allgonetothebirds

Gnome Garden

2009-05-22T02:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I have posted in my blog, I have been real busy in the gardens and really frustrated with my website, so I slacked off for a while. All of the gardens have changed a lot. I guess you could say that mother nature has been busy too. It's going to take a while to catch up on my posts. My favorite update is the Gnome Garden. I should have taken some photos as I built my Gnome town, because my plants have grown so large that they have all but swallowed up my Gnomes.

My favorite feature of Gnome Town is their out-house that my hubby and I built. It's so cute, and very necessary for my gnomes for obvious reasons. My husband really thinks I am nuts when it comes to my gnomes, but they need things too, Right? Actually I do sometimes get carried away with my decorating, But it's all in fun and a little whimsy goes a long way in making your day a little brighter. So Why not? I am trying to get my gnomes to do the weeding for me and if they like their new home maybe they will help out with a lot of my garden chores. I am beginning to think one of them is planting the weeds instead of pulling them because they are so bad this year, but I guess it could be because of the rain we have had an overabundance of so far this season. My Gnomes also have a table with a checkerboard and two seats, so they have something to do when they are not working. I have other things planned for it and will probably add to it as I find things that they need.

The gnomes have their own garden with statues, birdbath, and gazing ball. Of corse you know that garden decor is very essential in my book. They even have a shepards hook with a birdhouse on it. That is a deffinate must for any garden. I'm sure that I will think of many more things they need.

My husband thinks I've finally fell off the deep end when it comes to my gnomes, But that's o.k. I'm having fun with it and as long as they don't have me committed who cares? Right?

Another post coming soon!

by birdlady

Nice Weather, But Not For Long.

2009-04-20T03:17:00.000-07:00

We had some real nice weather for a few days, so I actually got outside and got my hands in the dirt. It felt great to be puttering in the garden again. I got all of the mulch down , then went to get more. The first truck load covered my two shade beds, and my two ornamental plum trees.

They look much better now. The big bed will take about two loads itself. But there's a lot of weeding to do first. Sometimes I think I have the healthiest weeds in Indiana growing in my front flowerbed. Where do they all come from?

My husband and I took up the arbor in my front bed, It has seen it's better days. The biggest problem now is finding a place for all of the birdhouses that were on it, so since it's going to rain for a few days and turn cold, we have started building a post for my birdhouses. I haven't decided where to put it yet, I like to watch the birds while I rest on the porch or in my garden swing, so it will probably go in the front bed.

We also built an outhouse for my Gnomes. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but it will make a great addition to my gnome garden. It has turned out great and just needs a few coats of clear varnish to finish it. You can buy outhouses for your gnomes, but we like to build things ourselves. It rained all day Sunday anyway. Besides, We got to spend some quality time together. He also suggested that we build some birdhouses to go on the post we made but, I think I'll use some from my website, there are so many cute ones and we wouldn't be able to make them so detailed for a decent price, So costwise and definately time wise it would be smarter to buy them from myself.

April Snow Brings.......?

2009-04-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

Well it's April 7th and we are expecting more snow, I thought the saying was "April showers bring May flowers" I wonder what April snow brings, I'm not sure I want to find out. This is crazy weather. Saturday and Sunday was nice and warm enough to work outside. I pulled weeds, cleaned birdbaths, did some mulching and started clearing out an area for my much anticipated Gnome Garden. I worked until it looked like the rain was going to cut loose. Then it started, We had a lot of hard rain, it came down so fast and furious that the ground couldn't soak it up. We had some flooding and of course some of my new mulch was washed away. Hmmm could things get worse? You bet!!!

Monday brought Snow so heavy that it seemed like a blizzard. It was so wet already that it didn't stick and soon melted. That's great. But wait we are supposed to get more snow. What is this? I am used to snow in March but April? Well at least I didn't drag out my garden decorations yet. I started to but thought I'd wait until the mulching was done. At least I got the two small beds almost done. It's too cold and much too wet to work outside now, I guess I'll have to wait for nicer weather AGAIN. The birds are all cuddled into fluffy balls, I bet they are tired of this waiting for spring too. Well maybe next month. I just hope that I don't lose any plants during this freeze.

My Little Greenhouse

2009-03-27T04:43:00.000-07:00

I have wanted a greenhouse for years, but there is always something that is needed more to spend our money on. Maybe some day I will get a full size greenhouse, but for now I make do with a tiny portable one. It is easily put together when I need it and can just as easily be taken apart to store over the winter, taking up very little space in my shed. When I want to start my seedlings early, I get it out and put it together and am ready to fill it up with my trays of newly planted seeds and even some small pots. For the space it requires it can hold a surprising amount of plants. I put a 2 foot fluorescent light fixture with a grow light bulb across the top and rotate the plants when they need sun, but mother nature doesn't provide it. I also use it to protect bedding plants waiting to be worked into the gardens. When it's too cold for the plants outside, I bring it in, it's very light weight. It is perfect as protection against my plant eating cats too. When it is outside I tie it to the porch rails so a strong wind won't dump it over or carry it away. If it doesn't have many plants in it yet I usually put a stepping stone on the bottom rack to weigh it down. I live in what is known as tornado alley so we get a lot of strong wind, You learn to prevent things from flying away in advance.

So far my plants are barely coming up, and I haven't purchased any bedding plants yet. The weather has been so unpredictable that most of the places I buy plants from haven't even started selling garden plants yet. In fact the weather man said on the news last night that we may be getting some snow before the weekend is over, GREAT!!! Just what we need. It's not unheard of to get snow here in March, but snow in April is kind of rare.

The plants in this piture were given to me, One looks like a geranium of some sort, and the other one ? it kind of looks like a jade plant? The kids at the school greenhouse were growing perenials and the tags got lost, so I guess I'll have to plant it and find out. The sprouting bulbs are my Calla lilies I have to wait until the danger of frost is over to plant them, I don't think they can wait much longer. Do you?

I hate to wait to put out my garden decorations and lawn furniture but I guess I'd better. I do have some out that should be o.k. if the temps don't drop drastically. I guess I had better watch the weather report very close. I may have to cover some perennials that have started up. Spring??? YEAH RIGHT!!

birdlady

Garden Planning

2009-03-24T03:23:00.000-07:00

Every year I plan out my garden ahead of time. I don't know why because it never works out the same as I plan it, But I guess it would be worse if I didn't think some things out ahead of time. Right? Today that is what I'm going to do. I have some of my plants started in my little greenhouse, but they are so tiny I can't count on them to be ready in time to put them in the ground. Last year we grew a salsa garden. I had so many peppers growing that I didn't have enough room to grow any beans. I like the Roma bush type beans. They taste good, are string less, and the compact plants really produce a lot of beans. This year I am determined to plant a few rows of them. I have to put windwheels or noise m akers of some type in with them too to keep the rabbits from eating the plants, they seem to like the beans. Last year they ate the broccoli plants and radishes down to the ground. Broccoli doesn't really grow well in Indiana but my son wanted to try it, apparently so did the bunnies. I'm guessing they liked it. I haven't seen many rabbits this year, I think the stray cats that hang around keep them away. I have two cats myself and believe it or not their names are Salsa and Pepper.
SALSA & PEPPER (my cats)

I love yellow Zucchini, So does my family. I fry it in flour & cornmeal, with butter Crisco and they can't get enough of it. That is the only squash that we like. It's getting hard to find the seeds for it, because Burppe is the only one that can actually call it zucchini. Other types of yellow squash is not quite the same. It is so yummy. My Dad who hates squash and would never eat it when my mom would fix it, finally ate some a few years ago when I fixed it. Now he asks for it all of the time. We only have it in the summer because it costs way too much in the stores and they are also just little bitty things compared to the size that you can grow them to fry. The only problem I have in growing them is they get root worm easily. Over the years I have found that if you start them in a big pot with no bottom or one with large holes and then sink the whole pot in the ground when the plants are a decent size, they are less likely to get those pesky varmints in them.

This year I bought a new type of flower bulb to try too. Well at least it's new to me. I think it's actually been around a while. It's called Ismene. I'm one of those people who usually stick with the old fashioned favorites as far as flowers go. But these look interesting, so I'll give them a try.

Has anybody ever grown these before? If you have any information on them, drop me a line, I sure would like to hear what you think about these flowers.

The main reason that I have passed them up before is that, where I live you have to dig them up each year and store them for the winter. I'll have to remember to do it. Oh well I have to dig my Caladdiums, Calla Lilies, and Elephant ears too, So I'll just add one more to that list of must dig bulbs and if they are worth the effort, I may get some more next year.

I need to get some of the seeds I just bought planted in pots and growing soon, because Planting time is not far off. I am going to try and get to the place where I buy heirloom tomatoe plants, I will have to take my hubby in with me to keep me from getting too carried away with my tomatoes because I can't stop myself when I see all of those plants, they are very cheap and I love home grown tomatoes. I wish I could make my garden bigger, but we have made it bigger the last two years in a row. Oh well who needs lawn right?

More Than Just Birdhouses

2009-03-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

I love birdhouses, They make great decorating items for your porch, yard, garden and even inside your house as a theme for any room. I have a very large collection of birdhouses inside and out. My kitchen theme is birdhouses. I had a great time decorating my kitchen. There is not any space that doesn't have a birdhouse, or a picture of one. I have birdhouse towels, dishrags, pot holders, curtains, tablecloth, appliance covers, bag holders, bed tray, place mats, throw rugs, candle warmer, drawer knobs, canisters, wall trim, real birdhouses hanging and on shelves, even a birdhouse water cooler cover. It turned out great. and I love it. In the winter I feel like I have a little of the outdoors right inside my kitchen and it makes me miss going outside just a little less. If I didn't have cats I would probably have birds too. My mom used to have canaries when I was little and I loved it when they sang. I do have some birds in with my birdhouses, It just makes since for them to be added too.

One thing I had a lot of fun doing was painting and decorating an old cabinet to go with my birdhouse theme. First I stripped off all of the old varnish, stained the top to match my cabinets,

then I painted the doors the same blue that I used to sponge paint my walls and the cabinet itself white. I added rub-ons of birdhouses and birdhouse knobs. I did the same to my vegetable bins. I did stenciling and hand painting on the bulkhead that devides the kitchen from the dining area. My sister in law made me the clock. her web address is http://www.carlasemb.com/om/ I'm kind of a finatic when it comes to home decorating, I like each room to have a theme. One bathroom is Dolphins, the other bathroom is Palm trees, and the main bedroom is Oriental theme, My daughters room has it's own theme all together it's called tornado aftermath. It had a butterfly theme to start with but it got lost during the storm called teenager.

Can you make out the little bluebird hanging in the photo above? I sell these in my store. it is a little lantern and it makes a perfect romantic glow while watching t.v. or just relaxing in the living room, It hangs in a framed out sort of window between my living room and dining room,

I love it. I have a lot of oil lamps, candles and lanterns all over the house because we have a lot of power outages where we live out here in the boonies. They really come in handy. The lanterns come in a lot of different styles and can also be used outdoors. We use ours a lot when we have company or a cookout. A lot of the items you can decorate with can also be use ful, I use the bed tray a lot too. It is perfect to take your dinner to the living room while you relax. and is kind of cute hanging on the kitchen wall too. Of course my husband likes this decoration too, because sometimes he gets breakfast in bed on it. Lucky Man.
the birdlady

Still Waiting...

2009-03-21T05:27:00.000-07:00

I have been very bad about not writing in my blog, I have been working on my website a lot and gathering things for the flowerbeds. One thing I have waiting is in my driveway, it's a truck load of mulch. I am hoping that I have a chance to get some of it laid tomorrow, we are supposed to have a decent day, and then get rain for almost every day next week. No worry, we also have a boat in the driveway. I know rain is important , but give me a break!!! I guess I'll have to cover the mulch up tomorrow too. wet mulch is a lot heavier and harder on my back as well as bad for the trucks suspension. My hubby's truck really looks weighted down.

I've also been gathering things for my new gnome garden, I can't wait to get it started. The gnomes are going to have their own little garden too. Some of the things I want to put in my gnome garden I can't find anywhere, so I'll have to make them myself, That's O.K though because crafting is another one of my hobbies. I have a lot of things in my craft supplies that will be perfect for my gnome project. I have made a birdbath and a gazing ball for my gnomes to use in their garden, They turned out kind of cute. I wish I could get my hands on my daughters Barbie stuff, I bet there are a lot more things in there too! But her barbie stuff is all packed away somewhere. Oh well I have a lot of things already, and I'm sure I'll think of more as I go.

When I was looking for gnome items, I found another cute frog so I snatched him up too. I have so many plans for the garden this year, I'll never get them all done. I am hoping for good days for my Mieneres disease and Fibro, so they don't prevent me from working outside. I have to do it a little at a time, work some, rest some, work some, pain pills, rest some. I'm sure some of you know what I am talking about. I wish I still had the strength and energy that I had years ago.

My hubby or one of my sons will have to do the tilling and other hard things again this year. It takes me forever to lay the mulch since I have to do it bucket by bucket, because I can't handle the shoveling. But I will get it done one way or the other. My hubby always fusses at me , saying I work too hard in my garden and one of these days they will probably find me face down in one of my flower beds dead as a doornail. In reality, I will probably be face up since I can't bend over or get on my knees much, I scoot around on my butt a lot. All I can say is can you think of a better way to go? Nobody will even have to send flowers and whoever made up the saying dead as a doornail? It is not an option in my book, Aren't they all dead to start with?

the birdlady

Garden Frogs and Toads

2009-03-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

Do you like Frogs and Toads? How could anyone possibly not like them? They are so cute. I love frogs and toads of any size or color. A person could collect frog statues and never have them all, there are so many on the market today, litterly thousand's of them. They are everywhere you look. I am lucky to live in a place where there are tons of toads and frogs in my yard in the summer months.

I have a special area in my front garden called toadtown U.S.A. which is where I put all of the toads and frogs that I find hopping around my yard and driveway. Usually they stay there, but a few may be wanderers and have to be placed there over and over again. One particular toad I saved kept returning to the backyard, He was found by the dog a few times but kept returning when placed in toadtown, after several trips to toad town he would see me coming and hop right straight to the vegetable garden and through the fence I put up to protect the garden from the dog. Well I could use a bug eating helper in that garden too, so I left him there. He was happy there and never wandered far.

For those of you who can't have toads and frogs or don't want them, there are statues and figurines galore to choose from. I have several in my store to choose from and they make a wonderful addition to any garden. You could even make your own Frogville or Toadtown.

Have fun with it. My frogs have their own swimming pool, houses, birdbath, solar light, and a sign welcoming visitors. I have pathways made out of rocks and pebbles and a lot of bigger rocks for them to sunbathe on. It is always loaded with frogs and toads real and not. A night It sounds like a symphony of frogs and I love it.

The frogs do a pretty good job of keeping the bugs down, That many frogs and toads can eat a lot of bugs. They are also make for a perfectly themed garden and attract a lot of attention. In my opinion every garden needs a toadtown. It is a great way to decorate any area and everyone needs a little Whimsy in their life. Frogs and toads make even the grumpiest person smile.

A Quick Taste Of Spring

2009-03-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Well we finally had a very short taste of spring here in Indiana over the weekend. The temperatures soared up into 60s Saturday and the 70s Sunday. Wow! It was great. Today well it's 45 right now... It's great while it lasts. I did get some work done outside even though you can't really tell by looking. It is supposed to get around 60 again today and rain later tonight and tomorrow. We are supposed to have bad storms Tuesday. I guess I'll wait a little longer to start dragging

out my garden decorations.

I did find some green in my flower beds, if that's what you want to call it. In other words not a great start of anything except the tulips, daffodils, and some magic lilies. All of the other greenery is barely sprouted, but I guess that counts. The birds are all excited and you can hear hundreds of them happily singing and chirping away. They think it's spring already, but I know not to count on it until I see it. Indiana weather is the most unpredictable thing in the world. Speaking of Indiana I got a picture of my goose in her Indiana Pacer dress and hat. It's too cold for her bikini and she can't go naked, right? I have been gathering things for my gnome village, I'll start it soon, I have two spots in mind and can't decide which one I want to put it in yet.

I just realized that I was going to clean and set up the birdbaths, I won't have time today. I'll have to make time soon. The birds will be fine though, there are ponds not far from me in both directions, so they have water close by. I won't get the fountain going until I'm sure the freezing temperatures are gone. I don't want my pump to freeze up on me. Tomorow I'll have to get out the rest of the birdhouses because it looks like the birds are fighting over them, I guess I have a housing problem. Oh well, I will do what I can. There won't be a problem once the trees start leafing up. It looks like the trees will be loaded with nests this year. That is just fine with me,I love to watch the birds. They also keep the insect population down for me. With all of these gardens to take care of I need all the help I can get.

the birdlady

The Secret World Of Gnomes

2009-03-05T18:43:00.001-08:00

After my last post I realized that a lot of us like Garden Gnomes. So I thought I'd post a story that I wrote about Garden Gnomes. I wrote this some time ago and I thought that I had posted it, but I couldn't find it when I looked back on the older posts so here it is again.

The Secret World of Gnomes
Let me tell you about a secret civilization of little people, that some of us gardeners are lucky enough to have living in our gardens all over the United States. They are very shy individuals who value their privacy but as long as I do not disclose their location, they have agreed that I can do a tasteful and informative story on them. I am sure some of you have heard of them before and just dismissed them as a folklore or fairy tale, when in fact they are and always have been very real indeed. There is proof. But please don’t try to capture them they belong in the wild. They are not pets. They are very interesting little people.

I know a local gardener who didn’t believe that Gnomes existed, He was stumped when one of his wind chimes kept moving from the Shepard’s hook in his garden and placed on the hook on his porch. The first three times he placed it right back only to wake up the next morning to discover that the wind chime had been moved again to his porch hook, So he then removed the hook. He thought he would teach this prankster a lesson. Well the next morning the wind chime in question was gone. That’s o.k. he thought I have more. So each night he replaced it and found it gone the next morning. Five days and five windchimes later, he found them all in a pile hidden under a bush. He decided to place a trap out and bait it with cookies.

The next morning, anxious to see what has been causing his trouble the gardener hurried out to the garden and discovered a very frightened gnome in his trap. The gnome explained that the wind chime disturbed his sleep, so he moved it to a more suitable spot. He needed his rest because he was keeper of the fireflies and has to be up all night long to keep them fed. So the gardener put all of the wind chimes in a row along the porch and not only does the porch look beautiful it sounds beautiful too. Once a week he also places a cookie out for the gnome and in the morning in its place he finds a seed to plant in his garden from the little gnome.

Gnomes are very hard working, loyal, and shy, but they do have a fun side to their personalities and love to play pranks on the humans and each other. As I show you the secret world of the Garden Gnomes, Please keep in mind that there are several of them out there that are still homeless and you could bring them to your garden to live and be forever entertained by them. but remember their charm can very easily become addicting to some individuals. And before you know it, you may be overrun with these mischievous little wonders of nature.

Let me introduce you to Grandpa Gnome, He is a very sweet natured man who loves his job of caregiver and storyteller to the children. He passes his spare time taking naps under the trees in your yard and when he’s not there he is usually playing with the garden hose because it is also his job to make sure everything is getting watered properly and to keep the birdbaths and little watering holes full of fresh water, He has also been seen hitching a ride on some of the bigger frogs in the garden.

The next gnome is very well known as a prankster, his name is Lester, in a photo he is offering a warm and friendly welcome greeting, His smile can be very convincing because he is a very playful gnome who is always happy to have new visitors to play his jokes on. He is also in charge of caring for the birds and keeping the birdfeeders full. It is always a good idea to be on your toes when Lester is around, because you never know when you will be the object of his next prank.
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This adorable little guy is Vincent Gnome, He takes care of all of the garden toolsand equipment. He also likes to decorate the garden and lawn , Sometimes he plants magic mushrooms in a circle (called Fairy Rings) so the humans have something confusing to ponder over. Vincent is very shy and can sometimes be found hiding behind the decorations in your garden.

This sleepy little guy is Milton, He has the important job of night watchman. He keeps all humans and gnomes alike, safe during the night. He is also in charge of cleaning the bird bathsand fountains.He makes friends with all of the animals and helps them find food for their families, while everyone is sleeping. During the day you will see him snoring away in his hammockand Sometimes late at night he can be seen darting from one light to the other because it is also his job to make sure all of your garden lights are in working order.

It does not require much effort to find this next gnome. His name is Jerome. He naps by the garden signs, most of the day.
He is the troublemaker of the bunch, He can be helpful when he wants to be, but he is also the first one to complain that gnomes are not appreciated. His main job is to take care of the weeds in your garden, when you find many weeds he has been slacking off or, it is speculated sometimes that he plants them himself, just because he is in a cranky mood, which is about all of the time. If you see Jerome napping, it’s best just to leave him alone unless you
are in the mood to pull weeds.

This handsome little fellow is Alfred, He is a dreamer, and can usually be found on your garden bench or swingjust daydreaming most of the time. It is his job to make sure everything runs smoothly in your garden, He is the leader of the gnomes and finds uses for all of the gnomes. That is the only requirement to live in the gnome village, all gnomes must have a useful job to stay in this little community of the gnomes. Alfred is also the statue repairman and he keeps your statues clean and fixes the broken ones.

There are many websites on the Internet that have garden gnomes for sale, and even a few who sell gnome accessories too. My favorite accessories are mushrooms and gnome doors and windows for you to create your own gnome village. These doors are so cute and look adorable on trees, birdbaths, rock walls hills, and many other things. You could just set them out and let the gnomes decide where they want to live. But I like to decide where things go in my garden, myself. There is a very talented man in Florida who makes gnome doors and windows as well as many other great items in his own workshop. You can visit his site at http://www.winslowcollection.com/

There are so many ways to make your own gnome village, and as usual you can find a lot of information on the Internet. All gnome villages I have seen have mushrooms. And a few have wishing wells and of course bridges if they have water that the gnomes have to cross. I have even seen some outhouses for,(well you know). There is a website called Gnome Garden that has a photo gallery with many Gnome pictures. They sell Gnome accessories and have quite a bit of info on the history of gnomes. You can visit them at http://www.gnomegarden.net/

I can’t wait to start my own Gnome village and have several of these happy playful helpers in my garden. The only problem is deciding which ones I want to add first. There are so many I like. I just can’t make up my mind.

Whimsical Garden Decor

2009-03-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

Do you need a laugh now and then? Can you use something fun to brighten up your day? I believe everyone needs a little fun and laughter in their lives. A whimsical spot in your garden really perks things up, and you can also have fun creating it. Give it a try, it's guaranteed to make you smile.

The best place to start is to gather some whimsical garden decor, whatever you want, Frogs, Garden Gno mes, pink flamingos, monkeys, Whatever you like. great items can be found everywhere on the Internet, There are even naughty Gnomes. Gnome accessories too, such as gnome doors and windows, bridges, wishing wells, mail boxes, even outhouses. (well gnomes need to relieve themselves too, don't they?)

Frog decor is a great idea too, You can build a toad town, There are fat frogs, funny frogs ,frogs that sit on rocks, Royal frogs, dangly frogs, even frogs with bumps like chicken pox. O.K. that wasn't perfect, but You have to give me credit for trying. I'm nuts about frogs, some people might say I'm just nuts. But I think that in today's world you have to be a little nuts just to get by. At least in my world you do.

Pink flamingos are fun too. Believe it or not they are making a return to the gardens. I also have a soft spot for the big garden goose that you dress up according to the season. Mine has a Santa suit, Indiana Pacers dress, a rain coat and of course a leopard print bikini and straw hat. She is one cool bird.

No matter what you like you can make a fun spot in your garden, It doesn't have to be a big spot. Gather you stuff first and get some ideas in your head, It can be anything at all. I know a lady that has a bottle garden, Why? Well, I guess she likes to save pretty bottles and wanted to make a place in her garden for them. It is pretty, especially her bottle tree. All it takes is your imagination and a little work to create something great and make you smile and that alone is worth it.
the birdlady

Seed Starting Today

2009-03-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

It is too cold out to do any work outside but you know that soon it will get a little warmer and if you are as antsy as I am you're wanting to get out there the first chance you get. It won't be long now. Or at least I hope not. I can't wait to drag my tools out and start cleaning away all of the nasty brown stuff and straighten things up. This winter has been hard on my garden. I have a few broken lights to fix or replace and it looks like several pieces of my border fence is broken too. The roof is off of one bird house, and it looks like I need a semi load of mulch, A lot was washed down from all of the rain we've had and of course all of the snow didn't help either.

This week I intend to start some of my seeds in little pots, I'll have to get out my little greenhouse and put it together. They will have to stay in the house for now. As soon as it warms up a little bit I will move them to the garage and set up the plant lights. My husband doesn't like it when I do that because I always get carried away and have plants everywhere. He can't get around when I spread them all out. But I don't have to spread them out until the plants start getting big, then they need more room. He says that one of these days he's going to build me a big greenhouse. Hmmm Maybe I can spread them out more. If he has to squeeze around my plants more, maybe that one day will get here sooner. ( It's worth a try) A true gardener will do anything it takes for her garden.

I also need to fix the birdbath that goes in my toad town, and fix or buy another sign for it too. Their swimming pool needs fixed too. actually it looks like the frogs had a wild party there, I think it needs a complete overhaul. Lots of work to be done ,too cold, I can't stand it much longer. I've gotta get out there. This cabin fever is turning into cabin coma, spring better get here soon.

Crazy About Frogs

2009-02-27T03:52:00.000-08:00

Do you like FROGS? I just love them. They are so cute! You can find all types of frog items on the market, to put almost anywhere. There must be a lot of Frog Crazy people out there in the world today. I must say that I thoroughly understand, I mean whats not to like? They are so cute and fun to collect too. I don't really have a frog or toad collection, but I do have a toad town in my front flower bed and many other frog statues all around my yard. I also have live ones in most of my gardens too. Last year the rainy weather where I live was so ideal for the little cuties that my gardens were loaded with them. the sounds coming from my flowerbeds at night were deafening. But that's o.k. because I think they are great and they also eat many unwanted insects and that alone is a big benefit. I keep water and shelter for them. There are toad houses, broken flower pots and shells placed just right so they can hide under them. They have their own area but they don't hesitate to wander around anywhere they want. I do have to rescue them occasionally from things like the dog, the lawn mower, and sometimes even a car when they decide to take a stroll in the driveway. We did have a few casualties last year, One being a very large bullfrog that insisted on inhabiting the mud puddle in my driveway. His mate was rescued and taken to a nearby creek so she wouldn't suffer the same fate.

One type of frog that I had never noticed in this area before, made its appearance in my yard a few years ago. I was hand picking Japanese Beatles off of my ornamental plum tree when one beetle just disappeared, I know it didn't fly off, I would have seen it. So I got a little closer and looked closer at each individual leaf for the undesirable pest and right between my eyes was a tiny little light green frog. He must have eaten the beetle. Well I know a good thing when I see one, He can stay. Upon closer inspection there were 4 more on that one tree. I had never seen them before and have not seen any of them since, too bad they were cute and I can always use the extra help in eliminating Japanese beetles. I guess they were tree frogs.

This year I am going to improve on my toad town, They deserve it. I will be looking for better housing and more decorations. My sign that welcomes visitors to toad town has seen it's better days so I will be replacing it also. They have their own miniature birdbath that is in dire of repair. I'll try to get a picture of it when the work is done. The swimming pool that they have for playing in is a little too small for the amount of toads and frogs that I had last year too, Maybe I'll make them a bigger one. If you need frog items or just want to browse, You are more than welcome to visit my store and look around. You can visit it here . If you have any questions please do not hesitate to E-mail me. I am always willing to help my customers in anyway I can. If you have a toad town I would love to see it. This blog is always open for comments.

the birdlady

Still Winter, So Decorate Inside

2009-02-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

Do you have a room that needs a facelift? Or maybe just a little rearranging and a new theme? Sometimes you can just move your furniture around some or maybe trade a few pieces with some furniture in another room, do away with some main decorating features and replace them with something completely different.

This alone can make your space look and feel like a completely different room. One nice feature that can give any room a relaxing feel is an indoor fountain, there are so many options to choose from in an indoor fountain that you can have one anywhere now.
The wall fountains really make a statement when you walk into a room, they are easy to put up and do not take up valuable floor space. They are also fairly easy to maintain as long as you have a little wall space and an electrical outlet nearby you are all set. They operate by an internal pump, recirculate the water continuously, and also serve to help release moisture into the air in dry winter months.

Another way you can go is a floor model fountain, they are self-contained and also have a built in pump, which usually runs on electricity. Some of them do not take up much space and also come in several different themes.

If you don’t have much space, you can always try a table or desktop model. They still lend a relaxing aura to the room and can be purchased in many different styles. However if you really want to make a bold statement I suggest a floor model. Pick an area that you would like to improve on or change all together. Then decide on which type will be best for you. You are welcome to visit my store at http://www.allgonetothebirds.com/ to browse the indoor / outdoor fountains to see the many different fountains that are available.

When you put some plants real or fake, in a room, a fountain and some earthy decorating touches here and there, maybe a large mirror directly across from your new fountain and a nice nature print on another wall, some large throw pillows, or whatever you want. You have a completely different room that can be enjoyed by the whole family, with little effort at a low sticker price too. Try it, you can do it.

the birdlady

Bird Watching? Are You Prepared?

2009-02-22T04:27:00.000-08:00

Look, Up in the sky, Is that a plane?, Is that Superman? NO, It's a big beautiful bird, and I have no way to see it better or take it's picture. Does this sound familiar to you? I know it does to me.

A few days ago While driving down a country road minding our own business, my husband and I were treated to the sight of a beautiful hawk flying just above the windshield of the car for a few mind blowing seconds. I was awestruck and couldn't get my camera aimed in time to capture it on film before it was out of what my viewfinder is capable of. I was very disappointed to have missed what could have been a wonderful shot of that magnificent bird.

A birdwatcher must be prepared. There have been many times that I have seen a rare or unusual bird, animal or even beautiful scenery that I would have loved to get a closer look at and better yet take a photo or two of, but I am never prepared. I find myself wishing that I could capture a good nature shot on film and share it with the folks on the Internet who have posted great photos themselves for everyone to enjoy, some of them are utterly breathtaking. But I have never invested in the proper equipment. Oh sure I have a pair of binoculars and a camera, but they aren't great.

I know that the equipment that birders and photographers use can be very expensive. I am just an average nature lover and by no means an expert in either field, but I do like to observe and take nice photos too. So I have decided to do something about it. I have my eye on a new product that I carry in my store that will solve both of the above problems. I am placing it on my wish list and making it known to my hubby, I have a birthday coming up, and it's a big one, Just never mind how big. But if I hint around enough maybe he will buy it, Oh who am I kidding? My husband doesn't get hints and wouldn't notice one if he sat in it. I'll have to try a more direct approach. So here it is. Maybe he will read my blog.

These new dig ital binoculars are a great idea and not too terribly expensive. They allow you to get a close up view of your target and capture it in a photo. They will take a memory card, come with a disc for your computer and have many other features that make them the ideal item for any nature lover. I won't bore you with the details. If you want to check them out further click here. But I think they are great. If you already have a good camera, I also carry other nice binoculars in stock you can check out that will bring the action up close and personal.

I don't know about you but the next time I see something that will make a great photo. I'll be prepared. Now if I can just get my mind to function long enough to take a picture instead of standing there staring at it thinking WOW! I'll have a lasting memory of it, like a nit wit.

2009-02-17T06:11:00.000-08:00

It is cold again today, The warmer temperatures of yesterday disappeared, The few days of springlike weather gone again. Us Hoosiers disappointed once more that spring will not be here for at least a little while longer. You get used to it.

The birds that have returned in hopes to start nesting early, are now huddled in the trees all fluffed up to protect themselves from the cold. For a few days I could hear them singing and chirping away, flying here and there checking out the feeders, trees and bushes. Searching out potential mates and nesting areas. All of the excitement has stopped, the birdhouses that were so feverishly being stuffed full of twigs and grass are now sitting there looking abandoned and the sounds have vanished from the air, once more things are still, silent and very cold.

Mother nature has fooled us again. She entices us with a promise of warmer temperatures and sunshine, only to take it away again, what a tease.

It is now the best time to start our seeds indoors. The few days of nice weather giving us the incentive to plant and be ready for spring, It will be here eventually. This Hoosier will be ready, with garden tools in my hands and healthy plants at my feet already looking forward to that first ripe tomato that makes it all worthwhile.

the birdlady

Little Male Wren

2009-02-15T03:05:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post I told everyone about a little male Wren that returns to my yard every spring, Well he's back. I have named him Adonis, It suits him well because he is a very handsome and romantic little guy, working for several days building nest after nest and singing at the top of his lungs continuously to let his mate know he has begun preparing a home for her to return to and begin their first family of the season. He is such a faithful little guy, and even helps feed the babies until they leave the nest in time for the wrens to mate again and raise their second and last family for the season.

Adonis has already built two nests that I know of in the front yard, But this year not only is he starting early, but he is overdoing it a bit. He has made the hole in my gourd birdhouses a lot larger than they were, and stuffed them way too full. This is usually the case but this year they are extra full. I don't know if the female will like the larger entrance he has made, I guess we will find out. Last year his usual mate did not return, maybe that is why he's starting early this year. I am confident that he will find a new love because he has great since of family values. Most male wrens build the nests and disappear after mating, leaving the female to hatch the eggs and tend to the babies while he entices another mate to one of his previously built nests. Not Adonis he stays with the one mate all season and helps her through both mating periods. He is always looking for tasty bugs to feed his young and brings it back to the nest, singing to let his mate know he has returned with food, she won't let him in while she is there but he goes in as soon as she leaves to find food for the babies too. He passes out the food and pops out of the birdhouse and sings again to let her know he is leaving to find more food and she returns herself, they take turns like this all day long. No wonder she returns every year to him. He is a very faithful little guy.

Sometimes Adonis will bring his babies a tiny white worm that they apparently do not like the taste of and he has to take it back, I see him do this over and over, as if he thinks that they may eat it eventually, I don't understand, if he likes those little white worms so much why he doesn't eat it himself, but No, he always takes it back where he got it. Hmmmmmm, Strange little guy. Maybe it's a birds equivalent to spinach, (good for you but, nasty tasting.) Oh well there are many more bugs where that came from. He perches on the shepard's hook that holds my hummingbird feeder singing out a loud sharp song and dives into the plants, He definitely helps to keep the bug population down in my gardens and can always be seen hopping around the flower beds searching for food to Feed all of those hungry babies. He has earned his place in my garden.

I guess, I'll have to grow some more gourds this year to make them some new houses. The only one he hasn't messed up is the one I left natural and just put a protective coating on it, He prefers them painted and decorated. See, I told you he is very romantic. I don't mind making him more houses. If he attracts a new mate this year I will call her Aphrodite. I hope she chooses one of the nests he has built close to the house so I can see it well. I have lost my binoculars, I guess I had better find them, after all it's almost SPRING. YEAH!!!!!!!
the birdlady

2009-02-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

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In my last post we discussed how to prepare for the birds by first making sure they have birdhouses to nest in. The next step to ensure that the birds will visit your garden and stay close is a water feature. Birds like all living things need water to survive so we have to provide it for them. There are many ways to incorporate water into your garden theme, Let's explore some of the options that are available to us. This is not a decision you should rush into, Some water features are a little bit harder to maintain than others, and some are also more permanent features than others are. So weigh your options first, The possibilities are endless, and there are many things to consider first. Space available, maintenance, proximity to spigot, power supply, installation process, and location it will be in.

First let's discuss the easiest option, THE BIRDBATH Every gardener should have a birdbath or two. They are easy to maintain, Easy to install, can be moved, No power supply is needed, They don't take up much space, and there are many styles to choose from. Set up is simple, First buy one , put it where you want it and add water. Simple, Right? Well not quite, they do need cleaned occasionally, changing the water everyday or using a mosquito dunk is suggested, and depending on your location, you may have to take it in during the winter. But it is the easiest and quickest solution. I have several birdbaths and can always use more, I usually don't have to change my water but I do have to fill them everyday because my birds usually empty them by drinking, bathing, and playing in them.

Fountains are another nice way to furnish the birds with a fresh supply of water at all times, You don't have to worry about mosquitoes because the water is moving and will not stagnate either.

You do have to have a power supply close if your pump is electric, taking care not to let the pump run without water. They do need cleaned out occasionally, but that is easy. It's not very hard to move them either. The biggest problem you will have is deciding which one that you like the best.

There are SO many to choose from. Many types, Styles, and sizes too. Tall fountains of course would look better with tall plants and there are shorter one for plants that grow close to the ground or don't get too tall. If you have a wall in your garden or want to build one, they have very nice wall fountains you can use just for that purpose. The choices again, are endless.

If you cannot decide maybe I can help you, Such as, Do you have a theme in your garden? They come in many themes also, a few being frogs, angels, dolphins, cherubs, children, Buddhas, almost any animal you can imagine, even dragons, gnomes and fairies. I hate to say it again but The choices are endless.

If you can find a fountain that is exactly what you want the hard part is over. The birds love them and soon they will enjoy your choice as much as you do, They make a nice relaxing sound and are so beautiful to watch. I'm sure you will enjoy taking a break from your gardening chores and resting near your new fountain, where you can see and hear the beauty that it will bring to your garden for many years to come.

the birdlady

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Plan Ahead To Attract The Birds / Birdhouses

2009-02-11T02:43:00.000-08:00

With winter drawing to a close (hopefully,) It’s time to start planning ahead on the best way for you to prepare for the birds that you want to attract to your Yard and garden areas. They will be here soon, and it’s a good idea to be ready for them. Thinking first along the lines of birds that are anxious to start nests for the upcoming arrival of the eggs that will result from their much anticipated mating. Some species like to use birdhouses if they can be found. Some prefer trees or bushes. Some find the strangest places imaginable to build their nests . I like to make sure that I have all of the necessities ready for the birds, and I think they know that in my yard they can count on food, water and shelter. So I never have a shortage of birds to watch in my own yard. It is too early for the hummingbirds to return, I will watch closely for them, so that when they do get here I can put out their feeders too. I keep hoping that they will build a nest where I can see it, but so far I haven’t been lucky enough to find one.

Birdhouses come in many styles, Some even chosen for a particular breed of bird that you want to attract, Most of my birds don’t follow any certain rules. They just check them all out and pick one they like best, Of course they do (just like humans,) prefer a good location. They like to be sheltered, and in close proximity of food and water. One thing for you to consider however is the distance from the birdhouses and your bedroom windows, Birds can be very noisy when they are nesting and very early morning hours are among the loudest, especially when there are babies, wanting their breakfast. I have a lot of house wrens and the little males make quite a racket form sun-up to sun-down while they build the nests, each trip to the bird house withnesting materials is followed up with very loud singing to announce to the soon to arrive females and intended mates, that the building has begun. I like to hear and see those tiny birds, so I don’t mind the noise.

I use birdhouses with varied sizes of openings so I can accommodate many different breeds, They also have varied tastes, But as long As I put them at different heights, and in many places I have no problems with them being filled to capacity. I also take the perch off of most of them, its usually not necessary and helps to protect them from predators. Once your birdhouses are in place, you can sit back and wait for them to attract a soon to be mamma bird. If you’ve never watched the caring and feeding of baby birds, you are in for a treat. One of these days I hope to get bird cams in my some areas, but until then I’ll just have to be content to watch them with my binoculars, when they are too far away to see them. Happy birdhouse hunting!
The birdlady Click here for more birdhouses

Don’t Close Your Eyes Today

2009-02-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

It feels almost like spring today! The temperature is warmer than it has been lately. It’s 52 out now and supposed to climb to a whopping 60 degrees before the days end. WOW!. I know better than to get used to it though, after all, it is Indiana and anyone who has lived here can tell you, if you don’t like the weather now, just close your eyes for a few minutes. Some even say it can change in the blink of an eye. All I know is Mother Nature likes to play games with us Hoosiers and has a mean streak a mile wide.

Almost all of the snow has melted and there are puddles everywhere and a lot of water standing around. The birds are checking for food under all of the freshly uncovered ground. The snow can be very hard on the birds and other wildlife that have to forage for food. The creeks have all thawed out and are probably rising from all of the melting that has occurred so fast. If the sun would come out and the drizzle goes away, it would be great!

I guess I should get started on seed starting soon. I also have a lot of clearing winter debris away too. When the ground dries up I’ll get my tools out and a few things that the rain won’t hurt and get started cleaning up. My lawn chairs are one thing to come out first, after all I have to have somewhere to rest occasionally. I need to check all of my planters over for damages that sometimes occur from freezing. Same goes for some of the statues. However, what I consider to be the most important thing to get ready are my birdhouses, the birds won’t wait, if they are ready to build nests and the houses aren’t up yet they will build in places you may not consider appropriate. Sometimes they do anyways but as the saying goes, don’t ask for trouble.
Birdbaths need to be cleaned and filled as soon as the danger of freezing has passed. Right now, some of the birds are using the puddles everywhere but I would feel better knowing they have clean water.

birdlady

My Garden Helper

2009-02-09T04:50:00.000-08:00

For those who do not know me, I am the biggest animal lover that has ever been born. I use to have a very large array of pets but have stopped taking in all of the strays that I find for many reasons one being the cost to raise them and another is, I get so attached to them and can’t handle losing them (usually from age.) I recently had my friend of 17 years put to sleep because she could no longer walk. She was a very smart and loyal companion. As always, I was so upset and had a hard time adjusting to not having her by my side at all times. I decided that was it, NO MORE NEW PETS. I still have 1 small dog and two cats, Once they live out their normal lives I don’t want anymore pets. My husband agreed. So I made this known to my daughter, who is almost as animal nuts as I am. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t afford to take care of them like they deserve, The vet bills are too high and I can’t handle it emotionally when they pass on. Plus I’m getting up there in age myself and I’m starting to worry about what will happen to my cherished pets when It’s my time to go. No More!

Then the inevitable happened, My daughter smuggled in a puppy, It’s only temporary, I’ll take it back if it doesn’t work out, I’ll take care of it myself, I’ll pay all of it’s bills and buy it’s food. All of the usual things were promised, along with I will take it with me when I move out. WELL… She named her Nikki . She was supposed to be a small dog and she was so sweet. She fooled us all.

She turned out to be hell on four legs. Nothing or Nobody was safe from her, She was very hyper and so ornery, all she wanted to do was play and she played rough, She was very bullheaded and when threatened with a rolled up paper would grab it and shred it into a million pieces. Everything was a game to her, When you were mad she thought you were playing. And just get rougher. She chewed on everything in site. The other animals wanted nothing to do with her. After a very short time neither did my daughter. (SURPRISE!)

I refused to get rid of her , I know from experience that sometimes the hardest pups to train are usually, the best dogs when they grow up. She is turning out to be a very good dog. She even helps me in the garden. When I pull weeds she swoops in and grabs them and runs off shaking all of the dirt from the roots, drops it in the yard and comes back for more, Unfortunately she can’t yet determine weeds from plants, and we had to put a fence up around the vegetable garden to keep her from pulling up everything I took so much care in planting. She was very persistent. She gave a new meaning to the phrase “Weed Dog” She also chases the birds away from my plants, She doesn’t allow them in her yard at all. So I have to feed the birds where she can’t get to them, or their stale bread. She will gather all of the bread and bring it back up to the porch to take back inside. Most of the bird feeding is done in the front yard by my bird feeders now.

She use to steal my garden tools when I set them down, just to get me to stop working and play with her, Standing just far enough away from me with my favorite trowel in her mouth, daring me to come and get it. Did I mention, She’s getting very smart? She hates the garden hose and avoids it at all costs. She usually doesn’t bother my decorations, but does like to chase the real frogs and toads poking at them with her nose to get them hopping. Then I do the swooping in to snatch up the live plaything and take it to my front garden, to live in toadtown.

I am looking forward to seeing how she acts this year when its planting time. I may be able to take the fencing down, But probably not just yet. She still likes weeds and is still playful too.
Nikki has calmed down a lot, and she has the whole family wrapped around her paws. Needless to say “ She will be by my side for the rest of her life” I now have 2 dogs and 2 cats. But… NO MORE! My daughter who has just had her 18th birthday, will be moving out before too long and I will be keeping Nikki here. Why? Well she has become a part of the family.

Never Fear, Cardinals Are Here!

2009-02-04T05:06:00.000-08:00

In Indiana most birds don’t stick around for the winter, I don’t blame them one bit, Winter can get very mean here. But the Cardinals are a very loyal bird. They stay in the same place year round. They are the state bird for at least seven states including Indiana. They are also very loyal to their mates, Choosing, taking care of and staying with the same mate for life. Only when one of a pair dies, does the remaining bird look around for another mate to remain faithful to for the remainder of it’s life span which can be up to 15 years.

The sex of a Cardinal is easy to determine, The male is a bright red with a top-knot and black mask, the female is a grey/brown with some red on their head, wings and tails, also with a top- knot and mask . Both sexes have an orange beak. Both of them also sing, but the female tends to sing longer and more often than the male. When you see one of them, you can be sure the mate is close by.

The male Cardinal takes very good care of his chosen mate. He will feed her before, during and after the mating period, bringing her carefully selected seeds and insects and placing them directly into her beak. The female builds the nest in dense shrubs, bushes or small trees only about 1 to 15 feet off of the ground. It usually consists of twigs, bark, vines paper, and leaves, then lined with grass and hair, She will lay between 2 and 5 eggs that are a buff color with dark specks. The female will stay on the nest for 9 - 12 days, rarely, if ever leaving the nest until the eggs hatch, during which time the male guards the nest protecting and feeding her.

After the eggs hatch they both feed the young until they leave the nest approximately 9 to 11 days after hatching. The parents however continue to feed the chicks for 25 to 56 days after they fledge from the nest.

The young birds are colored more like the female, the males slowly getting their red coloring as they mature. In cardinals eyes the redder the better, The males with the reddest coloring being more favored by the females.

Cardinals like to perch while they are eating, so a tray style bird feeder filled with sunflower seeds will definitely attract them. They like seeds, fruits, buds, spiders, and other insects. They also love the birdbaths. Of course they need heated when it’s cold.
In the winter months, it is common to see 20 to 50 cardinals in a pack. They depend largely on the seeds at birdfeeders in snow covered areas and tend to be the favorite bird in those areas during the winter months. They are also a favored species for photos, home and garden decorations and even Christmas ornaments.

I know that the cardinals are one of my favorite birds, and I sure appreciate the fact that they stay in Indiana during the winter because they brighten up the very dull winter scenery and look so beautiful up against all of the snow. (Can you pick out the cardinal in this picture taken during a sowstorm?) >>>>>>>>
Their presence is very welcome year round.
The birdlady

Groundhogs Day 2009

2009-02-02T07:23:00.000-08:00

Well folks it is finally Groundhogs Day. I don’t have much hope in that fat, furry, critter saying that spring is on it’s way here in diana today. We are supposed to get more snow today and tomorrow. ( just what we need.)I can see most of my statues now. And my birdhouses have thawed out. They have changed the forecast however and it’s not supposed to amount to much,
About 2 more inches altogether. But it is supposed to get real cold here. Our groundhogs will probably stay inside for fear of frostbite.

I have had people ask me, why I stay in Indiana if I hate the snow so much well………. I have lived in Indiana all my life, which is a long time. (and that’s all I’m saying) Most of my family is here. Most importantly my kids and 10 grandkids live here. For the most part Indiana is O.K. but the weather is so unpredictable. For instance it’s supposed to be in the single digits for one night and then by Sat up to almost 50, How’s that for drastic differences? It changes as much as the gas prices.

While we are on the subject of change, I have a lot of changes that I want to make in my gardens. Some of my decorations need to be retired. I have been wanting to start a new Gn ome Village anyway, so I guess now would be a good time to do that. I also want to put out butterfly feeders in an already established area that has a lot of plants that the butterflies love. I also want to order some praying mantis egg sacks from one of my favorite links. I am trying to get rid of my bad bugs without spraying because I have a lot of living things in my garden and don’t want to harm them too.

I have a lot of birdfeeders and birdhouses that always have nests in them and the parent birds get bugs out of my garden to feed their babies. I also can’t risk harming my frogs and toads that live in my toadtown. They do help a lot with the bug population, but I need to get rid of those pesky Japanese beetles. Maybe I can bribe one of my new Gnomes to catch them all in a bug trap, I hear they will do almost anything for a chocolate chip cookie. Hmmmmmmm
The birdlady

Getting Antsy, Need Sun

2009-02-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Well today is the first of February, and it looks like the North Pole here where I live. White stuff every where that you look. It's very pretty where it's undisturbed but so sloppy and nasty looking where it has been tromped through. I don't mind the snow at Christmas time but I would prefer it to be gone shortly after Santas arrival, is that so selfish of me? I hear that we have more snow coming soon, I guess that the 1 foot from the last snow just wasn't enough, We have to have more.

The two pictures below are the same spot in my garden. (which do you prefer?)

It's hard to believe that just a short time ago my gardens looked so beautiful with my lilies all blooming and the Black Eye Susan threatening to take over the whole bed, with the birds happily feeding at my birdfeeders during the day, and the Frogs croaking all night long. My goose statue has traded in her bikini and sun hat for a blanket of snow. Everything looks so bare and abandoned, most of my garden decor stored away for the winter. The real animals are also scarce, off hiding in the snow covered bushes somewhere, no doubt. I have seen rabbit tracks in the snow leading to the barn and some unidentifiable tracks leading towards the fields. I feel sorry for all of the wildlife having to endure these cold temperatures and all of this nasty white stuff. I bet they are hungry.

Maybe if I start some plants in pots it will chase away these winter time blahs. But I'll have to trudge through the snow to get my greenhouse out of the barn and set it up in the garage. One of these days I'm going to get a real greenhouse with a good heater. But for now my tiny portable one will have to do. I also need to get a heater for my birdbath, so the birds can have water during the cold months. Who am I kidding, what I really need is a bigger yard.

thebirdlady

Waiting For Spring

2009-01-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

Every winter I anxiously await the first signs of spring. The long cold winter seems to be never ending. Time stands still and all you can see is snow, brown grass and bare trees. Indiana don’t you just love it? It’s nearing Ground Hog Day February 2nd and I find myself wondering is it almost over? Will the ground hog see his shadow? Could spring possibly be right around the corner? Well it’s not likely to be an early spring here at least, it is snowing now, the biggest snow Indiana has had this season in fact. The groundhog probably won’t even be able to get out of his den, and if he does make it out, who will see him?

My bird feeders are covered with snow so badly that I‘m not sure I can find them to fill them up. I guess I’ll wait a while to try, at least until it stops snowing. I don’t see any birds out in these blizzard like conditions anyway, but I’m sure they are there somewhere waiting for their seed. There are no animal prints out there that I can see either. Snow is so pretty and I would love to see it, if it would stay white and smooth like it is now, But it ends up dirty and slushy. It also causes a lot of power outages and very dangerous road conditions. But overall I would rather have the snow than the ice.

I can see part of my Goose statue, but the Buddha Statue is almost covered and I can see the tips of wings suggesting that my Gargoyle is almost thoroughly covered. Somewhere scattered through the big garden are my solar lights I don’t see them but I know they are out there. All of these got left out in the weather this year because they are so big and I have little room in the barn for anything. It is cramed with garden tools and my lawn furniture and garden swing take up most of the available space, maybe next year I’ll buy some covers for them and leave them on the porch so I’ll have more room.

My husband is going to brave the storm and start the digging out process, maybe I should tie a lifeline to him and then to the porch so he can make his way back. I wouldn’t want to lose him, I’m kind of use to having him around. I think I’ll cheer myself up and look through the seed catalogs and websites , maybe even do some ordering for the veggie garden, that will chase away my winter blahs.
The birdlady

Strawberries Everywhere

2009-01-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

My strawberry patch is 4 years old now and I’m hoping for a good harvest this year. I started this patch for my Dad who loves strawberries. Now that he lives with us I thought that he would feel more at home with his favorite thing in the world growing right outside his bedroom window. It has taken a while for the plants to fill in nicely and I hope to get several nice berries this year. Last year we had too much rain and then horribly high temperatures before all of the rain soaked in, my tiny miniature green berries all dried up and fell off. I was very upset. I babied these plants for three years and was expecting more than the previous years handful of puny berries. The few berries that didn’t fall off were so waterlogged they didn’t taste right.

When I started the strawberry patch I spaced the plants accordingly and grew extra ones in a strawberry pot, in small hanging pots and little planters too, just so I could add them to bare spots at the end of growing season to give them a head start on next years plants. I bought a mixture of ever bearing and June bearing so they would have a longer bearing time. I had to buy a protective netting because the birds love them too. I can remember when I was a kid, In my sunhat with my own tools, weeding my dads strawberry patch for him. We always had nice juicy berries.

I have a statue of an owl to scare off the birds and other varmints that are everywhere out here in the boonies where I live. But I have to wonder who’s kidding who when I look out the window and see a chipmunk sitting on my owls head with a berry in his little paws turning it round and round while he nibbles away on his prized treat. Maybe I had better try something else. The net works on the birds but some of the animals can find there way in. Maybe I’ll try a wind wheel. Some animals don’t like the constant movement. Noise can be another natural deterrent. Maybe I’ll add a wind chime too.

If you are limited on space It might be a good idea to use one of those tiered beds for your strawberries. There are several ways to do it. I prefer to make my own if I do something like that. It’s usually cheaper and you can make it as big as you want and as sturdy as you can. But if you’re pressed for time I’m sure you will be able to find what you want for a reasonable price.

Just find a nice sunny well drained area and use a lot of compost or manure and you’ll have nice juicy strawberries in no time. If you have the room maybe you should grow some for the birds too, Or better yet hang up some bird feeders,They’ll love you forever.
The birdlady

Gardening on a Budget

2009-01-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive, It can be a inexpensive way for you to escape the drudgery of a job, kids, or just plain boredom. You can start out small and work your way up to a nice sized flower garden, with all the trimmings. There is no need to do it all in one day or weekend. Take your time and choose wisely when picking out plants and decorations. Pick a website that has a large selection of items that you like and order them one at a time if you have to. You’ll enjoy your garden time much more if you don’t rush or work too hard. Check around for the best prices, The internet is a great place to shop for garden décor and plants. You can even shop in your jammies, without wasting gas or having to pay for your lunch out.

You can dig up a small area to start with, maybe start with about six taller plants and a birdbath. Then when you see some other plants that you like you can dig more area around your first addition and plant the medium sized plants on the outside edges. If you have bare spots between plants when they grow I suggest filling them in with oriental lilies or Asiatic lilies, for a permanent solution or you can even plant some annuals to fill in until some more permanent plants catch your eye, or you can afford to get the plants you want or can’t live without. (once you’re hooked you’ll know what I mean.) Or just put a statue of a frog until you get a plant that you want inthat spot. another thing I do is put a plant growing in a pot in bare spaces until I make up my mind as to what I want as a permanent solution for that space.

If you have a friend or neighbor that gardens, they most likely would gladly give you some starts or cuttings of their favorite plants. Most gardeners are very generous that way. I have never met a stingy gardener. They all like to show off their most prized plants and are always eager to help with advise and if they can, starts off of their plants. That is how my gardens have grown so large. I have purchased some of my plants but the majority of them have been given to me. I also divide my plants when they get too large, and give some away then plant the rest. I have even had people stop and get out of their car and ask me about a plant or two that has caught their eye, only to head back to their car, happily with one or more plant starts in their hands to plant in their own gardens. I like to spread my plants around.

To finish off your garden, whenever you decide how large you want it to be, you can then decide what kind of border you want. The nice landscape blocks are rather expensive but they last forever, timbers are a cheap alternative but they will rot over time, plastic borders or fencing last a little longer but do break after a while. Or if you don’t mind taking a while you can drag home your own rocks to make the border. I have two large garden borders and one long row of river rocks of all sizes and shapes, that I have drug home over the years and too many to count shells to decorate with. They make a great natural looking border and they didn’t cost me a dime. I know a lady who used old bowling balls to surround her whole flower bed, Some she bought at yard sales and after a while people just started bringing her their old bowling balls to use. Sometimes the best things in life are free.
The birdlady

The First Sign Of Spring

2009-01-22T02:02:00.000-08:00

Every gardener watches very closely for the first sign of Spring, There are many different things to watch for. It can be the first early plants starting to poke through the ground, the leaves starting to bud up on the trees, or the first Robin. Whatever you watch for it is a cherished event for any gardener that is waiting for the long, cold winter to be over. Where I live in Indiana, Winter can be long and brutal. Every year I watch for the return of the Robins. I love the sounds of their happy singing in the trees and seeing them hopping across the ground looking for worms. It doesn't mean that there will be no more snow, but It is a sure sign that Spring is getting close.

Time to start dragging out my garden decorations that have been stored in the shed all winter. I look every thing over carefully and replace anything that has seen its better days. It is also a good time to paint and repair things, before the plants start growing. I know my trellises need some painting this year. I have to get that done before they are covered with the vines that they support. One thing I like to get out early is my birdhouses that weren't left out for the winter and clean out any that have left overs of last years nests in them. The birds will be looking for nesting places soon and I want my bird houses to be ready for them, and in move in condition.

Birdbaths need cleaned and or repaired. I'll get my garden hoses out and ready to wash them down and look for cracks or breaks that need fixed. I have a lot to do. A gardeners work is never done. Every nice day is used preparing for the nice weather to return. I also need to get out my pots that will be used for seedlings and clean them before I plant my seeds or plants in them. I have many things planned and I never get them all done, but I every intention to try. I have so many flower beds that I start cleaning them up and work my way from one end of my yard to the other and then start over, It keeps me busy, But I love it.

I also start my veggies in pots at the end of winter, and plan out every square inch of available planting space that I have. As soon as weather permits I get a few in the ground, looking forward to the first tomatoes. I like to plant some a week apart so that I have an endless supply of ripe tomatoes. Now that the temperature is outside is warmer , everyone knows where I'll be. No point in calling the house phone, I won't hear it, don't bother knocking on the front door, I won't answer it, Just look around outside, I'll be here somewhere just look for the garden tools and cart. or better yet, grab a hoe and start weeding, I'll find you.

birdlady

Gardening Comes Natural

2009-01-20T04:40:00.000-08:00

One thing that I look forward to every year is my first ripe tomato, There is nothing better than home grown tomatoes, I have been growing my own tomatoes since I was a child. You might say I was born with a green thumb and garden tools in my hands. My family has always had a garden, and I grew up thinking everyone did, In fact I was rather shocked to find out that not everyone got to experience the flavor of their own home grown tomatoes.
I couldn’t live without them now that I know how easy it can be.

I don’t intend to get carried away with my gardening this year, I am getting to old to spend all of my time weeding in the hot sun, I prefer to spend it in my garden swing in the shade, admiring my flower bed. I do have a few things that I consider a must to grow every year, Tomatoes, peppers and green onions. There have been a few years that I have intended to grow only these three things, to make it easier for me to take care of my garden, but Now that I think of it I have always added other things and never succeeded in growing just those three favorites. I guess I might as well admit that I am a garden addict. I can’t help myself. If there is a bare spot of ground, I have to plant something in it.

Next on my list is to try to make my flower beds a little easier to take care of too. I am going to buy praying mantis eggs this year to help with the insects, Between the birds, frogs, and praying mantises I should have a fairly easy time controlling the insects, I need to find a natural way to cut down on the weeding though. My husband wants me to make my flower beds smaller, But the one bed I chose to take out this next spring was so beautiful this year that I changed my mind and decided to keep it. It also contains a birdbath, and two bird feeders, so I would have to put them elsewhere. I am going to tell my husband that the birds took up a petition saying it would be too stressful on them to relocate. Do you think that would work?
The birdlady

Try Container Gardening.

2009-01-16T03:26:00.000-08:00

There is a lot to be said for container gardening today, especially if you are short on room but love plants and flowers. We have come a long way from the drab clay pots that our grandma used to grow her plants in, and there are many different ways to display those pots too. Your front porch or patio can come alive with just a little help from you.

The first thing to consider when starting your plants in containers is where they will be located and the conditions they will have to endure while growing. If your plants will be in mainly sun, plant sun loving plants, shade - shade-loving plants. They will also need to be watered more often than your garden, because they will dry out faster in containers. If you have several planters and pots you may want to have a garden hose handy. A watering can is fine for just a few plants and saves a lot of time.

Make sure your pots have adequate drainage, if there are no holes in your planter you can put some rocks in the bottom to help keep the water off the roots of your plants. To cut down on the watering you can cover the exposed soil with mulch or peat moss, making sure not to put it all the way up to the base of your plants.
Of course, there are exceptions but almost anything can be grown in containers if you can find a planter or pot big enough to give it room to grow. There are so many choices on the market today and the internet makes it even easier to find exactly what you consider the perfect containers for you and your plants. You are only limited to your imagination.

When you are mixing different plants together in one pot make sure that they all have the same requirements in care such as sun, water and fertilizer. Most container-grown plants do not need fed as often as plants grown in the ground. You can even buy potting soil with fertilizer already in it, if you don’t want to bother with buying plant food or have no clue about the requirements on feeding them, that may be the route to go. However, for the most part you can read the seed package or ask the attendant at the nursery where you buy your plants or once again try the internet, There are many gardening sites that will answer any questions that you may have.

If you have a deck with no place to hang plants or place pots never fear you also have options. There are planters made especially to hang on deck rails, ranging from large planter boxes to single pots. If you can’t find them in your store, I’m sure you know by now where you can find anything you may be looking for, without me saying it again. ( aren’t we lucky to live in the computer age?) I love it!

After the planting is done you can accessorize, adding decorations a bench, swing, statues, or even a small fountain. The possibilities are endless. Make it a place that is all your own by choosing what you want to be surrounded by whether it’s classy or whimsical, you are only limited to your own style and imagination. So let’s get started making our porch, patio or deck the perfect place to go to relax and be with nature.
The birdlady.

Make Your Annuals Last Forever

2009-01-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Saving your seeds from your annuals is a great way to save money and always have a very large supply of your favorite plants. My favorite plants to do this with are Petunias, Moss Rose, marigolds and snapdragons. There are others that I save seeds from after the plants dry up too, and I always have plenty of plants to use as fill ins and to fill many pots and hanging planters. It saves me a fortune every year and sometimes I even have plants and planters to sell for profit. But to be perfectly honest with you there is no such thing as profit because I see too many new plants and decorations when I go to the nurseries that I always end up spending my profit.

Gardening is an addiction ask anyone who has it and they will say that they have a seriously awful hunger to have more and more plants, It can't be helped. If you see bare soil you have to put a plant in it. But of all addictions that one can have, Gardening is by far the prettiest and nicest smelling habit that you can have, so I say, GO FOR IT!

I keep a small decorative flowerpot on my porch and one on my patio, So when I am sitting there watching the birds at the feeders ( my favorite pastime) I plop a planter on the table and start deadheading or pinching seed pods off. The ones that are planted I'll work on when I weed or some may have to wait until blooming is over. Some of my perenials seed up too. I love to gather seed pods from my columbines and they always do great when they are replanted in pots the next year. They also sell well.

You can save your plastic pots that plants come in at the store for new plants next year to save even more money. I also use dixie cups, yogurt containers and anything else I can get my hands on. You would be suprised how fast ideas pop into your head once you have the obsession to grow your own plants. They will be everywhere. Gardeners are also very generous people. They will give you a start of practically any plant that you want. Sometimes without even asking.

In the early spring I take over the garage with my plants and plant lights. My vegetables need a lot of room too. There are plants on tables, chairs, boxes, shelves and even the floor. If my husband pulls the car out to go somewhere, he may not get back in. I work hard planting, then adding accessories such as statues, birdbaths, fountains and other decor, But it's all worth it when the yard is full of beautiful flowers everywhere you look. It can be breathtaking!

the birdlady

Bird Watching

2009-01-09T17:52:00.000-08:00

Birdwatching can be very relaxing, I love to go on long walks and keeep my eyes open for the different types of birds. I have noticed the population of Red tail Hawks has really increased in Indiana. and have seen a few Coopers Hawks lately too. I have never noticed as many Blue Heron here as I've seen in the last few years either. I live in the country and the wildlife here is great.

Of course I have bird feeders to attract the birds and there are ponds on both sides of me so I see a lot of water birds also. and My yard seems to attract a lot of other animals too, My husband thinks I feed every animal around here. Not really, but you never know what kind of animals you're going to see. The hummingbirds are among my favorites.

I have several types of birds that visit my feeders,and I like to just relax in my garden swing and watch them for hours. I keep bird houses for them too. and of course birdbaths, so they have plenty of water to play in and drink. One particular bluejay I had use to come every day for peanuts I would put out for the squirrels. He would land at the peanuts grab one in his beak, and fly to the birdbath where he would dip it in the water several times and then fly up to the tree to break it open and eat it. Was he a clean freak or did he do it to soften the shell? He also did it with cheese curls when I gave them to him, Or should I say when he swiped them from the squirrels.

Birds can be facinating to watch, Give it a try sometime, You won't be disappointed.

the birdlady

Winter Time For The Birds

2009-01-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

In the summer when food is in abundance, I have many different birds that visit my feeders, but a lot of them fly south for the winter. Although it gets awful cold in Indiana, Most bi rds do not hang around because food is hard to come by for them. Winter is the best time to feed the birds and they will provide you with hours of entertainment. Birds can lower their body temperatures to help them keep warm and burn fewer calories. They can also fluff up their feathers to help insulate them from the cold. However, they have to have food. So place as many birdfeeders as you can out in your yard.

You can also put bird houses out for them but most birds prefer evergreen trees and bushes , Brush piles and roof eaves to nest in over the winter. They will huddle together to keep warm and even pile up if the temperatures get very cold. If you see a bird, that has lowered his body temperature and he looks like he cannot move. Chances are he is O.K. When they lower their body temperature, it is like hyperthermia their heart rate and body functions are also slowed. That is very dangerous for humans but also for the birds because they cannot fly off if attacked by a predator. It takes them a while to raise there temperature again to resume normal body movement.

Feeding bird suet is also good for them in the winter. They need extra body fat. Woodpeckers love suet feeders. However, other birds such as blue jays, titmice, nuthatch, chickadees and cardinals to name a few like them too. The best seed for them in the winter is black oil sunflower seeds. It also helps them to store a little much needed fat for the long cold winter.
Birds also need water. If your winter temperatures get as cold as they do here in Indiana you may need to have a heated birdbath, I have also seen a solar type that is small but will keep a small area in the center from freezing, just enough so they can get much needed sips of water as needed, But I think the lowest it can be is 20 degrees.

I also place a piece of poultry netting over my chimney and a downspout guard in my vent pipes. I have had birds perch on the chimney to keep warm and fall in when they are overcome by the fumes. The vent pipe is another place they perch, but I have not had to remove birds from them. I have however removed a very large stash of walnuts cookies, peanuts and other things belonging to a very confused squirrel, But that’s another story altogether.

the birdlady

The Holidays Are Over

2008-12-31T12:29:00.000-08:00

With the holidays over it’s time to get settled in for the long cold winter ahead. There is a lot of real cold and snowy weather ahead for those of us who live in the northern states. What will you do all winter?

I’ll be going over all of my seed and plant catalogs and getting ready to order for spring planting. I like to start my own plants and have a small greenhouse and it comes in handy for seed starting. My cats love green plants too, but don’t appreciate them for their beauty, they like them for their taste, so I can’t grow them in my windows. I put them in the garage in pots and use a plant light to keep them warm and to simulate the sun.

There is nothing like the taste of home grown tomatoes. Anyone that grows their own tomatoes can’t wait for the tomatoes to get ripe, I barely eat store bought tomatoes, and usually pass them up while creating a sandwich or something that doesn’t absolutely have to have tomatoes in it. But when I have home grown tomatoes I load them on. B.L.T.s are so much better with home grown tomatoes.

I also like to start my flowers for my planters and fillers for my flower beds. Although I prefer perennials for the majority of my gardens, there is a lot to be said for blooming annuals. I fill in bare spots with them and have a few spots that I prefer to plant them in all the time.
It’s also time to what new decorations I want to put in this spring. I plan to put in a gnome village this year and want to have it all planned out and my gnomes and accessories purchased in plenty of time for them to come in the mail. I have a big tree that will be perfect to put a gnome door on and windows for them to live in. I need to order some gnomes too.

I also have plans to add some butterfly features to my front garden,I guess I'll be pretty busy over the winter planning and shopping for all of the things I want to do in the spring.
the birdlady

Garden Water features

2008-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

If you are starting a new garden or just adding on to an established garden, the best thing to do first thing to do first is to put in a water feature. The hardest part will be deciding what you want. There are so many styles to choose from on the market today, that the possibilities are endless. If you are starting a garden from scratch, you should decide the style of garden you want first, and then go from there. If it is not a new garden, just go with the flow, as the saying goes. Pick out one that will match your theme that is already there.
You can dig a pond and line it, install a molded pond, with or without a waterfall. make a level area and put a fountain on it, or just plop down a birdbath and be done with it, whatever you choose a water feature is a must if you want to attract wildlife. They are also very pleasing to look at. All birds, insects and animals need water as well as food to survive, and there is a style for every possible taste and space available to put it in. Take your time and decide what is best for you. I prefer fountains because they can be moved easily when I want to change things around from one year to the next. I love the look of ponds but I have a lot of tree roots in my yard that makes digging large areas very difficult.
Fountains come in all themes, shapes, sizes, and types. They can be mounted on a wall, set on a table or pedestal, or free standing, They can be electric, battery operated or solar powered. They can spray upwards or flow downwards, they can be single layered or many tiers, most of them let you control the flow of water too. It can be hard to choose from all of the designs that you have to choose from though because there are so many.
They have angels, cherubs, crosses, frogs, dolphins, rocks, hummingbirds, birds, butterflies, gnomes, pineapples, acorn, dragons, fairies, children and even Buddha’s, just to name a few.
If you want a little whimsy in your life, try creating a garden that will make you and your visitors smile. Some themes you can use are Gnomes, Frogs and toads, fairies, children playing, and almost any animal you can think of. You can design the whole garden around one certain theme or mix them together to make a smorgasbord of delightful oddities. Or if you have plenty of property, you can make many gardens all with a different theme. That is what I do. But remember gardens are like children they need to be nurtured and taken care of, and also like children some are easier to take care of than others. A little research goes a long way in making the perfect decisions as far as plants and decorations that are right for any garden. So put some thought into what you put in your garden. I like plastic or stone borders, fences and decorations because they don’t need painted, but I love wooden arbors and trellises for my roses and vines to grow on, so I have to touch up the paint occasionally.
I love perennials because they return every year and require little maintenance. But I also plant annuals for the endless varieties of blooms they produce. Once again it is a matter of choice and the time you can spend caring for your garden.
If you want to attract birds, butterflies, or hummingbirds you can plant a few of their favorite plants and put out feeders for them too.
The internet has endless information on what plants will attract whatever you choose to invite into your garden. All gone to the birds will be happy to help you decide which type will be suitable for your needs and you are welcome to browse our selection of fountains any time you wish. Wherever you choose to purchase your fountain we know you and your garden friends will cherish it for years to come.
The birdlady

Time to Plan for spring

2008-12-26T04:34:00.000-08:00

With the holidays coming to an end and family and friends all gone, when the rushing here and there all over, it’s time to start planning for spring, There are a lot of decisions to make, you might as well get everything ready ahead of time. Decide what you want to plant and where, soon the garden catalogues will be arriving in the mail, and you can order your plants and seeds now to be shipped in the spring. There is nothing more aggravating than getting your order in too late and finding out that the plant you wanted to put in a particular spot is sold out. I also buy any decorations and bird houses and feeders ahead of time so I am ready to put them out when the birds are ready to start building their nests. Here in Indiana where I live, we usually have many false starts of spring and you never know when the birds will be ready to build their new family home for the season. Therefore, you have to be prepared.
I like to set out nesting materials for them to use too’ such as pieces of string, yarn, paper strips etc. They love Easter grass, and I put some out for them to find easily. Birds put some strange things in their nests, One year when cleaning out birdhouses I found a five dollar bill neatly woven into one of the nests. One nest had a large collection of bread ties in it; you never know what you will find. I put ice cream buckets over light fixtures that I don’t want them to build their nest on and block any holes to places they can’t build in, and make sure my grill is covered , I had a nest in it before , so I learned to keep it covered. The cap on the propane tank is another favorite spot, but we only use the propane to heat with so it does not really hurt if they build in there, they are long gone when we get it filled in the fall.
I also like to clean out the birdbaths and do any needed repairs and touch up painting on arbors, fences and whatever needs it so they are ready for the plants that will soon be up.
I’m going to be replacing a lot of broken or worn out statues and decorations this year, and flat out just want to change some of the ones I’m tired of too.
I order my seeds way ahead of time and start them indoors, soon to be moved to the garage under a plant light or into the little greenhouse that I put out on the back porch.
Yep! Lots to do, plans to make things to buy. I spend a lot of time on the internet finding what I want. Besides Wal-Mart its my favorite place to shop and it’s easier on the feet too.
The birdlady

Mood Enhancing Gardens

2008-12-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

I’m sure all of you have heard the saying “ You are what you eat “ To me that means you need good food to nourish your body. Well the same can be said for nourishment for your mind and soul.” You are what you see.” A beautiful garden can lift your spirits and make you feel better. Have you ever noticed that when the weather is dark and gloomy, You feel gloomy too? Try walking through a garden or sitting on a bench in the middle of one. It not only sweet smelling and nice to look at ,but it soothes and lifts your spirits.

Different types of gardens can also cause different affects on your mood, such as one with Frogs as a theme or maybe Gnomes can make you feel uplifted and happy. I know when I see fun or silly things, I can’t help but smile. The different gnomes can be hilarious their selves. They even have a mooning gnome. Also their accessories can be fun, doors, windows,
Wishing wells, even an outhouse. Making a gnome village in your garden can be fun too!
You’re only limited to your imagination. Of course you can find anything you want on the internet too.

Frog themed gardens can be fun and make you feel happy too. I personally have a toad town in one of my gardens, Sure it’s silly but I had fun creating it and it’s fun to look for new things to put in it too, and it does serve a purpose too, It has real toads and frogs in it too, as well as statues, one of them is neither real or a statue it is a key hider, for when someone gets locked out. Shhhh! They have their own swimming pool birdbath, houses gardens and other things too. For more ideas try allgonetothebirds.com. I’m going to add an outhouse for them this year. I’m sure some of you are thinking that I’m crazy, I assure you that I am not, Well maybe slightly, but sometimes it takes a little bit of crazy to get by in the world today. Try it and have fun. Remember you’re only limited to your own imagination!
The birdlady

Winter Ice Storm

2008-12-18T03:38:00.000-08:00

Well it's Thursday, exactly one week before Christmas and we have a winter Storm coming this evening. That's Indiana weather, very unpredictable. Hopefully everyone has their Christmas shopping done. Because the advanced forecast isn't very good either. We already had freezing rain that left everything with a thin coat of ice, The roads have been cleared fairly well. But there is still ice coating my bird feeders and the birdhouses have icicles hanging from them. It is very pretty but also very dangerous to walk on or drive on.

The birds are all sitting around all fluffed up like little balls of feathers trying to keep warm. It is times like this that I wish I lived in Arizonia. This is the time of year that the birds need suet feeders, It helps them store fat in their bodies to help keep them warm. Where I live though, you attract more than birds with suet cakes. Racoons, Opossumn, and skunks, to name a few.

I used to put them on my empty birdbath base, But the other animals found them too easily.

So you have to be careful when deciding on where to put them. Last year I had a dog that kept taking them. The cardinals love the suet cakes with fruit and nuts on them, and the chipmunks love them all.

We have a lot of Cardinals, I guess that's a good thing considering that they are our State Bird.

Sometimes in the winter my feeders attract around 15-20 cardinals at a time. That is the only time I see that many male cardinals together at one time. They brighten up the winter blahs.

In this picture, all of these birds are cardinals. In the spring and summer the males are always chasing each other away but in the winter I think they team up to hunt for food. At least that's how it looks to me. They are very pretty birds.

The cardinals must prefer the height of the trees for nesting though because as many as I have , I have never had one nest in my birdhouses. In fact I've never seen a cardinal nest in my yard at all. So they must be way up in the trees where I can't see them.

In the spring I always see the males feeding the females, It's so cute. Than a little later in the spring you'll see the females feeding the babies that are almost grown. But almost always in early spring, you see the female first and off to one side you'll see her mate keeping a watchful eye on her. He will follow her non stop while she's away from the nest. The males are very protective of their mate, I find that very sweet.

The birdlady

Replant Your Christmas Tree

2008-12-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you can purchase a live Christmas tree with the root ball intact and replant it after Christmas, I think that is a great idea and would make a wonderful family tradition, Providing that you have a yard large enough to do so. They can go on living and providing shelter and beautify your landscape for many years to come. They can hold a lot of birdhouses. Some even have pinecones you can make Christmas decorations and wreaths out of.

If you decide to transplant your tree after Christmas it pays to plan ahead. Pick the place where it will be planted and give it plenty of room to grow Because it will be a permanent fixture in your yard, Providing the birds with shelter and nesting area and you with a windbreak and a tree to decorate outside for as many Christmases as you wish. Grab your tools and dig your hole ahead of time to make sure you can transplant it after it has served its purpose inside. Make sure your hole is twice the size of the root ball, Store the dirt in a trash can, tubs or buckets. Put it in your shed or garage so it will not freeze solid and fill the hole with mulch or straw until you are ready to plant your tree.

Choose a tree that has a nice shape , nice coloring with no brown areas and strong branches. Make sure there is a nice sized root ball covered with burlap or some other type of moisture holding material. When you get it home it needs to be placed in a cool shed, garage, or basement, to adjust to the change in temperature before bringing it in to the area it will stay in for Christmas. Put it into a large tub or pot of water. After a few days you are ready to move it in side. If you use a tree stand protect the trunk with rags or Paper padding from the screws that hold it up right. If you use a tub you will need to fill any empty areas with rocks ,moss or any other material that can stay wet. Check twice daily and keep whatever container you use full of water, do not let it dry out. It wouldn’t hurt to lightly mist it with a spray bottle and let it absorb the water before decorating it.

If you intend to use lights choose some that stay cool. Or you may get brown spots from the heat of the bulbs. Place a tree skirt or blanket around the base to help hold the moisture in. Now it’s ready to brighten your Christmas.
Decorate it as desired making sure the ornaments you choose are not heavy enough to break the branches. If you attach the decorations with wire or string do not wrap or tie too tightly. Nothing can beat the aroma of a real tree and it is a beautiful addition to everyone’s Christmas.

After Christmas it needs to go back to the shed, garage, or cool basement for another transmission period again,

After a few days it will be ready to move outside to the chosen spot where hopefully you already have the hole prepared. Remove the hole filler that you filled it with temporarily, cut open the burlap and loosen the soil around the roots and spread them out the best you can placing it in the hole, If you have some compost throw some in and backfill with your pre stored soil making a mound up to the trunk. Water it generously and cover with mulch or even your temporary hole filler to retain moisture and to provide some protection. If you get no precipitation where you live you may want to water it a few times over the winter. You can fertilize it in the spring with a product made for evergreens.

You now have a wonderful living tree to serve as a reminder of that particular Christmas and to use as a outside decorated tree next Christmas if you wish. A nice row of pine trees make a great wind break and can provide housing for many animals and birds during the long cold winters ahead. Make it a family tradition.

MERRY CHRISTMAS
from the birdlady &

All Gone to the Birds

Hummingbirds Are Heavenly

2008-12-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

Hummingbirds Are Heavenly

I just absolutely love hummingbirds, They are so fascinating. They are the worlds smallest bird and only live in the Americas. Although they can see colors and are attracted by red, They have no sense of smell like other birds.
The most astonishing quality of hummingbirds is their ability to broadcast color. Hummingbirds radiate like hot coals in the sun. The color that reaches your eye is created by pigment, which absorbs some colors and rejects others. Like soap bubbles, hummingbird's color comes from iridescence, not pigment. It winks on and off, So it’s not your imagination that a certain hummingbird is changing colors. This allows hummingbirds to flash colors or hide them which is useful for males who want to impress females or threaten other males.

Hummingbirds feed through a long, tube-like tongue that darts into the flowers for nectar. The tongue, shaped like a "W", uses capillary action to absorb the nectar. The tongue's brushy tip also traps insects on their own quest for nectar. For protein, they will clean off a spiders web, eating the captured insects and then the spider itself. Now that’s resourceful.
Hummingbirds have to eat constantly to fuel themselves and they burn off their food very fast. They have the fastest wing beats of any bird and their hearts beat up to 1,260 beats per minute. A Hummingbird's flight speed can average 25-30 mph, and can dive up to 60 mph. In their non stop quest for fuel, Hummingbirds may visit 1,000 flowers per day, and hummingbird feeders.
They do have an interesting trait that only hummingbirds have in which they go into topor- a state in which their metabolic rate is only one- fifteenth that of normal sleep. They do this when they cannot get enough food mostly at night. It does not take a hummingbird long to starve to death. I often hear of hummingbirds being trapped in a garage for only a few hours and they unfortunately do not survive because they can’t feed.
Hummingbirds can fly long distances Many ruby-throats make a 2,000 mile journey between Canada and Panama. The trip includes a non-stop, 500 mile flight over the Gulf of Mexico. Now that’s a long way.

Hummingbirds are very territorial and will defend their feeders to no end. The mail will attract his preferred mate with his coloring and a strange dance in which he flies in a U shape swerve back and forth several times. They only mate once a season, laying 2 or 3 White eggs the size of jellybeans and the female raises the young herself. They do not stay with the same mate from season to season. However they will return to the same area and feeders each year
Hummingbirds do not sing. Most of them manage no more than a few chirps, squeaks and clicking noises, though they deliver them dramatically with quick turns of the head. Hummingbirds do make distinctive "zinging" noises with their wings however and do not hesitate to fly close to humans to check them out. My humming birds just love a birdhouse that I have hanging on the porch it is decorated with red flowers, They check it out regularly and it’s not unusual for my husband to be checked out when he wears his red ball cap or red tank top.

There are over 340 species of hummingbirds, They are every color imaginable even albino. To me they are very tiny wonders of nature, and have my admiration. I enjoy watching them and putting out many feeders for their never ending appetites. Sitting in the garden swing, watching the hummingbirds is a very intertaing way to relax and enjoy this little captivating cutie while he zips about going about his business.

birdlady

POSTED…..“Beware of Mocking Bird”

2008-12-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

I thought I would tell everyone about one of my favorite but sometimes annoying birds that I have the pleasure of living in my yard. I have a very smart and sassy Mocking Bird, Actually I have many Mocking birds that nest near my house but this one is different from the rest. He loves to spend his days playing games with me. He is a very conceited bird and loves to show off his wings. To get my attention he perches on the electrical wire behind my house and has a routine of prancing from side to side with his wings spread then does a flip in the air and lands on the exact spot he started then says (he, he). He does this several times to show off. He is so beautiful and he knows it. I call him Brutus, It just fits him perfectly. He is also a big bully.

I don’t see the mocking birds at my feeders but they seem to like stale bread and they love jelly sandwiches. I sometimes put fruit on a wire feeder for them, they seem to like that too. They also like to play in the birdbath too, sometime emptying it totally while playing and bathing.
Brutus has many sounds and a very amazing vocabulary. One day he played a prank on the other birds that have taken up residence in my birdhouses and trees. While soft chattering was coming from everywhere from the birds contentedly nesting in the hidden depths of the trees there was a very loud owl hoot, sending small birds franticly flying off and cautiously returning a few minutes later when no predatory owl showed itself, After about 5 or 6 times , the smaller birds didn’t know what to do . After scanning the area I finally spotted him, Brutus, I should have known, he was in one of the highest trees doing flips between his owl noises as if

laughing at all of the fuss he was creating with his little prank . He actually has a sense of humor.

Sometimes his pranks are on my dogs, Flying from spot to spot meowing like a cat and flying to a different spot when the dogs get there to look for the cat, until they give up or get tired. When he has a nest to defend it’s a different story though, No more games he swoops at them and chases them away from the corner of the yard where he has claimed a large wild
bush of some sort that swallows up the fence each year. Every one knows to stay away from that bush. It belongs to Brutus.

One particular nice day, I got all the tools out that I needed to do a much needed weeding in the garden and sat my phone on the picnic table to wait for an important call, and set about weeding in an area that is for my frog statues, when I heard the phone ring, I got off my knees and wiped the dirt from my hands and ran to the phone (none of this is easy for my worn out body) Well when I said hello all I got was a dial tone??????? O.k. fine, Hoping it wasn’t the call I was waiting on, I set back to work when I heard it ring again. Again no answer. This time I took the phone with me to save some pain as well as time and set it on the ground. Shortly after I got busy again, I heard it ringing I said hello and the dial tone greeted me again only this time I still heard the ringing. Hmmmmmm, What’s going on ? I looked around towards the sound and there was Brutus on the fence doing his flips. I just know he was laughing at me. Now is that a smart bird or what? He tried it for about 20 more minutes before giving up.

He has many sounds that I’m sure he learns somewhere. He can bark, which really messes with the dogs minds, because I’m sure they wonder why he looks like a bird but sounds like a dog. He makes a very convincing baby crying too. As well as a siren, weed eater, He can yell “Mom”just like the kids next door and a knocking noise and many other sounds. He just loves to show off. But his biggest trick yet is making a missile sound when he comes in for a landing or is swooping at the dogs. I know they use to have Mocking birds as pets long ago, Could you just imagine what he would try inside? I think I’d rather him be a free agent and live outside for my sanity’s sake.

Hey Baby it's Cold Outside

2008-11-12T03:33:00.000-08:00

Hey Baby it's COLD Outside!

Well it's November in Indiana and it's cold out, That's not unusual, But that doesn't mean that I have to like it , Does it? I think I'll stay inside today and do some shopping on line. Aren't we so lucky these days? We can stay at home and shop. Cool huh?

Lets talk Christmas Presents. Do you know what you are going to buy for all of the people on your list? If you do you're probably the only person who's prepared. I haven't a clue as to what I'm going to get for those on my list. Some of them will get a birdhouse or birdfeeder. But I'm thinking of giving some of them hammock chairs.

I think the older kids will love them for their bedrooms. I had always wanted one when I was a teenager, but you couldn't find them anywhere (as my kids say) way back when.

Some of the boys on my list would love the wooden bug house. They like to catch lightning bugs . The bug house would be good for temporarily holding butterflies too, Or frogs and toads. We have a lot of those here,But I have the kids put them in toad town ,in my front flowerbed. That's where all of my frogs and toads live. Well with the exception of one toad that kept hopping all of the way to the back garden every time he was moved. I finally just let him stay there. We also have a lot of lady bugs around here. I think it's because of all of the fruit trees out behind our house.

Some people may get a desk top fountain because there are so many to choose from that I'm sure I'll find one for anyone that is hard to buy for. One thing that I think will make several people happy is the lighthouse with a solar light. It is so nice. I wouldn't mind having one of those myself. But one thing that I want myself is the hummingbird weathervane. It would look real nice in my garden too.

Well I seem to be getting more shopping done for myself too. Iguess my garden will be full next year. I can't help it, there are so many cute things for my outdoor areas that I get carried away sometimes.

BURRIED ALIVE!

2008-11-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
Today I went out to get the paper and couldn't believe my eyes, when I opened the door and My whole world is covered in leaves. I can't even see the driveway. For some reason all of the trees in this area have waited to drop their leaves all at once. Usually we have to use the bagger on the lawn mower and clean some up as we cut the grass, But this year grass cutting is over and we're supposed to get some snow tomorow. I can hear the birds but I cant see them anywhere. I am going to make my way to the birdfeeder and put some seed in it. I bet they are wondering why the trees are getting bare so fast. Hopefully they are prepared for a long, cold winter.
I still have some empty birdhouses, So they had better move in fast. Every year I wonder why I stay in Indiana, Well I guess it's because my family and friends are here. I also believe that the grass isn't greener on the other side anyways. There are good and bad things anywhere you would go.

We have a lot of snow here in Indiana, but we have snowmen. Some places can't say that, and we usually have a white Christmas too. I know a lot of people wish they had snow at Christmas. I wouldn't mind the snow so much if it wasn't so cold. I have a lot of time until planting time to plan next years garden. But I'll worry about that after Christmas. Christmas is family time. Of course anyone who knows me knows I love to decorate at Christmas too. I also have a lot of sewing to do too. I like to make unique gifts for people. Busy, Busy. So much to do. BYE!

The birdlady

2008-11-04T09:48:00.001-08:00

More Birds For Indiana
Has anybody else noticed that as the years go by, there are more types of birds in Indiana than ever before? The reason for this I don’t know. It could be many things. Less area for them to live because of development maybe, Climate change? More birds than there use to be.
They seem to be migrating here more than they use to. I know Indiana has Bald Eagles, however I think the Owl population is going down, I see Blue Heron now, and the Hawk and buzzard population seems to be greater than before. I use to see a lot of those birds in Arizona and other South Western states, But not here in Indiana. Hummingbirds are on the increase it seems. At least I can’t remember seeing them when I was a kid.
I would love to see some of Indiana’s rare birds visit my feeders. I have found a rather nasty pile of internal organs in the middle of my back yard that I assume were dropped by a hawk or other predatory bird as it flew over, It almost had to be something like that because it’s a fenced in area.
We have a pond on both sides of us, but they are way back where you can’t see them. I’m guessing that’s why there is so much wildlife around here, I would probably get to see more if we were closer to the water. All animals need water, If I had a lot of land I would make my own wildlife habitat. With fountains, waterfalls, and feeding stations of all types for the birds and the animals. Then make areas in which people could blend in while they sit and watch the wildlife. That would be great. As it stands now I do consider myself lucky to live in the country where I can see a lot of things you can't find in the city. I'm sure that a lot of people would rather live in the city. But not me, It does make it easier when you need somthing from the store, or when you're younger and want plenty of things to do when you get bored. I have lived in the city,and I prefer the peacefulness of the country. I live on a short section of a street that doesn't go through, and no houses on the other side of the street at all. Just one big farmers field. I do have neighbors on both sides, But that's O.K. I'm not totaly isolated. But Nobody bothers anybody else unless it's important. One of these days I would like to move to a more remote area than this but, I hate to move. So maybe not. I guess I'm getting too old to be too far out. No one will want to come this far to take care of me when I get too old to take care of myself.

2008-10-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Bald Eagles and other wonders
As you know I live in Indiana and there are a lot of different birds here. Did you know that Indiana does have Bald Eagles? At one time the bald eagle was considered an endangered species and I in danger of extinction. A lot of people have seen bald eagles in Indiana, sadly, I am not one of them. I intend to some day. I have seen plenty of hawks and Blue heron, They are truly amazing, But seeing a bald eagle would make me very happy. Even happier if I happen to have my camera with me. Most of them have been in January and February.
Living out in the country, we see a lot of animals, raccoons, deer, turtles, frogs, rabbits, opossum and of course cats horses, cows pigs and lots of chickens. I wouldn’t have it any other way I love animals and would hate to live in a big city where you have to go to the zoo to see any animals. But then again they get to see dolphins, elephants, giraffes, monkeys, camels and other nice animals too. But I don’t have to pay to see them. Sometimes I have to get them out of my trash cans. Or chase them out of my vegetable garden. But that’s o.k.

More prepaing for winter

2008-10-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

More preparing for winter today

Well it got real cold last night and we had to use the furnace for the first time, So it seemed like a good idea to finish some of the outside work today around company that showed up unexpectedly. That was fine with us though, we don’t get to see our kids and grandkids enough. The new baby wont be little for long. He’s already 17 days old.

The whole big flower bed is cut down now except for a few mums and a few Autumn Joy Sedum, The birdbaths and birdfeeders are still there, soon the top of the birdbaths will be on their sides so water doesn’t gather and freeze causing them to break. The birds will get water from the snow. Yeah, I said the dreaded word snow. The only time I like to see snow is on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I think snow is pretty but It’s also cold and I hate cold.

I like to decorate for Christmas though. I also have some new Christmas decorations in my store now. I love the stepping stones that are shaped like Christmas light bulbs. And the birdhouse that looks like a tree ornament, I haven’t decided how to decorate this year, but that’s a good start. I like to use some sort of path lights if I can find some. I have to decorate before it gets cold though, because like I said I don‘t go out in the cold unless I absolutely have to. Decorating is important but I still don’t consider that important enough to drag me out into the cold.

I will go out long enough to feed the animals but even that is a pitch and run deal. I get real bad headaches if I’m out in the cold for long. I feel sorry for the animals and birds that are out in the cold. If I was a bird I would have to fly South. Who am I kidding I’d have to move South cause I’d never make it flying, I’m an old bird. The
birdlady

Kid Days

2008-10-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

What do you miss most about being a kid?

I don't really have any garden related things to talk about today. So I thought I'd talk about when I was a kid and all the things I miss about the carefree days of a being a kid with no worries at all. I miss laying in the middle of the yard for hours on end looking at the clouds and imagining what they looked like. A monkey or a lion? I miss sitting on my friend Barberas swing staring up into the tree twisting myself up in the swing and letting it unwind, twirling round and round until I was too dizzy to stand up. Now I get dizzy for no reason and don't like it.(Menieres disease) I miss the stupid things we use to talk about when my friends and I slept out in my tent in the woods.I don't miss school that much. But then again who does? I had a bike that I rode almost every day, Of course only country kids know around the block is 4 miles. You had to have a bike. My friend lived just down the road, 1 1/2 miles down the road ,that's 3 miles round trip. Funny I can't even get my daughter to go to the mail box and back. We had chores then too, today kids look at you like you're crazy if you ask them to do anything. When we wanted to ride our bikes to town it was over 5 miles there. Mostly we just hung around the farm down the street and helped them out with the animals. We cleaned the barn and fed the pigs and washed down the cows and brushed the ponies and all kinds of things. I've always loved animals of all kinds. I guess some things don't change. I still love animals, I still have chores, I still get dizzy, It's still a long way to town, I still spend a lot of time doing things for others. But now, if I laid out in my yard for hours staring at the sky they'd probably send either the county coroner or the mental health people to get me.
the birdlady

THE BIRDS

2008-10-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Alfred Hitchcock THE BIRDS

Remember that old Thriller The Birds ? In the movie there were birds everywhere. For the last couple of days in the early evening When I go out the back door, I can hear the constant chatter of hundreds of birds, It's a deafening sound . I look around they have all gathered in the trees it's really strange. There are no birds flying around anywhere they are all pearched in the trees. Every tree is loaded with birds, screaching and chirping away. The swing is idely blowing in the slight breeze. Nothing else is moving,This is creepy. The sun is startng to go down, and there is a chill in the air. They must be gathering to fly south. If I didn't know better I would say this town is about to become the latest victems of Alfred Hitchcocks imagination and we will all soon be pecked to death by hundreds of birds. Stay in and cover the windows. Oh and if I remember right they are smart enough to come down the chimeny. My dog comes around the garage with a big stick in her mouth. Well they didn't get her. I guess I'm safe. I carry a few frogs and a statue to the shed. I need to get out here and finish clearing the chairs and small tables away and cover the bench and wagon and stash the garden swing. It's going to get cold soon and I don't do cold. Then It hits me, No wonder the birds are gathering so fast. Oh No, It's worse than birds, It's horrible, I won't survive!!!!! OH NO IT"S WINTER.

the Birdlady

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2008-10-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

Well it's raining in Indiana today. I can't do anything outside today. I have a cart sitting out in the yard with my statues and assorted decorations in it, getting rained on. I'll have to dry them out before I store them in the shed for the winter. It's my own fault, I've beeen awful lazy lately and have started a lot of things but not finished them.

I'm thinking about tying down the birdhouses, especially the ones on the arbor, It gets awful windy here and I don't want the birds homes to blow over if they nest in them over the winter. Last year, I moved them. But the birds like them there.

I hope we don't have a bad winter. I don't mind snow but I don't like it to snow so deep that you can't get where you need to go. I also hate it when the temperature gets real low, I feel so sorry for the animals who are left out in the cold. Have I mentioned that I hate winter? I like my picnic table covered with food not snow. I like my grandkids in my garden swing not a tarp covered snow mound. Most of all, I hate to see a bare yard with no flowers. YUK!

Oh well I guess I have no choice, Winter will come any way it wishes.

birdlady

New Stuff!@ All Gone to the Birds

2008-10-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

New Stuff at All Gone to the Birds!

I love it when we get new stuff in. Because I probabbly see it in a different light than most people do .I know it means there's a lot of work to do,Well thats o.k. with me, I don't mind the work. I like to see all the new things because It helps me plan and decide what I'm going to do in my garden next year. Some people plant and figure whew, I'm glad that's done. Not me I think, well O.K. now what do I change or redecorate. That's what I do. I love to change things and make them stand out, or look better. Inside and out, I like an everchanging palette of color and design. Every room needs a theme. My husband doesn't understand that theory, He would put a painting of a victorian Garden with a beautiful fountain and birdhouse with white gingerbread trim, in the same area as a picture of Indians going downstream in a canoe. I'm serious. He would. But then he is a he.(need I say more?) There are a few men out there that have enough taste to decorate,and to the women who have one I say, count your blessings some of us have husbands that still can't pick out their own clothes, let alone decorate a house.

Anyway, We have some new birdhouses, birdfeeders, windchimes and other things you would expect and a few you wouldn't, One that I'm particularly pleased about is a toadhouse. I have been looking for them for a while so I can add them to my inventory, and this one is a start. I am also going to start on some hand painted items soon. It's been a while since I've painted statues but hopefully it's like one of those falling off a bicycle things, Ya think??? I hope. Don't expect much. I'm getting old and some things just don't work like they use to. Oh by the way, I've started a Squidoo and the birdlady was already taken. I'll let you all know later what my lens will be called.
the birdlady By the way the picture is the new toadhouse

2008-10-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Next Years Plan

I already have a general plan for some things to work on in my front flowerbed. I have an area that it very hard to keep the soil loosened up in and there are sprouts from an awful persistant bush that keeps popping up everywhere. Its in the same area as toadtown, where my frogs and toads live. I have alot of statues there, toad houses and a few plants that do o.k. there. Mainly my daylilies. I think I'll try to move all of the plants as they come up. the toads can use more rocks, maybe I'll buy some pea gravel or somthing to decorate that area in rocks and frogs, maybe a founta in, I sell one in my shop that has frogs on it,that would be perfect, but no flowers. unless I can find something that likes that hard, rocky soil. My toad town does need greenery. after all they'll need to be shaded from the hot sun, When they're not swimming in their pool.

I also have plans to take down the arbor and make the flower bed smaller,but I would like to add butterfly feeders and houses .I have plenty of birdfeeders. I do have a lot of flowers that attract the butterflies so maybe they would stay around if I add more things for them. I haven't had time to check into it much,I don't even know what you put in the feeders, but I have a butterfly house I put it out last year and it didn't have any tenants.

Oh well like I said, I haven't checked into the butterfly thing much,but I will. Don't you think this frog fountain would be perfect? I do it's so cute. I'm already looking forward to spring.

the birdlady

Growing Your Own Veggies

2008-10-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

Growing your own veggies

I Love to grow things other than flowers. Every year I have had my own vegetable garden.

My family has always grown their own veggies, Even when I was little and we lived in the city My dad was always growing what he could in our yard. He would work on the veggies and my mom would work on the flower beds. I of course had to fill the bird feeders. and I loved to help any where I could in the garden or flowers. I learned a lot from my parents and grandparents about gardening and heirloom plants. There is one heirloom tomato that I love, It is the pineapple tomato, It is a a deep yellow with red running through it. They are a big variety growing to 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each, they have a great flavor and are low in acid so I can usually eat as many as I want without my heartburn flaring up. There is nothing like a Home Grown tomato and my family eat as many as we can while they are in season because you no longer want to eat those store bought tomatoes again. I always grow plenty of plants and have many tomatoes to go around. This year I had problems keeping the birds out of them, Usually I put garden stakes with pie pans tied to them, throughout the garden to keep the birds away, they don't like the reflections when the pans move or the noise they make hitting against each other. But this year, My son used all of the stakes to put a fence around it to keep out our new dog Nikki, She learned how to pull weeds and shake the dirt off the roots, She's real good at it ,But unfortunately she can't tell the weeds from Good plants. I had an owl statue I use to help keep the other birds out, but he needs repainted. Oh well next year I'll have to get out my pie pans.

The birdlady Increase Page Rank

Getting Ready For Winter

2008-10-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

I'm Clearing away all the garden decorations and cutting down the plants. It's time to take in the hummingbird feeders, You can't leave them out in Indiana because it gets way too cold for the little hummingbirds and they will freeze, They don't have that built in notion to fly south like the other birdsthat can't handle the cold and if they have feeders they will stay. The sugar water would freeze anyway. So to nudge them along you have to take the feeders in. We almost always have snow before Halloween. Sometimes I wonder why I stay here, I hate the cold and I have a built in need to grow things, I'm sure there are better States to live in for gardeners. Why do I stay when the birds even know better. Hey,! There's an answer, I can go South for the winter. Yeah right! I can't even afford the house I live in now, all I need is another one. I would have another yard to plant in too! WOW more gardens to grow and decorate . more birdhouses, more statues and fountains. Wait that also means more grass to cut more weeds to pull. Well maybe I should just stay here and watch the birds through the window with my binoculars and stay in where it's warm. I do have new Christmas Decorationsthat I can put out, New stepping stones, new birdfeeders and birdhouses too. Some of the birds do stay here for the winter and have a hard time finding anything to eat and places to keep warm. Plus,I can start planning out how to redo my front flower bed. Anyone want some well established transplants?

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2008-10-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

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Toadtown

2008-10-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

TOAD TOWN

Every garden needs a toad town. At least out where I live ,I have so many toads sometimes that they have to have a place to belong. So I made them Toad town. It is full of toads and frogs some of which are just statues. They have to have water so I have a big shallow glass bowl that is their swimming pool and another one is just the saucer of a big flower pot painted iridescent blue to look like a swiming pool. A solar light lights up the town. They have several toad houses, some are flower pots that are broken and painted to look like houses, coffee cups and shells, they have their own little garden with a tiny birdbath I made myself from tiny terracotta pots, they even have their own playground and in the very front of it all there is a garden sign that says welcome to toad town U.S.A. home of about 83 toads and frogs plus a few turtles.

They are treated so well because they provide me with a great service, they eat a lot of bugs. I don't have to spray to keep the insect population down. between the toads, frogs ,birds and snakes, I have a lot of help. That allows me to keep my flowers insecticide free for the birds,bees and butterfies.

The frogs and toads sure are noisy at night though. But it really doesn't matter,there are a lot of night noises out here in the country that you have to get use to, but it's still a lot quieter here than in the city. and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

The birdlady

2008-10-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

Garden Needs a Facelift
My biggest flowerbed is getting out of hand this year, I have to make it smaller. I have so many different flowerbeds all over the yard and hundreds of plants and even more bulbs, that I can’t keep up with it. Every day I’m reminded that I’m not as young as I use to be. A few years ago I had no problems getting up early and spending the whole day weeding and trimming. Now I sit and weed for about an hour and I feel like I’ve been sat on by sasquatch himself. Smell and look that way too, I waddle to my bench and can’t seem to get up the strength to go any further. I usually give up, put my tools away and go in the house to soak in the tub for a while to soothe my aching muscles. I really hate to make it smaller, But I think I‘ll take out my arbor too, It like me has seen its better days too. I’ll have to find a new place for a lot of birdhousesthat hang and sit on it. But my clematis that grows on it is doing badly too. I don’t think it gets enough sun there, I’ll move it to my side arbor. It already has 2 birdhouses hanging on it but maybe one or two more wont hurt. One birdbath will have to be moved and two birdfeeders,I have a path with stepping stonesrunning the length and width of the whole thing. That will have to be shortened.
There is one thing That I hate about the front flowerbed and that is a bush that keeps spreading by sprouts coming up every where, I don’t know what it is . I call it the bush from hell. I’ve tried several times to kill it and it just keeps getting stronger. Once when we had a small cultivator we had rented to bury some new wiring and piping while we were renovating. We tried to pull it up with that and one of the smaller parts of the bush about pulled that big machine over before the roots gave. And it seemed to like it. It sure didn’t hurt it. If I move my lilies away from there maybe I’ll pour gas on it and burn it. Any one have any suggestions? I’ve tried rock salt, round up max strength, stump killer and brush killer. Nothing has fazed it at all. It is a wicked thing. But it’s got to go.
birdlady

The humble House Wren

2008-10-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

Early in the spring, The quiet is interrupted by the loud shrill persistent singing of a male house wren. Where is he, I wonder. I get out my binoculars and begin scanning the large bare area surrounding my house. He's here somewhere. I wish I had a birdfinder. Faithful and persistent my favorite male house wren has returned for the 4th year in a row. He has kept me entertained for 3 years now with his cheery antics. I wasn't sure he would return this year because his lifelong mate didn't reappear last year. I was sad for him, Something must have happened to her. For 3 years in a row she has returned after a long winter to mate with the same male. He is busy checking out the possible nesting areas for the first of two matings of the season. Stopping occasionally to loudly sing his song to attract the female. He is so loud, It's hard to believe thet he is so tiny.

The male has started a nest in the birdhouse on my front trellis, stuffing it full of sticks. It's fun to watch him as he tries repeatedly to cram a stick in that is about 3 times longer than the hole is wide. In the end he wins the battle and the problem stick is in place. He is happy with the nest for now and flies off to start another one. He likes to give his mate several to choose from. I'm pretty sure she'll choose the gourd though she always does for the first batch of babies. She prefers the same gourd for some reason. (Home sweet Home?) He perches on the birdbath for a much earned drink, Singing out his shrill song before taking off to start stuffing the gourd full of sticks too. I hope the female returns this year, She will choose which nest she likes best and start throwing some of the sticks out to make enoguh room, then she finishes the nest herself adding feathers leaves maybe a string or piece of fabric, anything she can find that is soft to line the nest. Sometimes she returns to find a stick he has placed back in the nest only to throw it out again. I think this little wren makes a good mate. He even helps feed the young after they hatch. The babies eat continuously all day long. Most male wrens make the nest, mate, and leave to start another nest for another mate. But not this one ,He is faithful and even hangs around patiently helping the female until she is ready to mate again. Most of the time he is not allowed back in the nest once the eggs hatch, Loudly he anounces his arrival, before stopping in the doorway with his offered tidbit he has in his beak, usually a small cattepillar or juicy beetle. Then he flys off for another. I can sit in my swing and watch these birds all day. They work so hard and are so happy doing it, I knw they sure do cut down on the bug population in my garden, those baby wrens sure eat a lot of bugs.

the birdlady

2008-10-02T04:48:00.000-07:00

Fall clean up

Fall is just around the corner, It's inevitable, Winter will be here soon, I hate this time of year, Everything is getting brown, and will soon need cut down and cleared away, some things need covered and some dug up to get ready for winter. No pretty flowers blooming everywhere. No happily singing birds. My birdhouses are in need of cleaning out, The families of baby birds grown and ready to fly south for the winter. Sometimes they get used for the birds that stay here over the winter. My fountains and statues and other things that shouldn't be exposed to the very cold weather we have in Indiana, have to be taken to the shed for storage, My swing and lawn chairs also get put up. My shed is not that big and it usually overflows, the excess getting stuck between the shed and the barn and covered with tarps. Now that's real pretty. The whole process takes me a long time to accomplish and makes my yard look bare and abandoned.

Do all gardeners hate winter? I get depressed and feel like hibernating for the winter. I usually stay in the house, leaving only if I have to, The cold makes my health problems worse, I get a lot of headaches, I start longing for spring. It's a long wait.

The only thing that is good about winter is Christmas time, I get to see more of my family, My sister comes in from Iowa, and I enjoy making gifts for some of them. My indoor hobbies are sewing and crafts, Oh and that's my favorite time to redecorate areas of my house that I get tired of. Last year I redecorated the bigger bathroom. My kitchen is done in birdhouses and it needs to be redone but I don't want to change the birdhouse theme, Maybe I'll just refreshen it.

My husband has been promising to build me a pantry like closet in the laundry room. That would be a great project this year. Maybe we will just hibernate until spring.
the birdlady

YOU C AN GROW YOUR OWN

2008-09-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

YOU CAN GROW YOUR OWN
As you know, I sell birdhouses in my online store called All Gone to the Birds. That is one of my favorite things to decorate with. Inside and out. But they also have a purpose, They provide shelter and nesting area for the birds. I also grow and make birdhouses but it’s not for everyone.
I like to grow gourds to make birdhouses out of. The birds love them to nest in. especially the wrens. I don’t grow them every year, because the birdhouses last a while and each time I grow them they’re more than enough for me. I make some as gifts too!
Gourds take a long time to dry, I grow them on my back fence, (and the neighbors too) then I put them in the shed and garage to dry over the winter. I have all my garden decorations in the shed and it’s real crowded, but I just set them on paper, on the shelves with my statues and garden tools. So they can cure over the winter. They say you can leave them on the vines but Indiana gets a lot of snow, so I’ve never attempted that.
In the spring, I scrub them with bleach water, and let them dry in the sun. I cut a hole and clean all the seeds and insides out. Then I paint them and stencil them, or whatever I feel like at the time I like the rub ons too. Most importantly I give them several coats of clear spray to protect them from the weather.
I guess taking about 6 months on a birdhouse isn’t for everyone. But It does give you some unique decorations in your yard and most importantly, the birds love them.
The birdlady

This last picture is of a birdhouse that I made about 3 or 4 years ago, It has been through a lot. The same wren family has nested in it and raised their family every year. For some reason they had made the hole a little larger each year. Last year I took it down and put a new one up , and I left it on the ground intending on taking it to the trash, with the weed pile I was working on creating at the time. When I went back to get it the little wren was checking it out. So I hung it back up thinking that if they used it, I’d leave it there. Maybe it wasn‘t so bad. As a result, It did get used by a small finch this year. It is still hanging to this day.

More Birds to Indiana?

2008-09-25T04:37:00.000-07:00

BLUE HERON

Over the years I've noticed a lot of birds you don't normally see very often in Indiana. I'm not sure why they are migrating here, But I'm glad to see them. I love to see new things,but it's nice if other people see them too.

I am always scannig the area for wildlife while we are going somewhere, That's one of the nice things about living in the country.

One of the birds I see more of are the Blue Herons. My husband thought I was nuts the first time I spotted one standing in the middle of a creek by our house. I told him that there was a long legged bird in the creek just standing there, his reaction was yeah right, too much sun for you today, Better lay down and take it easy for a while. Well I guess I can't blame him, We don't have birds like that in Indiana. (Or do we?)

Before too long, I started seeing more of them, after about 5 or 6 sightings by me , he finally caught a glimpse of one. He could no longer say I was crazy.

Blue Heron are rather odd looking birds, and it's hard to believe that they can fly with those long legs and neck, but they do. They fly over my back yard ocasionally now, probably going to one of the ponds on either side of our property. I wish one would come to one of my birdfeeders or birdbaths so I could get a good picture of it. Now I am crazy, Or am I?

birdlady

Great Nature Photos

2008-09-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hi ALL,

I am sure everyone has figured out by now, that I Love nature photos. This is a great hobby too. Decorating my gardens is something I like to do, as well as my business. although I'm not very good at taking pictures I enjoy it. The photos in this blog are an example of o.k. pictures the ones of my birdhouses and gardens are my favorite photos besides the one I take of my grandchildren. I don't have a good camera But most importantly I'm just not good at taking pictures.
There is a website that I like to visit when I feel the world getting to me. They have wonderful pictures of nature and even offer a free calendar page each month. They are amazing pictures. and they also have nice banners, I have one on my site, allgonetothebirds . Here is another one click on it to check out http://www.thecreatorsfingerprints.com/

New Grandson

2008-09-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well today I won't be working in the garden. It is my daughters baby shower. I'm almost ready to leave and go celebrate grandchild number 10. He is due October 9th, and is going to be another big one. Toni is getting impatient. I'ts her third baby. My family is my pride and joy. No weeding or sitting in my swing watching the birds at the feeders today.
birdlady

Time to divide

2008-09-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

Well it is the end of summer, Most of your plants are done blooming and are drying up. So get out your garden toolsand roll up your sleeves it's time to divide those plants that are getting too large or those plants that you simply want more of. You'll need a sharp shovel, and maybe agood sized sharp knife. taking care to dig far enough away from the plant, so as to not cut into the roots, dig down in at least two places before prying up if it doesn't give easily dig the rest of the way around the plant before pulling it out of the ground some roots go pretty deep. place the plant on news papers and start carefully crumbling the soil away from the root ball, some roots can be seperated by pulling them apart, others will need to be sliced in sections with either the shovel or the knife. hostas and lilies usually will need to be divided with a sharp shovel. Don't worry it wont hurt them. Replant them, water them, and next year they will grow along with the others. Several plants can be done this way.It really helps increase your garden plants or give them to friends and family as special gifts. That is how I recieved some of my plants. After a few hours of dividing plants I'm always ready for a long rest on my swing. I wish I had a hammock to take a nap in, that would be better. ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
birdlady

Salsa Time

2008-09-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

Vegtable Garden Time
Today I'm not going to talk about birds, birdhouses or frogs,My tomatoes are waiting for me to do somthing with them. So I have to get up off of my swing, and forget the flowerbeds and make some Salsa. My kids and grandkids like the hot kind. My husband didn't get much last year, so I guess I'll make more this year.
I don't like it at all. But I make it anyway, It's a great way to use the tomatoes and peppers that I get swamped with all at once. My family is worth it too! So I'll hunt out my Ball Blue Book and get to chopping. Nothing can really beat Balls older recipes for a lot of things that are canned. Well gotta run lots to do.
birdlady

Where did the pretty go?

2008-09-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well it's almost the end of all pretty things big and small in my garden. I't s the time I really don't like. It's time for all of the pretty and colorful plants and flowers to get ready for winter. Soon all that is left will be birdhouses, birdfeeders, and a few windchimes that can handle the cold. My porch will have to be cleared too, because it is not well protected from the weather. A lot of the birds will start gathering to fly south for the winter.

There are a few things still hanging on. But the only things that look promising are the Mums and the Autum Joy, Sedum. There are still a lot of Goldfinches feeding on the Purple conflower seeds and the Black eye Susans. So I'll leave them for a while.

I guess winter's not all that bad. I can work on my website. and I love to sew and we still have work to do on the house. I also make a lot of Christmas gifts, do a lot of baking and Spend time with my family. So I will be O.K. But when springtime comes I'll be ready to get my hands in the dirt again.

2008-09-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

Cleaning up the mess
Well it's that time of year again, time to start trimming down all of the dried up plants, For me that's a major task. I have almost as much area in garden space as I do lawn. Clean up takes a long time. especially since I've not been weeding like I should. and all of the mess left from the storm yesterday on top of it all. My garden in the front yard is my biggest and it was harder hit than the others. I had birdhouses on the ground, and a Bunny statue knocked over, and a lot of plants completely flattened to the ground. First, I have to fill the hummingbird feeders because the swinging back and forth has emptyed them and my hummers are getting upset at me. One was looking in the window this morning, and another was zipping around my head when I went out to get the paper. I think they mean business, With that taken care of I grabbed my garden tools and got to work trimming and pulling. After a while I stop and take a break. Looking back as I go through the front door to see that it doesn't really look any better yet, This is really going to take a long time. I can't forget I have caladiums, elephant ears , cala lillies, and glads to dig before frost. they have to come in for the winter because it gets too cold here in Indiana for them, they'll freeze in the ground. I always try to keep my eyes open for good deals on flower bulbs about this time of year too. I would like to get some more Stargazer bulbs, They are my favorite and they don't take very much room at all.
I am supposed to be cutting down on my garden space ,I told my husband that I would little by little, because I am having problems keeping up with it. I'm not getting any younger. But then who is?
Written by birdlady

2008-09-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

Fall Storm
Here in Indiana, We have very unpredictable weather. It is never the same from one year to the next. However, today is totally unacceptable.
Today we have the pleasure of experiencing the after effects of Hurricane Ike. As far as we live from the ocean, we shouldn’t have hurricane-associated problems, Right? If we wanted hurricane weather, we would move to the Gulf. We have snow, sometimes a lot of snow from Lake Michigan area. We also have more than our share of tornadoes since we’re right in the very middle of what they call tornado alley. But hurricanes?
My trees and gardens are taking a beating from the wind. My garden swing is hitting the frame so hard it may not make it. I have chased down the trashcans twice; my birdbaths are full of leaves. My hummingbird feeder that was full is now almost empty from swing back and forth so hard.
I hope none of my statues get broken. Our power was out for a while but its back on now. Good thing too we have an electric well pump, pressure tank, as well as everything else, You know No phone, No lights, No air conditioner, No TV. No computer. Well we do have one problem still No Cable!!! Oh No, my father and my husband are going nuts! Out here where we live, if you have no cable you get no picture. Therefore, the kids are playing video games and I am writing all of this on works until I can use my internet, which also runs through cable.
If it was springtime, I would be upset, because the wind is flattening my gardens. But most of my flowerbeds are drying up. My tomatoes and peppers are late this year from too much rain this past spring. (Probably another hurricane)They are probably everywhere I do have some fall plants getting ready to bloom too, but it’s almost time to trim everything down and get ready for winter. I’ll have to check on my birdhouses, most of them are empty now the babies having flown the coop long ago. Again, I’m glad it’s not spring. You may never hear me say that again. I love spring. There’s always next year.
Just for the record this post was a day late getting posted because they just got the cable back on.
Written by;
The birdlady

I REMEMBER PAW PAWS

2008-09-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

I Remember PawPaws
One hot day when the air conditioner was on the fritz I was just sitting in mygarden swing.Watching the birds at my feeder and listening to the soothing sounds of the water in my fountaingurgling, I was thinking of when I was a kid, way back when, (so my kids say) , Hot days didn’t seem so hot . In fact I rather enjoyed them, Especially when my sister and I were out of school. We had some memorable, happy, adventures. One being paw paw hunting with my dad. Not pa paw (grandpa) We always knew where he was. Nor is it those little white bearded guys in the woods, Those are gnomes. For those of you many who have never heard of Paw paws, They aren’t a wild animal that we are looking for, but a fruit that used to be found in the woods all over Indiana, as well as other States. They are still around, but not as easily found. Paw paws Mmmmm, now that’s something I haven’t had for a while. They were so good! Not very pretty but real tasty, Everyone has a different take on the flavor, I think they taste like a cross between a banana and custard. We use to love them so much that my sister and I would eat as many as we could before we got back to the car, We never worried about things like washing fruit like you have to today. Such fun!, except once when I didn’t care if I ever seen another Paw Paw in my life, I’ll never forget it as long as I live.
We had a fool proof way of paw paw hunting. We’d send the big guy into the woods first. That way if there was anything in there that growled, snarled, or flat out attacked, Dad,(Our hero) would scare it away. If not my sisters scream would give it the fright of it‘s life. I know it did me. Any way we were in our usual lineup, Dad first, my sister, Then me bringing up the rear. Well nothing eventful happened for a while then I heard a lot of buzzing and my sister complaining about the bees that were sometimes a part of the game.
We always ignored them and left the fruits alone that they had claimed ,they were usually too ripe anyways. Even though my grandma thought they were best when they’re almost black. Any way after avoiding a patch of poison ivy, I looked up in time to see a big swarm of bees coming right at me, from a paw paw my sister had just stepped on, I screamed, (big mistake)But who would have thought they would fly into my mouth too? Bees aren’t very choosy on where to sting a person. I received a total of 102 bee stings according to my Dr. who counted them as he put medicine on them one at a time, Some of them in some very embarrassing areas, but by that time I didn’t care, I couldn’t even count or tell you my name, I was so miserable for days. Needles to say I gave up paw paw hunting. I think I’ll stick to watching the birdfeeders in my garden it’s a lot safer. I’ve heard that the farmers markets and grocery stores may soon be offering paw paws to their customers at a whopping $8 to $10 a pound. Whoa! That’s pricey, Oh well, I guess I’ll have to accept the idea that unless I grow my own, Paw paws to me, will be the forbidden fruit.
Written by Vicki Danford
All Gone to the Birds

Plum Granny Mellons???

2008-09-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

PLUM GRANNY MELON'S ?

Today I would like to tell you about a (new)(old), oddity I started growing in my vegetable garden. A real sweet older lady at a church in a small town close to us, gave me these seeds. She said they are called plum granny's. O.K. I couldn't believe I hadn't ever seen one. My family has been avid gardeners for many years. Well my Dad says he can remember that my Mom use to like them, but can't really recall growing them. Well ,I'll try anything once, In fact I like to grow and taste new and unusual things. I was told to plant them like I would cantaloupe. So I did.

Indiana's weather was terrible for gardens this year. My garden was flooded 3 times and the last flooding was followed by higher than usual temperatures. I lost a lot of things that were grown by seed, and everything else was so far behind and not as nice as they should be. I lost all of my yellow Zucchini that my family loves fried. I always grow more than enough of everything so I can pass them out to friends and family. Last year I had so many tomatoes and cucumbers that I took some to the local food pantries also. They were very happy to get them. Well my Plum Granny melons grew o.k. I have a lot of rabbits and raccoons and other creatures that like to help themselves to my garden. Last year I had an owl statue and a wind wheel to scare them off. It didn't work. This year I had to make a fence out of poultry netting. So far, so good.

Any way, the nibbling has been reduced to a minimum. They didn't seem to bother my newest experiment plant The plum Granny to me tastes kind of like a cucumber, cantaloupe mix but not very strong flavored. Those of you ,who like both, will love it. Give it a try. It must be a vigorous grower since it survived this years weather,when most of my plants didn't make it.

You can find the seeds on the Internet, try putting heirloom seeds in the search bar. Then each year you can save the seeds, they are loaded with them.

Do you Remember Grandmas Garden?

2008-09-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

My Grandmas Garden
Do you remember helping your grandma work in her garden? I do, When I was very little I used to go stay with her for a few days and we always ended up in the garden. Her flowers were beautiful and I remember she had a garden bench we would rest on. and drink lemonade, while we watched the birds at her feeders. It was so peaceful. I think most of my interest in gardening, I owe to my grandmother. I wish she could see my gardens. There are so many different flowers and decorations today, She would love them. Along with my memories of grandma and her garden, I remember my grandpa planting a snowball bush. It was beautiful. He took good care of it and was so proud . I must admit I have never seen one quite as nice as his. I often wonder what the present occupants would say if I knocked on their door and asked for a start of it. Maybe one of these days,I'll be brave enough to find out.
written by Birdlady

full blown suprise lily

2008-09-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

These lillies are about 4-5 days old and have been planted in this garden about 5 years now.
It is another garden of mine that I just threw together when we moved, about 5 years ago. With renovating the house and moving in I didn't have any time to plan things out or garden decor.
The plants were just spread out, and upright lily bulbs plopped in the bare spots, and it turned out great. I put an arbor at the entrance, and stepping stones down the center. I also have two birdbaths in it, 2 reg birdfeeders, 1 finch feeder, 1 hummingbird feeder, and several statues and birdhouses. The birds love it!
This garden is huge and runs across my whole front yard. It's a lot of work, but when I look out my front window. All I see are flowers,birds and butterflies, I think it's worth it. My husband looks at it as less grass to cut.
The nice thing about the suprise lily or Magic lily is that they get so full at the top but dont take a lot of space. To anyone who needs a plant that is easy to grw anywhere and don't want a lot of hassle, I recomend these lillies highly.
Written by the birdlady (Vicki Danford)

2008-09-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

More on the suprise Lillie's. They grow rapidly, to about 2-3 feet in just a few days, I have them planted next to my swing in a long row behind my ornamental plum trees that have some of my birdhouses in them. They look nice with their

pink blooms against the purple colored leaves of the plum trees. Actually each bunch of lillies have a Peony bush between them, But you can't tell because the peonnies dried up long ago. That's my way of optimising my planting space.

This is second day growth!

They get thicker as they get older, They bloom several flowers to a stalk. but dry up fast each flower a little later than the other as a new bud opens. In case you're wondering these are not the same ones. This is one of my hosta beds.The suprise lily doesn't have to have full sun,So I plant them everywhere. My gardens are all planted so they have continuous blooms. 100's of bulbs planted a day or two apart, in bunches. There are around 100 to 120 suprise lillies alone. Like I said earlier I love lillies.

It's a lot of work but I love gardening. I love to decorate my gardens, That's why I started my own website. All Gone to the Birds. I could never find birdfeeders that I liked And could afford. Statues were even harder to find within my budget. Now I can get anything I want to decorate with. More on the suprise lillies tomorow.....

suprise lillies at my birfeeders

2008-09-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Vicki here again, to talk about a unique lily that I have growing all over my yard. I know you've seen them, They aren't unique because they are rare but because they pop up so fast. They have many different names, Suprise Lily, Spider lily, and some people call them August Lily, Well here in Indiana they rarely wait until August to bloom, So I call them suprise lillies. I love the patch around my hummingbird feeder.

They start as big bulbs,and I do mean big, about as big as your fist if grown separately, and that's a big if because they spread and clump together fairly fast for lillies, I wish my orientals did it that fast. anyways they are the first to come up in the spring, and look like daylillies as far as

the greenery goes except they are a little darker and have round tipped leaves, They don.t bloom now, you have to be patient, The greenery dies,leaveit til it dries up,thats what feeds the bulb.I suggest puting a statue behind it or maybe a garden sign, So you don't foget where it is and plant somthing else there,a good month or more later,You'll forget about it and then bang, overnight it will popup, Suprise! That's why I prefer that name. Check out the picture. These weren't here the day before! Now that.s fast. More tomorow.......

Oriental/Asiatic Lillies

2008-08-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

Oriental / Asiatic Lillies

There are few flowers that outshine Oriental lillies. They come up on their own every year even bigger and better. They grow on separate stalks from 3' to 5' tall,and come in many types and colors. My favorite is the Stargazer, The blooms get as big as dinner plates and the color is magnificent. I plant them here and there all through my flower beds. For a stunning effect. I have them surrounding my hummingbird feeder. They love them too.

The fragrance is superb, and attracts butterflies as well as hummingbirds. What more could you ask for? For ease to grow and there scent and beauty, I rate them at the very top of my list of favorites.

The birdlady

Lillies ( I love them all)

2008-08-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Daylillies

There are so many different types of lillies and they are all very pretty. Among them are dallillies, which grow in clumps and have long narrow leaves that make a very large plant, They are very good plants to use as fill ins. and they spread nicely. They can be used as a way to prevent soil erroision to, because their roots spread out and hold onto the soil. They come in many colors and flower sizes and are inexpensive. The majority of speices are also very easy to care for. All in all, THEY'RE GREAT!!! ( tomorow another lily? )

Hummingbird feeders

2008-08-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

You can never have enough hummingbird feeders, Why? Well hummingbirds are very stingy. They chase others away from the feeder that they claim to be their own. They have to eat continuously because they are so tiny and they burn a lot of energy very rapidly. I have seen them share at mating time, only to keep their mate away after mating period is over. That would really tick me off. Most birds are mates for life. I have a pair of hummingbirds that are regulars to all of my feeders, The male particularly likes the one right in the middle of my front flowerbed. He thinks it is his. He even hides in the trees and waits for another hummingbird to dare and infringe on his territory, so he can chase it away. He is very small and dark, it looks like he is wearing a tux, His mate is quite a bit larger and she is more colorful with a red throat and green body with a fanned tail.She is more friendly than he and even circles me and checks me out especially when the feeder is empty.

birdfeeder

2008-08-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

King of the finches

this is a birdfeeder for finches. This young male goldfinch thinks it's all his!

The Goldfinch is the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington.Goldfinches move around a lot. It is reported that 25 to 100 different Goldfinches can visit a feeder in one day. It is a very busy place in my garden.

different feeders for different birds

2008-07-29T04:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you know that birds, like people, have their own preference of what birdfeeder they like as well as the type of seed in it. My favorite one is the goldfinch feeder. I'ts always very busy at my house. I have quite a few goldfinches that use it for their hangout. It is filled with thistle seed. They love it. They are also attracted to the cone flowers in my garden. They have similar seeds in pods in the center of each flower. Some days I just sit in my swing and watch all of the quick, bright yellow birds darting around. They are so pretty.

Birdhouses

2008-07-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hi again. I thought I'd talk about birdhouses. I have them everywhere in my yard. I put as many close to my gardens as I can because the birds help to keep the insect population down.

They also serve as garden decor. My family and I just love to watch the birds franticly feeding their young or building their nests. It's also nice to watch them coming and going from the houses in the winter when there's not much else going on except the snow falling. Indiana can be real nasty in the winter. I need to buy some more to replace the ones that have worn out . guess I'll have to visit allgonetothebirds.com myself.

The Birdlady

All gone to the birds

2008-07-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

all gone to the birds
Hi everyone, This blog is for the birds. They deserve one don't they? I am hoping all the bird lovers out there will help with hint's, suggestions, and of course their own stories that pertain to our feathered friends. I am new at this so please excuse any mistakes I may make.

As you may have noticed by the bean field in the background I live in the country. There are a lot of birds out here in the boonies, as well as a lot of wildlife. I love it. I also have alot of room to plant and decorate outside. Well, I did have, I'm running out now.But that's o.k. The scenery is great.