Green mulch?

So spring is here, and you hear the lawn mowers buzzing and keeping the lawns looking presentable.  Now I wish I could say that we use a push reel mower, but with 1.5 acres it would be quite a workout.  We do however, collect our grass clippings and use them as mulch under trees, in areas that need weed control, and in our compost.  It's the perfect use for grass clippings instead of trashing them (people really do pay to throw away good mulch?!) 

For the Birds

Do you ever sit and listen to the birds?  Or watch them flit to and fro?  I always think of the movie Bambi at this time of year, because in the movie, they say that the birds are "twitter-patted".  Little did Disney know that the word "Twitter" would one day have a whole new meaning!   I love the word twitter-patted because to me it means that spring is finally here; the birds zoom about, sing their lovely twittery songs as they try to attract a mate, and busy themselves making their nests.  If you watch closely enough, you will see them collecting nesting materials, grasses, leaves, twigs, and may be lucky enough to see the nest being built.

If you'd like to help the birds with their spring rituals and provide some nesting materials, you can use a mesh-type bag like an mesh onion bag or mesh bag from around a turkey.  You can stuff it with extra thread clippings from a sewing project, scraps of material, yarn,  dryer lint, hair from a hairbrush, used dental floss, etc.  Mount the bag on a tree or fencepost, and watch the birds use the recycled "bag-o-nesting" materials.  Your feathered friends will appreciate it, grace your yard with their presence and songs, and help to keep the insect population in your yard down naturally without chemicals.