Christmas Tree for the Birds

Place an inexpensive Christmas tree on your deck, porch, or yard in a spot visible from the inside. Add some festive lights. Then decorate for the birds. Pop some corn and simply toss that into the branches. Make up a slurry of birdseed, peanut butter, and lard and form it into balls. Cut bread with holiday cookie cutters. Slice oranges and other fruit. Poke in seedheads from plants in your gardens. The birds will come to feast and will add to the festivities themselves - chickadees for me are the perfect size; they look just like ornaments. Whatever falls off the tree will be welcome for the ground feeders. I started this two years ago and it is now my only tree - on our deck outside the living room. No fuss, no muss, no watering.