What's the most colorful, varied and fascinating kind of wildlife you can attract to your backyard? The answer is birds, of course. What state has the largest number of recorded species - 605? Texas of course. A well-planned backyard habitat can a ttract a surprisingly large number of bird species - my personal checklist is up to 85.

Here are the best tips for attracting and feeding the backyard winter birds of Texas:

Provide a variety of seed types. Black-oil sunflower seeds attract the greatest number of species. My preference is safflower seed because it still attracts a lot of desirable birds (cardinals, chickadees, titmice, house finches, jays, dove s and woodpeckers) but has a limited appeal to the less-desirables (starlings, grackles, house sparrows and squirrels). Most ground-feeders (doves, juncos, winter sparrows and Towhees) prefer white millet. Offer thistle seed to goldfinches, house fin ches and chickadees. Remember many inexpensive grocery store mixes contain lots of filler seeds (milo, oats, wheat, and flax) that birds don't eat.

Offer high-energy protein rich foods such as peanut butter and suet. These will attract the insect eating birds such as chickadees, wrens, woodpeckers and titmice. It's probably best to mix the peanut butter with cornmeal or oatmeal and the n spread it on tree trunks or fill holes drilled in logs hung form trees. Beef suet is available at grocery store meat markets or in pre-make suet cakes

(I recommend almond or peanut).

Offer fruit to attract robins, mockingbirds, thrushes and waxwings. Try dried fruits like raisins and currants, which have been softened in warm water. Also fresh fruit (sliced apples and oranges) is appealing. Fruit can be offered on a platform f eeder or simply a plate on the ground.

Water, water everywhere. Birds not only need water to drink but also to keep their feathers clean and fluffy to provide insulation against the cold. A shallow, easy to clean birdbath is best. Keep it filled with fresh water.

Provide different types of feeders to suit the feeding habits of various birds. Offer seeds on the ground either in a platform feeder or sprinkled in a brush pile made by loosely stacking up tree trimmings and cut twigs. White millet and sa fflower are good to use here to attract doves, juncos, white-throated sparrows, towhees and cardinals. Use tube feeders filled with safflower or sunflower to attract chickadees, titmice, and house finches. Use a special "finch feeder" filled with thi stle for the goldfinches. Hopper feeders attract the larger species like doves, cardinals, bluejays, chickadees, titmice and wrens.

Place feeders where they are easy to see, convenient to refill and close to natural shelters such as trees and shrubs. Evergreens are ideal as they provide maximum cover from winter winds and predators, good choices here are hollies, nandin as, cleyeras, mahonias, eleagnus, wax myrtle and cherry laurel. Most importantly, have a good pair of binoculars and a bird identification book handy at all times, so you can add a new species to your personal checklist. Birding as a hobby currently ranks second only to gardening as America's favorite pastime. North Haven has all your bird feeding and gardening supplies.

The Holiday season has arrived and with it comes the need to choose that special gift for friends and family. North Haven will continue our tradition of offering a selection of outstanding and unique gift ideas.

This holiday season North Haven will feature two theme trees. The Polonaise tree will be beautifully decorated in the Old World style. Polonaise offers collectors the beauty of hand painted fine glass ornaments of years past and is the perfect gif t for the beginning collector or to add a new one to any existing collection. A Garden Tree is the other featured tree decorated with flowers, garlands and delightful garden ornaments.

In addition we will offer the icicle lights that everyone wanted last year, the wonderful tree of lights and grapevine balls of many sizes. These make a super gift for anyone who loves to decorate the garden. Be sure and see the holiday candle col lection. These make great hostess gifts, teachers gifts, or just as a little add on gift for that special person.

Just in time for holiday giving we were able to order those great squirrel posters in our front window: the "squirrel mug shot" and " caught on camera". We also have ordered tee shirts featuring the same two themes. We think these will be a great stocking stuffer.

We have not forgotten gifts for our bird-feeding customers. We have the new dark forest green collection from K Feeder. The Droll Yankee collections of feeders continue to be very popular, just add some birdseed and some suet and you have a great gift. North Haven Gardens has gift certificates too!

With the advent of cooler fall weather, we all feel like getting out in the yard and finishing up this year's garden. At the same time it is the opportune time to plan for next spring. North Haven has gotten a number of new books to stir your imag ination, plus give you some solid " How To" information.

Miniature Roses Their Care and Cultivation by Sean McCann, One of the worlds' best known authorities on miniature roses, Mr. McCann will tell you just; how to grow

miniatures in containers, easy propagation by cuttings, hybridizing your own and his top 100 miniature selections.

Gardening with Climbers by Christopher Grey Wilson. In many town gardens where vertical space is all important, selecting the right climbers is crucial. The cultivation of climbers is outlined as well as pruning, training and support. The m ajority of gardens have boundary walls or fences, arches or pergolas over which to grow climbers. The comprehensive directory with illustrations is an excellent help here.

In the Japanese Garden. by Michael S. Yamashita. This book celebrates the 1300 year old art form and illuminates its philosophic origins to provide westerners with the understanding they need. The special panoramic format camera provides lu sh illustrations which make this a book you will re-read time after time.

Beautiful American Vegetable Gardens by Mary Tonettii Dorra. Ms. Dorra takes the vegetable garden usually reserved to augment the family dinner table and raises it to an aesthetic height with large numbers of beautiful photographs. The kitc hen garden becomes a part of your ornamental landscape planting as well as a utilitarian plot. What we find here is a new way to look at an old-fashioned gardening tradition.

Last month a friend gave me a book. It’s titled

Simple Abundance. This is a datebook filled with sayings of comfort and joy based on six practical, creative, and spiritual principles - gratitude, simplicity, order harmony, beauty and joy. These things will provide you with simple abundan ce.

An expample of an activity that will provide simple abundance is preserving leaves for decorations.

Preserve autumn leaves as the Victorians did. Select Large branches, when the leaves have first turned, or greenery such as magnolia, cedar, eucalyptus. Split the stems about three inches and place in warm water

to drink for several hours. If any leaves begin to curl, remove them, Prepare a solution of glycerin (available at the drugstore) and water by using one part glycerin with two parts water. Bring the solution to a boil, simmer gently for ten minute s, and let it sit until completely cool. Cut the bottom of your stems at a very sharp angle and lightly hammer the ends; stand your branches in the mixture, storing your container in a cool, dark place until all the glycerin mixture has been absorbed (about a week to ten days). When you first notice tiny beads of glycerin forming on the leaves, remove the stems, wipe down the leaves with

a damp paper towel and dry thoroughly, Your leaves will stay beautiful and bright for several seasons.

Come hear my friend Evelyn Bartlett, who gave me the Simple Abundance book. On the 29th of November she will show you how to create wonderful table decorations using simple abundance. This will be a great Lecture and demonstration. < /P>

On the weekend following Thanksgiving we will have certain items marked simple abundance and you’ll be able to purchase this items at a discount.

Our fall herb days were a delicious success. We had representatives from four area herb societies: Heritage Herb Club, Old City Park Herb Club, North Texas Herb Club and the North and Central Teas Unit of the Herb Society of America. These knowled geable herb enthusiasts were here to answer questions that the public had on herbs and provide information about their respective herb clubs.

But, what made it so delicious was North Haven Gardens 2nd Annual "Tea Off".

Our panel of judges consisted of expert Herbal tea and dessert samplers, Rosa Schachle, Jean Schleisman and Gayle Sutherland. It was a difficult decision but the first place winner in the herbal tea division was a pervious winner Edith Hiett, of H .H.C with her Lemon Balm Delight Tea.

Lemon Balm Delight Tea Recipe: To make one quart of tea: 20 sprigs of fresh lemon balm. 10-12 cloves. Juice of 1/2 lemon. Place all ingredients in a glass or china teapot. Pour one quart of boiling water into teapot and let steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain and serve with honey for sweetening.

Edith also won 2nd place with her Berry Mint Tea.

Berry Mint Tea Recipe: Place two cups of crushed mint leaves in a teapot and add boiling water to the brim. Let it steep for 15-20 minutes. Strain. Add raspberry syrup to taste.

The Herbal dessert division was won by Marjorie Sharp of the Herb Society of Old City Park with her roasted pineapple with cilantro.

Pineapple With Cilantro Recipe: Peel and core one fresh pineapple Mix 2 tbs. pineapple juice 5 sprigs of fresh cilantro. 1 tbs. honey. 1/2 t. ground ginger. 1/8 t. ground cloves. Cut pineapple in bite sized wedges and place on jellyroll pan . Combine other ingredients and pour over pineapple. Bake 10-15 minutes stirring twice then remove cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve. Second Place in Herbal desserts was won by Anne Tanner of the Herb Society of Old City Park with her Orange Basil Cookies.

Orange Basil Cookies Recipe: 1/4 c. butter. 8 oz. cream cheese. 1 egg yolk. 1 T. Orange juice. 1 t. grated orange peel. 1 box yellow cake mix. 1 T. orange extract or vanilla. 1/2 c. chopped nuts. 2 T dried basil. Mix butter, cheese, yolk an d juice. Add dry cake mix and other ingredients. Chill dough. Bake on buttered cookie sheet at 350 degrees for ten minutes. Makes about five dozen.

Now I don’t know of any better way to learn how to make these delicious herbal treats than to join a local herb

society. For more information come by North Haven Gardens and pick up a list of contacts for all of the area herb societies. While you’re here, visit our herb shop. We have a great selection of herbal jellies, oils, vinegars and many other herbal products. We also have over 200 varieties of Herbs.

You could start your own collections of the various varieties of Thyme, Rosemary, Sage and many others. These are for sale year round. During the winter months we move the tender ones into the greenhouse.