Nancy Finley
Lee Ann Yates, Denton Master Gardener, spoke about hummingbirds and butterflies at the Garden Club meeting on Feb. 19. There were 119 people in attendance. I learned to leave the caterpillars alone. Lee Ann assured us that the plants eaten “to the ground” will re-grow and, by then, I will have butterflies! That’s a fair exchange.
March is the time to put out the hummingbird feeders. They will be hungry as they fly northward and might stay here if well-fed. Change the 4:1 water/sugar mixture every other day, and do not add red dye. She stated that red dye caused hummingbird deaths in the 1990s. She suggested adding a red ribbon to the feeder to attract their attention.
The Garden Club added 26 new members—a sure sign that spring is on the way and our gardens are on our minds. I’m ready to get dirty and revise what failed or froze this winter.