I've always read in magazines that the most popular hobby in America is gardening. Until recently, it never occurred to me that there would be a second- or third-most popular hobby in the U.S. After all, my livelihood revolves around gardening. Why would anyone care about the second-most popular hobby?

Opting to feed hummingbirds may be one solution to the mess of seeds that other species may leave behind. (Chris Harris) [Click to enlarge]

After doing some extensive marketing research -- I read a tabloid headline while standing in the checkout line at the supermarket -- I found out that bird watching may be America's second-most popular hobby. Imagine that. Where are most birds watched? Of course, they're mostly watched in the landscape and garden.

Armed with these two bits (probably worth less than two bits) of information, I began to consider how I could hybridize and enhance the two activities. After mulling over this challenge, I surmised that I could accomplish this marriage of hobbies by determining how a gardener could attract more birds to his or her garden.

Drawing from my experience in another hobby field, cuisine, I recognized the importance of free food. Whenever food is free, there seems to be a crowd around the table. Finally I hypothesized that if I provided free food to birds in my landscape and garden, they would come.

I theorized that if I wanted birds to come really close to me so I could study them, I would place the feeder on the deck or patio. Then I could sit in my lounge chair and watch the birds at the bird feeder positioned close to me. I would be in gardening and bird watching heaven at the same time.

Unfortunately, I forgot about one significant aspect of bird feeding. Have you ever really looked at the ground below a bird feeder? Yuck! It is littered with seed hulls and the seed that the ungrateful, picky, little freeloaders decided that they wanted to kick out on the ground. What a mess to clean up.

Birds may be pretty to watch, but they can leave a mess below a feeder. (Fred Lynch) [Click to enlarge]

I don't mind giving out a free lunch to my feathered friends, but I sure hate to have to do the "dishes," too. So what can I do?

Fortunately, there is a solution to my problem. There are now bird feeds on the market that are waste-free. You can purchase sunflower hearts, shelled peanuts and combinations of sunflower hearts and millet, that result in practically no mess under the feeder. You don't even need to invest in new feeders. What a deal!

No self-respecting bird would allow even the littlest bit of food to go to waste when the prospect of winter is just around the corner. What falls from the feeder accidentally is vacuumed up by ground-feeding birds. With the use of waste-free food the birds do all the cleanup work.

Now I can enjoy two hobbies at once right on my own deck or patio. I just invite my feathered friends to the party. And I don't even have to worry about doing the after-party dishes.

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or by e-mail to news@semissourian.com.<I>;