Hobbies

Picture a warm spring afternoon in the garden, the sun is shining and the birds are singing, but what can you feed them to encourage them to keep coming back? Feeding birds can be extremely rewarding and somewhat therapeutic, but feeding them the right food is important for the birds visiting your garden.

Instead of reaching for the nearest loaf of bread, which could do the little birds more harm than good, there are plenty of other bird food options out there. In fact, garden birds can have different preferences on where and what they eat. Discover why getting the right bird food is so important, and what types of food you should be feeding your flying visitors.

Seasonality

Seasonality is very important when it comes to feeding wild birds, and what food you put out should change from month to month.

Spring and summer

During spring and summer, birds require foods that are high in protein as they are most likely moulting. Baby birds and fledglings will also need supporting with the correct bird foo during these months.

Birds perfectly time their breeding season due to more natural food sources during these months. However, it’s important to note that if the weather is unusually wet or dry, natural sources may become more and more sparse. For example, insects might hide away during wet weather, and dry weather could cause earthworms to stay underground.

To support your garden birds with the right food during these months, dried mealworms and the ever-popular sunflower hearts are a good place to start. Avoid any suet-based products or homemade fat balls during these months. They could go off in the warm weather and do more harm than good. Good hygiene is also very important in warm weather.

Autumn and winter

In Autumn and winter, it’s important to put out food and water regularly for your garden birds. If the weather is severe, such as snow or icy conditions, feeding your birds twice daily is recommended.

During this time of year, birds require foods high in energy and fat to maintain their fat reserves, and ultimately keep them warm during the cold winter months. Feeding your garden birds the wrong foods at this time of year could be harmful.

In Autumn, you could start with peanuts and black oil sunflower seeds as they are packed with energy and nutrition for the birds in your garden. Similarly to the spring and summer months, sunflower seeds are also appropriate due to their high energy content, as are Niger seeds. Whatever you decide to feed the birds in your garden, seasonality should play a big part in the bird food you choose.

Natural food shortages

If natural sources of food are sparse for the birds, often due to extreme weather conditions, it’s important to make sure the food you are putting out is suitable for their chicks, too. When natural food shortages occur, birds might take some of your garden bird food back to their nests to feed the babies.

Avoid putting out dry hard foods such as peanuts or fat balls during these extreme conditions, as they could be a choking hazard for young chicks. It sounds so simple, but ensuring the food you put out is small enough for all birds could go a long way.

Gardening is both a good hobby and a very productive project. To have a small home garden of your own is a wonderful idea. It proves a very adventurous task as well because it is also not too easy to undertake at times. You will have to be very vigilant about this from time to time. We have worked out the various steps involved in the creation of a small home garden. These are ten very useful steps to make it possible for you to dig into your first garden adventure.

1. When to plant

You cannot plant each and everything at each and every time if you want to get perfect results. You should start your planning before the snow melts and begin digging and planting just at the start of spring, the best time for growing. You will spend your whole spring digging and planting your new plants and the summer watering, weeding and watching your young plants grow handsomely. However, it is much better to plant trees, shrubs, bulbs and some perennials during the autumn. So, when to plant depends on what to plant.

2. Decide what to plant

You may develop a vegetable garden, an herb garden, a flower garden or an all-round garden depending upon your inclination and the availability of space in your house. Whatever you choose, start at a small scale because it is always better to succeed a little than to fail grandly.

3. Pick a place

You must select the portion of your house most suitable for gardening. It must receive sunlight for most of the time of the day because almost all the vegetables and most flowers need about six hours of full sun every day. Watch how the sun moves across your selected space before you finalize it for your upcoming garden. Still no need to worry if you do not have a full sunny place, for many plants can grow in shade as well. You can consult with your local garden centre to find out how much sunlight a plant requires.

Secondly, your garden will need your rapt attention frequently, so it has to be within your eye-reach, and also close enough to a water spigot to be watered easily.

4. Dig the ground

No sod should be there covering the area you want to plant. So get rid of all the sod at once. For the quick results, you can dig out the ground with a spade or spading fork bought from some legends like Bradshaws Direct, etc. The top 8 to 12 inches of soil must be removed but only when the soil is neither too wet nor too dry. Rather, it must be moist enough to form a loose ball in your fist but dry enough to fall apart when you drop it. Turn the soil only once a year if you have a vegetable garden or beds of annual flowers.

5. Improve the fertility of soil

The fertility of all sorts of soil improves naturally and can be boosted by adding a 2 to 3 inch layer of simple organic matter. It includes compost, decayed leaves, dry grass clippings, old manure, etc. Nowadays, soil tests have been introduced to check what your soil lacks and how to enrich it.

6. Select your plants

Always select the plants which suit the climate, soil and the span of sunlight in your garden place. Though you may search online, we have prepared a list for you to choose from.

• Vegetables

Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Chillies, etc.

• Annuals

Sunflowers, Marigolds, Cosmos, Geraniums, Zinnias, etc.

• Perennials

Russian sage, Lamb’s ears, Phlox, Pansies, Day lilies, Coneflowers, etc.

7. Sow the seeds or plant the seedlings

You can sow the seeds or dig a hole and plunk the young plant or seedling in the ground. Sowing the seeds is not the same for various plants. You must get the information from the seed packet about when to plant, how deep to plant and how far apart to plant the seed. Also, the seeds and the seedlings should be moist but not wet, for they may rot if they are wet.

8. Water frequently

Water your seeds, seedlings or transplants daily in the beginning for their rapid growth. Later on, their water needs depend upon your soil, climate, rain-fall, etc. Water slowly and deeply so that they may absorb or diffuse it inside. Watering early in the morning minimizes evaporation.

9. Mulch

Mulch always helps keep the weeds out and water in. So cover your soil with a couple of inches of Mulch. Pine needles, Cocoa halts and bark chips may be used as Mulch.

10. Be consistent

Your garden is quite ready now. You only need to be consistent with watering and weeding. Also fertilize it with a dry fertilizer halfway through the season. In case of a liquid fertilizer, use it every month.

In this way, you can plant a home garden of your own and proceed with it quite smoothly.

Hobbies are a great way to relax in your free time while doing things that you love! There are so many different hobbies to try, from reading and crocheting to more physical activities like yoga or dancing. It’s important to set some time apart and do something fun to give yourself a break from the stress of work and everyday life.

So if you’re looking to start up a new hobby but are worried about the added expenses of buying new tools and equipment, then don’t worry because we’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of the best hobbies to take up for under $200 so that you can find an enjoyable and relaxing pastime without breaking the bank.

Cooking and Baking

Cooking or baking different types of food is a useful and practical hobby to have – not to mention it can be very fun and satisfying as well! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of eating something delicious that you’ve made in your kitchen. There are so many different recipes to try, with different combinations of ingredients that you might never have thought to put together, which turn into amazing flavours.

Making delicious food is an inexpensive hobby to get into as you probably have most of the equipment you need sitting in your kitchen already and from there all you need are the ingredients. Cooking and baking is a very satisfying and methodical hobby to have and results in amazing food that you can share with your family and friends.

Sewing

Not only is sewing a fun and creative hobby to get into, but also an incredible skill to have. You can create so many different things with sewing, such as clothing, bags, pillowcases, cushions and many other wonderful things. Sewing is a peaceful pastime that you can still do while watching your favourite shows on the TV or listening to some great music. You can easily find patterns and tutorials to follow online to help improve your skill and technique.

Sewing is also a very handy skill to know as you’ll be able to repair or improve old clothing items. There are endless amounts of different types of fabrics in various colours and patterns that you can play around with and use to create unique material items. There are sewing machines under $200 that you can buy, which will last you a lifetime, so you don’t have to worry about spending too much money!

Art

From drawing and painting to graphic design and digital art on computers, art can be created in multiple ways. So if you feel like getting artsy, all you need to do to start is pick up a pencil and put it to some paper. Art can be a very therapeutic and relaxing hobby to have, as well as being an amazing creative outlet. Don’t worry if you don’t think or good enough or have natural artistic talent, art is subjective and if you enjoy the creative process the that’s all that matters!

All you need to get started are some pencils, paint brushes, paint and some paper. While some art supplies are on the pricey side, they do last a long time and there are many cheaper options you can try first. If you prefer working on a computer, then there are some free programs you could download and try out or get Photoshop for only about $10 a month.

Reading

Reading is a great hobby to have as there are so many different genres of books you can go through. Reading can take you to many different worlds and give you a break from reality, as well as give you access to endless information that you can learn new things from. While collecting physical books to read may end up being quite a pricey hobby, you can invest in a Kindle for under $200 and get numerous free e-books from the Kindle Store, not to mention great deals on books that would be very expensive to buy in store. You could also start a book club if you’re looking for a more social hobby, where you can share your books and borrow from other people.

Gardening

Gardening is a rewarding hobby to get into as it requires patience and continuous work, that results in something beautiful. Gardening can turn your home into a paradise and even if you don’t have a big garden or don’t have one at all, you can still enjoy this hobby. All you need to do is buy some pots, soil and seeds and start to plant! You can even create your own herd garden that’ll help spice up your cooking.

Being outside or just being around green plants and flowers can help improve your general mood and mental health and tending to your plants as they grow from tiny sprouts into beautiful blossoming flowers and bushes is such a satisfying feeling.