It doesn't seem possible that it's time to be talking about taking cuttings from your summer annuals already, but here in Maine the nights are getting cool and fall is approaching quickly. That means taking cuttings from those summer annuals, like impatiens and begonias and rooting them. You can, of course, bring the whole plant inside for the winter, but they often struggle to thrive when moved inside. Taking cuttings and starting new plants for houseplants lets you keep them growing without fussy with scraggly plants for months.

• Take 3 to 4 inch cuttings from the growing tips of plants.
• Remove the foliage from the bottom 2 inches.
• Dip the cut end into rooting powder.
• Place the cutting in moist soil or perlite.
• Keep the soil moist until the cuttings root

You can also root plants in a glass or vase of water, but the roots tend to be more brittle.

                                                                                                                    Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!

I'm pleased to announce that Maine Garden Ideas has a new look with tons of new information. As many of you know, some of my gardening articles were previously published on another site, but I have moved nearly all of them here. I will adding more as time permits. In the mean time, if you have topics you'd like to learn more about, please drop me a line.

I found this delightful little Sunflower Stake Feeder at a local store today and couldn't resist buying it. I put it in the center of my perennial bed between the black-eyed Susan's and the purple coneflowers. Although this picture is from Duncraft (you can click the image to see and/or buy the product) it actually looks like a picture of my garden.

I fell in the love with it for several reasons. 

• It's all metal and the squirrels can't chew it or get to the seeds. That's definitely a big selling point for me.
  
• It's comes with a metal stake and I've been wanting a pole feeder for some time now and I like the sturdy stake.
• It is bright and cheery without being gaudy.
• It discourages big birds, like blue jays, from feeding and attracts finches and small birds. 

There are also a couple of drawbacks to the feeder.

• It only holds black oil sunflower seeds or sunflower kernels. 
• The filling area is small and a little difficult to open.
• You need a funnel or birdseed scoop to fill it (I made a funnel from paper.)
• You need to fill it over a paper plate or other container to catch seeds that pop through the holes while you are filling it. The other option, of course, it to fill it outside and leave the seeds that drop for ground-feeding birds.

Overall, I am very pleased with this feeder and love how it looks in the garden. If you are looking for a feeder that looks great in your garden - and keeps the squirrels away - give this bird feeder a try.