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Unique Birdbath & Planter Set Creates a Mini-Oasis
Songbirds can be attracted to the smallest of spaces… with the right stuff! Elements found in nature are always best for birds; plantings that produce a food source and fresh water, they just can’t be beat when it comes to helping wild birds thrive.
Our hand made birdbath & planter lets you combine those elements in a stunning fashion. Whether your yard is monstrous or miniscule, you can create a one-stop oasis by planting for the birds and offering a fresh water source in one. Equally suited for deck, patio, or balcony, it’s ingenious!
Nectar producing flowers like petunias, lantana, salvia, and impatience work perfectly in the generous planter bowl, and it’s very likely that hummingbirds and butterflies will frequent these flowers for a quick meal.
The bath itself is glazed inside which helps water stay cooler. Adding a few river rocks or decorative stone makes the pool even more inviting by offering easy spots to land and perch, especially for fledgelings and juveniles during spring. Adding them will also help trap sediments at the bottom of the bowl. But when temperatures really start to heat up, water should be changed every other day. Because that’s the trick… if you keep it fresh – they will come!
In brilliant blue, green or turquoise, this bath and planter set packs a big punch for a small space. Beautiful glazed pottery, colorful annuals, and vibrant birds of spring and summer! What gardener could ask for more?
Another birdbath set worth mentioning features a bee skep, although strictly decorative. The bath is actually hand painted, and the large pottery skep makes for unique garden sculpture.
Now, about that special Mother’s Day gift – there’s no way you forgot mom?
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The Unintentional Bird Bath
Last winter a water problem was discovered in the crawlspace. Ground water was coming up pretty high and slowly rotting out the support beams. First thought to be a lack of ventilation – but it turns out this had been a longstanding problem.
Over the summer a sump pit was dug, a pump and float switch added, and drain hose was run outside, across the side yard. A simple outlet was created with gravel. It pumped all winter long, even during snowy weather, and is pumping right now. The water pools around the gravel and ultimately sinks into the ground.
Flocks of resident birds gathered there all winter, particularly during really cold weather. While this is near the bird feeders, there were many birds (like robins) who don’t typically use them. Every time the pump ran, birds would swoop down and take a dip, or drink, and otherwise frolic in the temporary pond. Leaning towards burying a bird bath or some kind of large shallow form near there for summer so the water will be able to pool longer.
This is clean, filtered ground water, it flows so it doesn’t freeze, and will be cooler in summer months. The best thing… it’s going to good use for the birds!
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New Years Note for One of Our Bird Baths Ends 2013 Nicely
On the last day of 2013 it was nice to receive this note via snail mail. It was a thank you which stemmed from a resident’s simple request for a birdbath to attract some birds at the nursing home. We sent along one of the hanging bird baths, a couple of suet cakes with cages, and some easy suet recipes in hopes the kitchen staff might humor the residents – and help feed the birds on a tiny budget!
A post was published hoping some other birding businesses might catch wind of the simple request. A couple of benches would’ve been really nice for the folks to sit outside and enjoy the birds, but that was beyond our realm. It was just good to give, expecting nothing in return, and we managed a good bit of that for 2013, and will continue to do so in the new year!
Yes, 2013 had its ups and downs, from Fiscal Cliffs and natural disasters, to super storms, a never-ending winter, and government shut-downs. The Monarch migration was a bust, and bats and bees continue to perish at alarming rates. That last part may not sound very important… but just ask a farmer who grows crops. Without these pollinators the future could be grim.
So, Welcome 2014!
May winter be swift, for early nest starts and spring bulbs forcing through, for a safe and timely return of hummingbirds and all migratory birds, for a new awareness and stewardship of the nature around us, and for many happy & healthy fledges for all our feathered friends!Oh yeah.. and here’s that nice note 🙂