GardenGateMagazine.com | GARDEN GATE 9
Eastern screech owl
Megascops asioWhat it looks like Even though it
could very well be living in your neigh-
borhood, it’s tricky to spot this small
owl. Six to 10 inches long, the Eastern
screech owl can be gray or red, has
dark stripes, and blends in with the
bark of a tree. It’s easy to recognize its
yellow-green beak and ear tufts that
stick up (though fluffier young owls
don’t have ear tufts), but not its round
yellow eyes, as it sleeps during the
day. At night you can detect its sound,
which is more commonly a trill or a
whinny, not always a screech.Where to find it The Eastern screech
owl nests in tree cavities and dead
snags in wooded areas, but is regularly
found living in suburban areas with
large trees as well. It is found east of
the Rockies.Attracting it to your garden Invite
the Eastern screech owl into your yard
because it’s a fascinating creature
that can benefit your garden. It
mostly eats large insects, like beetles
and moths, and small rodents, mean-
ing it could help control some garden
pests. This owl readily makes a home
in a manmade nesting box: Purchase
or build your own large box. Give it an
entrance hole about 4 inches wide,
drainage holes in the bottom and 2 to
3 inches of wood chips or leaves for
nesting materials inside. Hang it 10 to
15 feet from the ground.PHOTO:©CharlesSorensonReusable plant tags
William Jurney, MN
If you dig up dahlia tubers in the fall
to overwinter indoors, here’s a tip
from somebody who usually saves
more than 250 tubers every year:
To keep track of which tubers were
which variety, William made plant
tags out of plastic poker chips. He
drilled a small hole near the edge
and wrote the plant variety with a
permanent marker. Then he looped
a twist tie through the hole and
fastened the markers to the tubers.
He labels a couple of each variety
and stores them in separate well-
ventilated containers. The plastic
plant tags are easy to fasten and
remove from the tubers without any
damage and are durable enough to
use year after year.Geranium greenhouses
Elva Groskopf, OR
If you want to try overwintering
plants that are marginally hardy in
your zone, then maybe you’ll have
success doing what Elva does in her
zone 8 garden: In the fall, she cuts
geraniums (Pelargonium spp. and
hybrids), hardy in zones 10 to 11,
back to about 3 inches. Then she
cuts gallon-sized water or milk jugs
in two and secures one half over
each potted geranium to act as mini
greenhouses, keeping the geraniums
warm. She will water them a couple
of times throughout the winter if
they seem to get overly dry. They do
just fine in the mild winter and even
survive the occasional snow. If you
live in an area that’s just one or two
zones colder than a plant’s expected
hardiness, give these repurposed
cloches a try!THE WILD SIDE
Write on the poker chip with
a fine-tipped permanent
marker so that it lasts longer.HAVE GREAT GARDEN TIPS?
SUBMIT YOUR TIPS & UPLOAD IMAGES ONLINE:
GardenGateMagazine.com/share
OR MAIL TO: Garden Gate Tips, 2143 Grand Ave.,
Des Moines, IA 50312. Please include your name,
address and daytime phone number in case we
have questions for you.$
25you could make
if we publish
your tip!GG14908_09_Tips.indd 9GG14908_09_Tips.indd 9 6/26/2019 2:30:24 PM6/26/2019 2:30:24 PMGardenGateMagazine.com | GARDEN GATE 9
Eastern screech owl
Megascops asioWhat it looks like Even though it
could very well be living in your neigh-
borhood, it’s tricky to spot this small
owl. Six to 10 inches long, the Eastern
screech owl can be gray or red, has
dark stripes, and blends in with the
bark of a tree. It’s easy to recognize its
yellow-green beak and ear tufts that
stick up (though fluffier young owls
don’t have ear tufts), but not its round
yellow eyes, as it sleeps during the
day. At night you can detect its sound,
which is more commonly a trill or a
whinny, not always a screech.Where to find it The Eastern screech
owl nests in tree cavities and dead
snags in wooded areas, but is regularly
found living in suburban areas with
large trees as well. It is found east of
the Rockies.Attracting it to your garden Invite
the Eastern screech owl into your yard
because it’s a fascinating creature
that can benefit your garden. It
mostly eats large insects, like beetles
and moths, and small rodents, mean-
ing it could help control some garden
pests. This owl readily makes a home
ina manmade nesting box: Purchase
orbuild your own large box. Give it an
entrance hole about 4 inches wide,
drainage holes in the bottom and 2 to
3 inches of wood chips or leaves for
nesting materials inside. Hang it 10 to
15 feet from the ground.PHOTO:©CharlesSorensonReusable plant tags
William Jurney, MN
If you dig up dahlia tubers in the fall
to overwinter indoors, here’s a tip
from somebody who usually saves
more than 250 tubers every year:
To keep track of which tubers were
which variety, William made plant
tags out of plastic poker chips. He
drilled a small hole near the edge
and wrote the plant variety with a
permanent marker. Then he looped
a twist tie through the hole and
fastened the markers to the tubers.
He labels a couple of each variety
and stores them in separate well-
ventilated containers. The plastic
plant tags are easy to fasten and
remove from the tubers without any
damage and are durable enough to
use year after year.
Geranium greenhouses
Elva Groskopf, OR
If you want to try overwintering
plants that are marginally hardy in
your zone, then maybe you’ll have
success doing what Elva does in her
zone 8 garden: In the fall, she cuts
geraniums (Pelargonium spp. and
hybrids), hardy in zones 10 to 11,
back to about 3 inches. Then she
cuts gallon-sized water or milk jugs
in two and secures one half over
each potted geranium to act as mini
greenhouses, keeping the geraniums
warm. She will water them a couple
of times throughout the winter if
they seem to get overly dry. They do
just fine in the mild winter and even
survive the occasional snow. If you
live in an area that’s just one or two
zones colder than a plant’s expected
hardiness, give these repurposed
cloches a try!THE WILD SIDE
Write on the poker chip with
a fine-tipped permanent
marker so that it lasts longer.HAVE GREAT GARDEN TIPS?
SUBMIT YOUR TIPS & UPLOAD IMAGES ONLINE:
GardenGateMagazine.com/share
OR MAIL TO: Garden Gate Tips, 2143 Grand Ave.,
Des Moines, IA 50312. Please include your name,
address and daytime phone number in case we
have questions for you.$
25you could make
if we publish
your tip!