February, like January, is primarily a month for indoor gardening. He who has the seeing eye and sensitive heart finds beauty in Nature’s season of sleep and rest. It is an indispensable period. But the gardener’s spirit lifts after January is gone and he senses the change as days lengthen to shorten nights dark curtain.

Successful gardens depend upon carefully planning ahead. Most of the seed catalogs have arrived by this time. Order seeds of some of the newer varieties of vegetables and flowers which cannot be obtained locally, if you have not already done so. You may also wish to get seeds for trying some of the new annual and perennial flowers.

Each year a committee of experts selects the outstanding new-creations of flowers and vegetables. Probably no more than five per cent of the yearly selections possess the qualities necessary to assume a permanent place in our flower and vegetable gardens. Most of the annual winners simply get the spotlight for a year or two and then their glamorous roles are soon forgotten.

The gardening public, working under various soil and climatic conditions, makes the final decision regarding the real merits of the All-America selections.

Protecting Birds

The birds which have wintered and dined regularly at your outdoor feeding stations need free meals now more than at any previous month, since their natural supply of food is running low. The more birds you take care of during the winter, the more you are apt to have nesting nearby during the spring season.

Early robins and bluebirds will depend upon you for food and shelter. Put suet, wheat, breadcrusts, rolled oats and pieces of apples out where cats and dogs cannot get to them. A few building materials such as pieces of string and cotton and bits of rags put out at nesting season will be very welcome.

Find a good book for identification and study of birds at the local store. Bird houses should be put out this month. Have the openings the proper size for the birds you wish to invite (one inch in diameter for Jenny Wren) or for attracting birds to the landscape. All bird houses should have drainage holes in the bottom to give assurance of a quick-drying home if hard, driving rains wet them inside.

Set the bird house residences fairly low and on poles in preference to hanging them in trees. During heavy windstorms, those suspended from tree branches are blown about in such a way that frequently eggs or young birds are spilled out on the ground. Also, disaster sometimes occurs when the supporting wire or rope breaks.