Ideas For Your Backyard

A beautiful woman holds a bushel of wheat in one arm while with the other endlessly pours the water from her urn. A classic fountain symbolizing fertility and wealth. 

This fountain would like in a “sun room” or outdoor entertaining area.

The Plain Titmouse is the western cousin and lives in the southwestern states.  It is a small, gray bird with a crest, but it is all gray, without the rust or white accents. 

Both birds hunt for insects by clinging to branches of trees and shrubs and peering into the crevices of the bark.  They sometimes forage on the ground as well. 

Their calls are similar, a whistled “peter, peter, peter.” 

Perched atop his favorite rock, this friendly fellow is just as happy as can be! From his bright-eyed grin to the message (”Do one thing today and everyday that makes you happy”), right below his webbed toes, this little figurine is a bona-fide charmer.

How can you resist this little charmer?

Table Top Fountains are highly recommended in homes and offices to help increase the humidity
levels and decrease the amount of dust particles in the air.  This will have a large effect on people with allergies.  The sound of the soothing running water also helps to produce a relaxing atmosphere which in turn reduces stress. 

Wall Fountains are special additions to your surroundings. Studies have shown that the splashing water puts healthful negative ions into your surrounding environment.  This helps to control allergies by keeping airborne dust partials to a minimum.  The sound of flowing water also helps to relax and de-stress you after a long hard day.

To really make a focal point in your backyard there is nothing like a  Garden Water Fountain.  With your Garden Fountain you will enjoy your patio or deck and have a  place to relax and enjoy the soothing sounds of water, and watch the birds as they bath and drink.  It also makes for a great conversation piece when you have guests.

The spring courtship rites of the bluebird are among the most enjoyable to witness. The male selects a suitable nesting cavity and devotes all his energy to luring a female to it with song. He sings and sings, as the female sits passively by, enjoying his effort. When she inspects the nesting place, he interprets her interest as acceptance and his song becomes even more passionate. But the final selection of the nesting place is hers, and if she finds his choice unacceptable, he must search for something better.

The female builds a nest of dry grass or pine needles and other plant material. The nest is typically about three to four inches deep. Here the Eastern Bluebird lays an average of three to five clear blue eggs though occasionally they may be white, with the western and mountain species adding one or two more. They hatch in two weeks and the baby birds leave the nest in 15 to 20 days, ready to fly and soon able to feed themselves.  By fall the pair has raised two or three broods of young and may migrate south if their food supply runs out or it gets too cold. 

Father’s Day is just around the corner, so now is a good time to start looking for a gift.  There is still plenty of time to look online and have it shipped.  Why spend time looking through store after store when you could be outside enjoying the nice weather.  What Father wouldn’t enjoy receiving this lovely garden fountain?

Adding beauty to your garden decor can be done several ways, and it will be probably be  different for each of us.  You can add plants, trees, objects, water features.  Beauty is indeed “in the eye of the beholder”.  (and the pocketbook)!

Look down the road and see the “big picture”  maybe you can transform your yard/garden slowly, especially if you have limited resources.  Add a few flowering plants or bushes this year and you’ll be able to see the beauty begin, with birds, butterflies and blooms, then next year maybe you can add a statue or water feature.  This can be repeated year after year until you have created your “masterpiece”.

In the quiet of the garden I watch the butterflies as they flit about, from one plant to the next.  Always on the move, stopping just long enough that I can take in their beauty.  The colors are exquiste!!  Reds, oranges, yellow, blues and greens.  Then I recall how a catepillar changes into this beautiful creature.  Wouldn’t it be fun to watch this transformation?

I can feel the mist of water as a gentle breeze blows… This fountain is absolutely inspiring.  Could you come up with a smaller version for your backyard? or perhaps you have an idea that is a little different?

With the warmer weather, I’m in seventh heaven. I love having all the song birds in the backyard, and I love hearing them sing! You too can hear this symphony by encourageing these songbirds to visit, nest and feed in your backyard. It is so easy to encourage most birds. You probably already have trees, shrubs and flowers, now put up a birdhouse/birdfeeder and some food, and you’ll be listening to a beautiful song or two also. Photo compliments of John and Carol Hollinsworth/USFWS