Avian Ablutions
We live in a very cozy little apartment here in the middle of the Midwest, and my favorite part of our humble abode is the patio. It's the first time we've ever had a patio, and it is such a wonderful feeling to have an outdoors space to call our own! We've been trying to make it a haven for little birds and for flavorful plants.
Every day mourning doves and red-headed sparrows and cardinals and juncos and starlings and house finches come to graze. Sometimes there is even a watchful red-tailed hawk atop the neighboring roof! I think the little birds like our patio because they feel sheltered by the plants. But oh! are they messy! The sparrows especially like to fling the seed out of the feeder as they eat, showering the doves below with sunflower seeds! It must be like dancing in a champagne rain to them!
Nearly all the plants on the patio are edible., and I've been trying to keep up with the watering despite the amazingly high temperatures recently! Here's how we've recently reorganized the plants:
This way, the dusty millers and strawberries can have shade beneath the rocking chair while the hibiscus and the basil soak up the sun.
In fact, the very first blossom has appeared on the strawberry plants! Ooooh- deliciousness is on its way!
For the longest time, we would sit on the concrete with our toes in the grass as we drank tea or ate our dinner, an although tat was very lovely, it is super to have added a wee patio set in the corner! Tiny, but surprisingly comfortable!
Thinking of comfort, I was reading in Birds & Blooms recently that it is important to provide a water source for birds if you invite them to a feeder. That sounded like a very good idea because I'm not sure where they can go around here if they need to have a drink of water. So I decided to experiment with a cake plate and chips bowl that aren't in use at the moment, and built the birdies a bath.
They haven't started using it yet (it's only been two days), but I think it's either because it is too deep (maybe they need to be able to put their legs on the bottom), or because it's new and they're just getting used to it.
I'll let you know whey the first avian ablutions begin!
Lots of love,
~Mersydotes
Every day mourning doves and red-headed sparrows and cardinals and juncos and starlings and house finches come to graze. Sometimes there is even a watchful red-tailed hawk atop the neighboring roof! I think the little birds like our patio because they feel sheltered by the plants. But oh! are they messy! The sparrows especially like to fling the seed out of the feeder as they eat, showering the doves below with sunflower seeds! It must be like dancing in a champagne rain to them!
Nearly all the plants on the patio are edible., and I've been trying to keep up with the watering despite the amazingly high temperatures recently! Here's how we've recently reorganized the plants:
This way, the dusty millers and strawberries can have shade beneath the rocking chair while the hibiscus and the basil soak up the sun.
In fact, the very first blossom has appeared on the strawberry plants! Ooooh- deliciousness is on its way!
For the longest time, we would sit on the concrete with our toes in the grass as we drank tea or ate our dinner, an although tat was very lovely, it is super to have added a wee patio set in the corner! Tiny, but surprisingly comfortable!
Thinking of comfort, I was reading in Birds & Blooms recently that it is important to provide a water source for birds if you invite them to a feeder. That sounded like a very good idea because I'm not sure where they can go around here if they need to have a drink of water. So I decided to experiment with a cake plate and chips bowl that aren't in use at the moment, and built the birdies a bath.
They haven't started using it yet (it's only been two days), but I think it's either because it is too deep (maybe they need to be able to put their legs on the bottom), or because it's new and they're just getting used to it.
I'll let you know whey the first avian ablutions begin!
Lots of love,
~Mersydotes
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