The November/December 2018 issue of Northern Gardener is on newsstands today, and it’s the magazine with the stunning photo of the black-capped chickadee sitting in an evergreen on the cover. This is a meaty issue, with lots of information to ponder throughout the winter.

Our cover story is by gardener, blogger and Master Naturalist Beth Stetenfeld on the best ways to bring birds into your garden. Beth talks about the four basics birds need and gives a variety of tips and plant suggestions to bring more birds to your garden.

MSHS Class on Bird Gardening

In addition to Beth’s article, those interested in bird gardening can sign up for a class on how to use native plants to attract more birds to your garden. The class, taught by Kaitlyn O’Connor of Prairie Moon Nursery, will cover the best plants and planting strategies for those wanting to create a habitat for birds in their yards. The class is being held Nov. 13 at the MSHS office, and you can sign up for it here.

Sheds, Anyone?

This issue includes Eric Johnson’s ode to sheds. We all love sheds and many gardeners wish they had one in their yard. Eric shows how he decorates his shed for winter and explains what it is about sheds that gardeners love so much. (In our July/August 2019 issue, he will give step by step instructions for building a shed on your own.)

Elsewhere in this issue, Susy Morris discusses eight ways you can create a winter wonderland in your garden and Lee Reich explains some of the science behind cold and how plants deal with cold. Susannah Shmurak highlights 11 great new varieties of false indigo (Baptisia australis), a native plant that has become a darling of hybridizers and gardeners in recent years.

Finally, Beth Probst talks about her experiments in growing tomatoes indoors, in winter, in northern Wisconsin. Spoiler alert: She does get a tomato!

Of course, this issue includes all our columnists with information on garden design, kitchen gardening, pollinator gardens, new plants and more.