By Laverne Fuller
Birds are an exciting addition to any landscape. Just sit on your porch sipping a cup of coffee and listen to the different songs our feathered friends provide. It is amazing. Are they having conversations or just singing to celebrate the joy of living? In our area, we are lucky to have a variety of birds to watch and listen to. Birds also provide a service to homeowners. They eat flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers and other insects.
To encourage birds in your landscape, there are four basics they require. These are food, water, shelter and a place to raise young. There are many commercial bird feeders available. Homeowners can buy one or more and put them in strategic places in the landscape for optimal viewing from the porch, living room or kitchen window. Once you have the feeders, it is important to keep them clean. After a season of use, feeders need a good cleaning. On June 8, the Southside Master Gardeners will be at the Halifax Farmers Market for the Second Saturday series to clean your bird feeders. They will be available from 8 to 11am to clean feeders and provide information about birds in your landscape. The Master Gardener Help Desk will also be available to answer any gardening questions.
To celebrate the Grand Opening of the Halifax Farmers Market on June 15th, the Southside Master Gardeners will have a display on Gardening for a Lifetime. This will show many ways to grow vegetables in containers or raised beds with ideas to keep harvesting within easy reach. Example gardens will show how to have herbs and vegetables in small spaces. Ergonomic tools will also be displayed. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions.
For more information about the Southside Master Gardener Association or these events, contact Bill McCaleb at the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147. You can also visit their website at www.ssmga.org or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..