home gardening
Attract Backyard Birds with the Right Seeds
Last Updated on September 7, 2025 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) While almost all bird seed may look pretty much the same to you, it doesn’t to the birds you’re feeding. Knowing what kinds of seeds different birds like can help you attract a variety of fine feathered friends to your feeders.
Consider these popular seed types and the common backyard birds they attract:
Sunflower – Black sunflower seeds attract blue jays, goldfinches, woodpeckers, purple finches, chickadees, titmice and nuthatches. Striped sunflower seeds appeal to chickadees, doves, grosbeaks, northern cardinals, nuthatches, titmice and woodpeckers. Sunflower hearts (also known as “hulled sunflower” and “sunflower chips”) attract chickadees, common redpolls, juncos, doves, finches, goldfinches, grosbeaks, nuthatches, pine siskins, titmice and woodpeckers.
Nyjer – These lightweight, tiny seeds are a favorite of goldfinches. Put nyjer seeds in a hanging feeder with tiny holes so the small seeds won’t get blown away. Nyjer also attracts redpolls, juncos, doves, indigo bunting and pine siskin.
Safflower – These white seeds are slightly smaller than black sunflower seeds. Because they are bitter, grackles, blue jays, starlings – and squirrels – don’t like them. However, they do attract doves, purple finches, chickadees, titmice and downy woodpeckers.
White millet – Good for scattering on the ground, white millet attracts ground feeders such as juncos, sparrows, indigo buntings, towhees and mourning doves.
Cracked corn – Popular with ground feeders, cracked corn appeals to doves, crows, jays, sparrows, juncos and towhees. Avoid getting finely cracked corn as it’s vulnerable to rot and can quickly turn to mush.
When choosing a bird seed mix, pay attention to the ingredients list on the package. Bird seed is required by law to list ingredients in order of content. Some cheaper mixes have filler seeds such as wheat, red milo, red millet or “assorted grain products.” Most backyard birds won’t eat those, and your seed mix could end up wasted on the ground.
Learn more about making your backyard an oasis for birds of all kinds at eLivingtoday.com.
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home gardening
Start Planning Now for a Thriving Spring Garden
Winter offers an ideal time to plan for a successful spring garden. Assess your current space, research planting ideas, and design an efficient layout. Enhance soil health with compost, start seeds indoors for stronger plants, and organize tools to ensure readiness for the growing season. Prepare now for a thriving garden.
Last Updated on March 11, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Start Planning Now for a Thriving Spring Garden
(Family Features) While winter weather puts outdoor gardening on pause in most parts of the country, the colder months offer a perfect opportunity to begin preparing for a lush garden come springtime.
With a little creativity, and some extra time spent creating a plan, you can set yourself on a path toward success before the growing season even begins.
Assess Your Space and Research Ideas
Evaluate your current garden, taking note of what worked well last season and where improvements can be made. Use this downtime to sketch an updated layout, research companion plants and decide which fruits, vegetables or flowers you want to grow next based on what did (or didn’t) work last spring.
Build an Updated Blueprint
Winter is the ideal time to upgrade your garden design and make tweaks for efficiency. Use the offseason to consider crop rotation patterns for optimal soil health as well as ways to maximize your space such as raised beds, trellises or containers. You can also make a list of materials needed for any new features you may be adding, such as an irrigation system, and map out their placement so you’re ready to build as soon as the weather allows.
Nourish the Soil
Even if the ground is frozen, you can prepare your garden beds by adding compost, leaves or organic matter in late winter, ensuring nutrients are available when spring arrives. Also remember to test your soil’s pH level now, which can help guide your fertilization plan.
Start Seeds Indoors
If you’re eager to get your hands dirty, consider starting your seeds indoors. Early seed starting gives plants a head start, allowing you to transplant stronger seedlings outdoors when temperatures warm.
Get Organized
Use the slower pace of winter to clean and sharpen your garden tools, sort through leftover seeds and make a supply checklist so you’re ready to dig in when warmer days arrive.
Find more advice to get your garden ready to burst to life in spring at eLivingtoday.com.
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Last Updated on February 27, 2026 by Daily News Staff
7 Vegetables to Grow Easily in Your Home Garden
(Family Features) Growing fresh, healthy vegetables at home may not be as hard as it sounds. Novice gardeners just need good dirt, easy plants to grow, lots of sunshine and the right amount of water.
Once you’ve prepared your garden plot, select one or all of these vegetables, which are among the easiest to grow:
- Lettuce – Plant lettuce seeds directly into the garden or a pot then repeat every two weeks. It can be cut a few weeks after planting. Some harvest lettuce by pulling it up – roots and all – but cutting a little off the top every few days can keep it growing until summer’s heat turns it too bitter.
- Spinach – This vitamin-packed green is planted and harvested just like lettuce.
- Cucumbers – Make several mounds of dirt near the edge of your garden and place 2-3 plants around the center of each. Cucumbers are notorious for growing vines that overtake other plants, so be vigilant about keeping them contained.
- Squash – Like cucumbers, summer squash is planted on small mounds at the edges of a garden so their vines can be contained. Most varieties, such as yellow squash and zucchini, are quite prolific and just a few plants can feed a large family all summer long.
- Tomatoes – Purchase plants that grow best in your area of the country from your local garden center. All plants should be staked or enclosed in tomato cages because successful plants produce an abundance of large, heavy fruit throughout the summer months.
- Bell Peppers – Bell peppers are easiest to grow from plants. Space them about 1 foot apart then watch them take off with little care required. The only real trick to growing bell peppers is knowing when to harvest. If you’re growing red, orange or yellow varieties, they’ll start out green then turn color as soon as they ripen.
- Carrots – Dig a long, shallow trench in soil that is free of rock. Sprinkle the seeds along the row, cover lightly with topsoil and wait for the top of the carrot to pop through the soil. Once a bit of orange appears, pull and enjoy.
Find more tips for growing a bountiful garden at eLivingtoday.com.
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Last Updated on February 27, 2026 by Daily News Staff
4 Tips to Plan a Bountiful Garden
(Family Features) Whether you’re a novice just learning to cultivate a magical display or an avid gardener with years of experience, early planning can help bring this year’s garden to life.
These simple tips can help you start planning, and before you know it, you can start putting your plans into action.
Assess your environment. Determine what factors may aid or hinder your garden’s success. What do you know about the soil? Lighting? Exposure to threats such as hungry or curious wildlife? Uncovering potential roadblocks early can help you identify potential solutions or alternatives that may help you bypass issues altogether.
Create a mental image. Look through seed catalogs, magazines and books, and browse the internet for inspiration. Vibrant colors and textures are the hallmarks of a beautiful spring garden, but spend time learning exactly what appeals to you most. Take notes, particularly as you identify new species you may want to introduce. You’ll need to do additional research to ensure their growing requirements are consistent with your environment.
Put it to paper. Transferring your vision to paper can help you plan appropriately and ensure you’re not overfilling or leaving unsightly gaps in your garden. Understanding where each plant will go and how much each needs to flourish before you turn a spade of soil can help make planting a breeze. Remember it is easier to change your mind with a pen and paper in hand than with fragile vegetation.
Create a calendar. Timing is critical to maximizing the time you are able to enjoy your garden. Understand the growing season for each plant and map it all out on a calendar so you can stagger when new varieties emerge and keep your garden active and thriving. Be sure to give yourself some wiggle room for unforeseen circumstances, such as weather, that may prevent you from planting exactly as you’ve planned.
For more tips to safely begin planting, visit eLivingtoday.com.
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