like to receive our new gardening email newsletter, “Garden Notes from Schnarr’s”, please click the button below and fill out the short form.

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Categories
Backyard Wildlife Gardening

Native Plant Seeds

Native Plant Seeds

Some of the native plant seeds available at Schnarr's
Some of the native plant seeds available at Schnarr’s

In my recent article, Gardening for the Birds I suggested planting more native plants in your yard and garden to attract a more robust population of birds. Schnarr’s has several varieties of native seeds in stock and fall is a good time to plant many perennials. Next year you should be enjoying more birds if you plant some of these seeds now:

Butterfly MilkweedAsclepias tuberosa

Showy MilkweedAsclepias speciosa

Common MilkweedAsclepias syriaca

ColumbineAquilegia caerulea

Chocolate FlowerBerlandiera lyrata

RudbeckiaRudbeckia hirta

PenstemonPenstemon barbatus

Little BluestemSchizachyrium scoparium

Purple ConeflowerEchinacea purpurea

You can purchase the following native plant seeds now for planting in the spring – see our Calendar for planting times tailored to the St. Louis area. Seeds make a great holiday gift for the bird lover or gardener in your life! Great for party favors too!

SunflowerHelianthus annuus

CosmosCosmos bipinnatus

SalviaSalvia farinacea

California PoppyEschscholzia californica