How to Attract Birds to Your Winter Garden

 

Temperatures drop and many plants go dormant in winter, but that doesn't mean your garden has to be quiet and lifeless. If you intentionally create a haven for birds, it can by a time of surprising vibrancy.

Here's what to do:

• Plant with purpose. Select plants with blooms or berries in the winter to privide much-needed food for birds. In the southeastern United States, some plants that grow well are junipers, holly, Blackhaw Viburnum, Wild Indigo, Beauty Berry, Golden Rod, and Partidge Pea.  
• Provide shelter. Leave some brush piles or stacked logs in a corner of the garden. Avoid cutting back dried perennials and ornamental grasses , add bird houses, try to have a quarter of your trees and shrubs be evergreen (like junipers and holly).
• Provide water:  Heated birdbaths (change water daily), shallow dishes with stones, slow-dripping containers all provide water. Remember to keep them elevated so cats and other predators can't get the birds.    

By incorporating these things into your winter garden, you'll create a welcoming haven for birds. 

Today's IWSG question is:  As a writer, what was the coolest gift I've ever received?  When my daughter visited Paris, she took a trip to see Monet's gardens. While there, she visited a gift shop and got me a blank writing book with one of Monet's paintings on the cover. This put together two things I really enjoy—writing and gardening. 

What about you? Have you ever received a cool writing gift?

Speaking of writing:  I'm excited to announce I have a new picture book out. Just in time for America's 250th birthday in 2026! 

    Here's the Amazon link:  https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Birthday-US-Sherry-Ellis/dp/196210124X/

And the last thing:  My book, Bubba and Squirt's Adventure's Around the World, published by Dancing Lemur Press, is in All Author's Cover of the Month Contest. If you like it, please consider voting for it.

Here's the link:  https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/20230/  Thank you!

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday season!

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park

 

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, located in Hamilton, Ohio, is a unique place to visit.  I took my kids here when they were little, and they had a great time exploring the huge sculptures.  The underground pyramid-shaped house, which is now a museum, is set in 265 acres of park-like grounds featuring 37 contemporary sculputures, gardens, 7 lakes, and quite a few hiking trails.  The museum contains displays of Roman, Egyptian, and Greek sculptures that are thousands of years old.  In fact, the goal of the museum is to have a collection which will demonstrate the complete history of sculpture by mankind.

 

The grounds are open year-round from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  The museum is open daily, from 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM.  Admission is $8.00 for adults, and $2.00 for children.

This month's IWSG question is, "How has life as a writer been? Is it what you expected?"

I didn't go into writing with any expectations. My daughter, when she was 3, convinced me to publish a story that was in my head. 20 years later, here I am, with 11 published books, and a new picture book coming out soon. (Happy Birthday to US!) I think I'd have to say I've found it to be a lot of work. And not much money compensation in return. I keep hoping, though, that one day my books will hit it big. I've spent hours writing, rewriting, and marketing my books. I've been out and about at author events and schools selling and signing them. I think the best thing, aside from the creative process, is when I get feedback from readers that they really enjoy my work.  Their support and enthusiasm  keeps me going. What about you? If you're a writer, how has your experience been?   

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

 

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Cheekwood was formerly the family home of Mabel and Leslie Cheek. It's a gorgeous 1930s estate with a 30,000 square foot mansion and 55 acres of cultivated gardens. Today it serves as a botanical garden, arboretum, and museum. Also on the grounds is a 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring monumental outdoor sculputures. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

My personal favorite is the children's garden with the miniature trains. So fun!

The mansion and gardens are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM. The cost of admission to see the mansion and gardens is $30. 

This month's IWSG question is:  What is my favorite thing I've written? This is a tough one. I think my book, Don't Feed the Elephant is pretty funny.  I had to imagine what an elephant could do with food beginning with every letter of the alphabet! I also like Bubba and Squirt's Big Dig to China because I think it would be cool to dig a hole and end up in Xi'an China where the Terraccotta Warriors are.

What about you? What's your favorite thing you've written?  Have you ever been to Cheekwood? 

Agatha Christie Gardens

 

We know Agatha Christie for her murder mysteries. But did you know the Queen of Crime was a garden lover? As a child growing up at Ashfield House, her favorite spots were among the trees, plants, and woodland paths. After her success as an author, she was able to afford her own country house and gardens at Greenway, in Devon, England where she restored more than 30 acres of gardens. 

  

The property includes several distinct garden areas including two walled gardens, a vinery, a kitchen garden, and a fern garden restored with a central water fountain. 

Two of Christie’s most famous mysteries, Five Little Pigs and Dead Man's Folly are clearly set at Greenway, under fictional names. These stories include many scenes in the gardens. (The murder weapon in Five Little Pigs is local spotted hemlock.)

Christie’s use of poisonous, plant-based chemicals as the “murder weapon” in so many of her mysteries reveals her gardening expertise. Many of the poisons in her stories come from plants that she knew well because they were growing in her own garden beds and in the surrounding woodland areas at Greenway.

The cost to see the house and gardens is 36 British pounds per car. The gardens are open daily from 10:30 AM-5:00 PM.

And now for the IWSG question of the month:  What are my thoughts about using AI like ChatGP? Would I use it for research, creating outlines...?

Well, I haven't used AI for regular writing jobs that apply to writing the actual book. I like going down my own rabbit holes for research and creating outlines and writing. That's part of the fun. What I have been doing, is using AI for marketing:  coming up with keywords for search optimization, coming up with ideas for YouTube posts. I find it very helpful for those things. If you let it, ChatGP would do all the thinking about these things. And maybe that's good. Less time for me to think about it, and more time to write what I want. What are your thoughts?   

A Guide to Pruning Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are popular ornamental bushes known for their large, showy blooms and lush foilage. Proper pruning is essential for maintaining their health, shape, and blooming potential. 

In order to prune correctly, you need to know the different types of hydrangeas.

Big Leaf:  shown above. These set their flowers in late summer or early fall for the following year. Prune immediately after flowering.

Panicle: shown below. These produce coneshaped flowers on new wood. These can be pruned in late winter or early spring before the new growth begins.

  
 Oak Leaf:  shown below. These feature distinctive, oak-shaped leaves. Like the big leaf, they grow on old wood and should be pruned immediately after blooming.

General guidelines:  Remove dead or damaged wood. Shape the plant to create a balanced silhouette while preserving the plant's natural form. Selectively thin out interior branches which provides better light penetration. Deadhead spent blooms by cutting the flower stalks back to a pair of healthy buds or lateral branches. 

Do you have hydrangeas? If so, did you know the proper time to prune them?

Now it's time for the IWSG question of the month:  What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry? I'd say plagiarism.  Stealing someone else's work. What about you? What do you think is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry? 

Water Gardens

 

Water gardens can be beautiful additions to any outdoor space. Whether you have a large, inground pond or a small container on your patio, the right aquatic plants can transform your garden into a welcoming oasis. 

Aquatic plants are essential to the health and beauty of a water garden. They not only add color and texture, but are instrumental in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Floating and submerged plants help oxygenate and filter the water, providing a healthier environment for fish and frogs. They also help control algae growth by absorbing nutrients and blocking sunlight.

Here are some various pond plants:

Those that like moisture but don't need to be submerged. These can be used to create a lush backdrop around the edges of the pond. (Pitcher plants—yes, the carnivorous ones) 

Marginal plants grow with their roots underwater and foliage above. (Cattails which should be planted in pots to avoid spreading, Pickerelweed)

Floating plants float on the water's surface. These absorb nutrients directly from the water and don't need soil. These however, usually need to be brought indoors during colder months.(Lotus, water lilies)

Submerged plants grow entirely underwater. 

If you are unsure about plant selection or pond maintenance, consult a landscape professional. They can help you choose plants that compliment each other in color and texture and assist with installation and maintenance to ensure your water garden remains beautiful and balanced. 

Do you have a water garden, or have you thought about making one?

Today's IWSG question is, "Is there a genre you would like to try writing that you haven't tried yet?" Mystery. I loved Nancy Drew Mysteries growing up, but I have never written a true mystery book of my own. Maybe I will some day. What about you?

And an announcement:  I am very happy to share that all of my Bubba and Squirt books have been compiled into a boxed set. Right now, it's available as an ebook. Here's an universal Amazon link if you'd like to check it out:  Bubba and Squirt's Adventures around the World  

Growing Herbs in Containers

 

If you want to start food gardening, herbs are the best way to begin. They tend to be less picky than vegetables, and there are a wide range of choices depending on your moisture and sun conditions. Many of them also do well in containers. 

All herbs should do well in a garden bed except mint, which should only be planted in containers. Why? Mint is rather invasive and takes over the entire garden if not contained. That said, mint tolerates more conditions than most herbs, including some shade.

Rosemary, on the other hand, can be started in a container, but will eventually need to be planted in-ground. Most forms become large bushes if planted in a sunny place.  

Mint and rosemary are perennials which will come up year after year. Other herbal perennials that do well both in containers and planted in a garden bed are chives, sage, and thyme. Sage and thyme both like drier conditions and work well together as the filler and spiller in a container. Chives like more water.  

When planting your containers:

Select an appropriately-sized planter for the amount of herbs you'll be planting.

Try to keep a container near the kitchen door so it's easy just to go out and snip whatever you need. 

Fill your containers with good potting soil.

Start with small plants rather than seeds.

Water appropriately for the herbs in your container. It's a good idea to keep the tags they come with as a reminder for how to care for them.

Harvest throughout the growing season and before they flower. They'll lose their flavor when they flower. 

You can mix herbs with other vegetables, shrubs and even flowers to make decorative containers. Make sure that the water and light requirements of everything in the container are the same, though. 

 

 Gardening tip:  Use coffee grounds to fertilize plants that like acidic soil. (Azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries.) Coffee grounds contain nitrogen and phosphorus which plants need, plus the grounds help deter pests. For best results mix with dried leaves. 

I didn't see last month's IWSG question, but since I've been visiting your blogs, I have it. What is my biggest fear as a writer?  Hmmm. Spending more on marketing than I make on royalties and never seeing the results of all my marketing efforts. What about you? What's your biggest fear as a writer?