Holiday decorations double as bird fodder Pine cones perfect for winter ornaments

Many who enjoy gardening or spending time outdoors have a bird story to share. Perhaps an oriole landed in an apple tree one fine spring day. A cardinal may have stopped by the feeder on its way through the neighborhood. Maybe a scarlet tanager darted around the outskirts of the yard on a cool summer evening.

When the morning mercury dips below the dreaded zero degree mark, thoughts may turn to the hardships of wild creatures that dwell near your home. While it’s not legal to feed all wildlife through the harsh, frosty months, songbirds certainly are within the realm of our care. As this quarter’s solstice approaches, marking the official onset of winter, offer the feathered creatures around your yard a variety of easy-to-make foods.

Decorating for the holiday season is not just for inside the home. Select a tree or shrub in your yard and decorate it with simple ornaments that double as bird fodder.

Popcorn, cranberry and raisin garlands are an easy and attractive way to lure birds to the yard. Using a needle and heavy string, spear each piece of popped corn, alternating every now and then with a cranberry or raisin, until you have several yards of tantalizing garland. Drape the garland among the branches of your tree or shrub.

To make the most simple ornaments for your tree, you’ll need pine or spruce cones, peanut butter, birdseed and sturdy string or ribbon. Gather cones from evergreens around your home. White pine, Norway spruce and mugho pine cones work well. Using a knife, spread peanut butter on the tips of the “petals” of each cone. Sprinkle birdseed on the soft peanut butter and then set the cones on a piece of newspaper to dry and harden.

Finally, attach a loop of string to the cone so that it may be hung from the branches of a tree. Birds of all sorts will flock to this delicious treat, and you’ll find hours of pleasure watching them dine.

Pine and spruce cones also can be garnished with suet and birdseed. For each large cone ornament, melt about half a cup of suet in a pan. Add about 3 tablespoons of birdseed per cone. Stir the melted suet and seed mixture and then pour equal amounts into paper-lined cupcake tins. Be sure that you have allowed one cupcake compartment for each pine cone ornament.

Let the suet mixture cool slightly and then set one cone in each cupcake compartment so that the bottom of the cone sets into the suet as it cools. Again, attach a looped string to the cone so that it may be hung from the branches of a tree.

Make suet and seed globe ornaments by mixing 2 cups of melted suet with 11/2 cups mixed birdseed. Pour the melted mixture onto an 8-inch square baking sheet. Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly and harden. Cut the suet into 1-inch cubes and roll each cube between your palms until a globe shape is formed. Using a needle and a 12-inch piece of thread, pierce through the center of the suet ball, pulling one end of the string through the globe. Knot the ends of the string and hang the globes from your decorated tree.

Voila! A tree for the birds!

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 512 North Ridge Road, Montville 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.