In This Issue:
Bird Studies Canada
Things To Do in Your Garden for April
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Citizen Science
I received an urgent e mail message from my wife yesterday: evidently she heard and saw her first robin this spring. The news was welcome as the thaw is excruciatingly slow this year, at least where we live in our zone 5 garden, an hour north of Toronto.
Thank goodness for the sight and sounds of birds this year. They know that spring is here, it is just hiding.
There is barely a hobby gardener in this country who does not consider themselves a birder also.
Which is to say that the North American Bird Conservation Initiative or NABCI has released the first ever publication entitled 'The State of Canada's Birds' and it makes for fascinating reading. This 34 page document is lushly illustrated with bird pictures and is organised in such a way that you will get the gist of it while reading it over your lunch hour.
The State of Canada's Birds is based on the accumulation of bird survey results from over 40 years. We need this information to understand the rise and fall of bird populations for its own sake and to measure the effects of climate change and human activity on birds in North America.
Armed with this knowledge we can make changes to our behaviour that affects the outcome of native bird health and population growth. Indeed, we have already made huge strides in our efforts to 'bring back from the brink' of extinction such birds as the Bald Eagle, the Whooping Crane and many raptors [i.e., hawks, falcons, eagles, osprey and vultures].
Here are some highlights from the study:
- One of the greatest declines in bird population is among 'insectivores': insect eating fliers like swallows and fly catchers [for me, a surprise as we have hundreds of swallows nesting on our farm]
- Since 1970 Canada's bird population has declined by 10%
- Waterfowl, chickadees, woodpeckers and raptors have increased in population
- Reductions in environmental pollution across the country are reflected in increases in bird population [so we can make a difference!]
- Some duck populations have increased by more than 50% [Canada geese populations by more than that: surprise!]
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Bird Studies Canada
Bird Studies Canada, the lead organisation of its kind in this country, has been tracking birds for decades through various national bird counts, thanks to its members who are people just like you and me. Over 80% of the birds counted are sighted in their surveys in backyards and on feeding stations. They call this 'citizen science'.
Every May, Bird Studies Canada organises one of the largest bird-a-thons in the world and the oldest in North America: the Baillie Bird-A-Thon. The idea is to count as many bird species as you can in a 24 hour period. You can hike the Bruce trail, take a walk through a local conservation area or park, or you can sip coffee from your porch while watching your bird feeders. The information has a great deal of value regardless of where you are when you make your observations.
BSC uses this information to track the migratory patterns of birds and to gain an understanding of bird populations relative to geographic areas. The money raised is invested in the research and conservation of native birds.
As the Celebrity Birder [using the term loosely] I am looking forward to my day of birding with David Love and other experienced birders on May 14th at Tommy Thompson Park. We will be raising much needed funds for Bird Studies Canada that day and I will no doubt be learning a thing or two about our native bird species from people who eat, drink and breathe birds every day.
I would be delighted if you would sponsor me. The first $5,000 raised will be matched by a generous donor who does not wish to be named. Just go to my website at www.markcullen.com and click on the Baillie Bird-a-Thon hot link to find my sponsor page.
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Things To Do in Your Garden for April
Indoors:
- Start your dahlias and canna lilies in one gallon [4 liter] sized pots. Use a quality soil like Mark's Choice Container mix.
- Start seeds of vegetables and flowers for May/June planting. This is a great way to save money on store-bought transplants later this spring and you will surprise yourself at how much fun it is [and how much satisfaction there is in it!].
- Clean indoor tropical plants and repot the overgrown specimens. Repot to a new pot one size larger than the current pot it is growing in.
- Bring home some colour! Potted daffodils/tulips/primula and English daisies are widely available and very inexpensive [how do they grow them for so little money?]
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Things To Do in Your Garden for April
Outdoors:
- Cheat. Add to the flower show that you created last fall when you planted your spring flowering bulbs and plant some more. The pre-planted pots of bulbs that you see sold everywhere provide a great opportunity to get a jump on spring. They bloom earlier than the ones beneath the ground and will continue to bloom for a long period due to cool evening temperatures. Granted, this tactic only works when temperatures do not drop below -8oC and they are not trashed by the weight of a late spring snow. To me, it is worth the risk.
- Speaking of outdoor, early spring colour. It is now time to plant frost hardy flowers like pansies, violas, primula, violets, ranunculus and the aforementioned flowering bulbs. If you live on the prairies your time for planting these beauties will come mid April, weather dependant.
Lawn. April is LAWN month:
- Rake the winter debris off your lawn after the snow melts and when you can walk on your lawn without leaving a permanent impression of your foot.
- Fertilize with Golfgreen. The high nitrogen, slow release formula is the best in the business. This year they added a special form of iron that makes your lawn 22% greener and will not stain your patio or driveway. Look for the exclusive formula of Golfgreen at Home Hardware. It is the one with my ugly mug on the bag. This is, truly, the only fertilizer that I use on my lawn.
- Overseed bare or thin patches of turf with a 2 cm layer of triple mix or Mark's Choice Lawn soil. Spread Golfgreen lawn seed over the area evenly, rake smooth with a fan rake and step on it to bring it into firm contact with the soil. Water thoroughly and frequently until established.
- Aerate your lawn with a power aerator if you have clay soil or heavy foot traffic.
Plant. Some of you will be waiting for the May 24 planting weekend. Well, that is fine if you are only planting frost sensitive material, like petunias and tomatoes. But if you want to plant roses, shrubs, trees, evergreens and the like, there is no better month to do it than April. For one, the cool temperatures lend themselves to a better transplant success rate and secondly, the selection of plants is better than at any other time of year.
- Sow veggie seeds. As my friend, the late Lois Hole of St Albert Alberta, used to say to me, "Mark, for goodness sake tell people to sow their carrots in April." She was so emphatic about this that you would think it was a religion. I guess to her it was, sort of. In addition to carrots, sow your peas, snow peas, onion sets, and multipliers. If you didn't plant your garlic last fall, do it as early this spring as you can.
- Soil prep. Itching to get going but still too cold to plant? Get your containers ready for May planting by emptying them of last years' soil [put it in the garden] are refill with fresh container mix. I use Mark's Choice Container mix, Home Hardware. Well, yea! Prep your garden with fresh soil/compost and mulch so that you have less to do come May.
Have a great gardening month - breathe deep and get energy from the warming earth. Feels good, no?
Keep your knees dirty,
Mark
