BIRD BATHS
John Burroughs, in his description of a garden, has told us that "To
love the birds, to appreciate their place in the landscape," is one of
the most important things. It does much to bring happiness into our
lives. In the forming of a perfect garden, many things are requisite and
among them are birds, flowers, bees, and the flashing butterfly who
darts joyously from flower to flower, a thing of beauty and perishable
as the day. Should anyone doubt the truth of these assertions, let him
seat himself in some retired spot during a beautiful day in the month of
roses. He can then listen to the song of the birds, caroling as they
sway on the branches of the trees above our heads, nestling at our feet,
or hidden away deep down in the heart of the flower beds. Birds are
everywhere, they flit in and out of the garden, sipping sweet nectar
from the blossoming plants, and flaunting their bright colors when
catching the sunshine as they swing by.
God made nothing more interesting than birds and man should care for
them, giving them a distinctive place in his garden, realizing that
through their industry they free the plants from harmful insects and
slugs. The birds can be coaxed into anyone's garden, that is, if care is
taken in proper planting, giving to the plots trees and plants that they
love. Under the rose bushes place a bath, where they can come and preen
their plumage, but if possible have it placed beyond the reach of
intruding cats.
When the custom of providing drinking cups to quench the thirst of our
native birds first came into fashion, it is hard to determine.
Perchance, it was in the early days when in 1621, the colonists built
rail fences, to enclose their separate lots. Over these they trained the
wild morning glory and sweet-scented honeysuckle, the perfume of which
doubtless carried them back to the beautiful English gardens that still
existed in their native land.
Doubtless, during the life of William Penn, when he encouraged the
laying out of old English gardens, he included in the design a planting
to attract bird life. This was still further encouraged when the first
botanical garden came into existence in 1728 through the thought of
Bertram Bartran, of Philadelphia. He was a man who had traveled much and
was thoroughly versed in the art of floriculture. In his garden he
planted rare and practical seeds partly for the mere joy of carrying out
his own whims. This garden, like many others, was individual in its
planting, a quality that lent to it an additional charm.
During the early seventeenth century there were imported into seaport
towns principally at Salem, Massachusetts, unique bird baths. They came
packed in among the cargo that was stowed away in the holds of the slow
sailing ships that plied continuously between Singapore and the New
England shores. Many of these were the result of orders given by the
ship owners who wanted to set them in their posy beds, laid out at the
rear of their stately homes. Rare were these shells with their fluted
framework, and hard to find, yet so spacious that a whole colony of
feathered songsters could hold concourse within their pearly depths.
Underneath the shade of the drooping lilac, they peered out at us from
the time the melting of the snow released the snow drops from their icy
cover, thus allowing them to lift up their pure white heads as if in
rejoicing to be free, to be followed later on by the gay little
crocuses, clad in their gowns of many hues. Few of these baths are still
in existence. We come across them occasionally, however, in
old-fashioned gardens where they are treasured for sentiment's sake.
Just as the rustic bird houses, constructed of weathered boards, and
with floor covering of powdered sawdust or ground cork, have become a
necessity in the twentieth-century garden, tempting the summer
sojourners to rest their weary wings; so we must strive to create a
homelike atmosphere so attractive to the little songsters that they will
delight in revelling among the many flowers that are planted here. A
barren waste of land has no pleasure for them, neither has a garden
shorn of their favorite plants.
There is no need of being deterred from using a feature such as this. A
bird bath need not be expensive, just a simple box, zinc-lined and
painted to correspond with the surroundings. The birds are not fussy as
to the exterior of their outdoor bathroom; all they wish is comfort and
a cooling drink during the hot summer days, when the dew has faded from
the grass, and the sun hangs high in the heavens. It is then that all
nature is panting from excessive heat.
A simple zinc pan, large and wide enough, filled with fresh water daily,
is as satisfactory to them, as a marble pool standing in the heart of
the garden and surrounded by a bed of brilliant flowers. Place this pan
in the heart of a grassy knoll, at the edge of the garden proper and
watch results. You will not have long to wait before softly tripping
through the grass or dropping from their leafy covert, one by one, they
show their gratitude by revelling in the bath thus placed for their use.
The most common type, if you wish to buy a bird bath, is the cement one.
It can be modeled in any shape and to follow any line of treatment that
you prefer. The simple, plain, low-lying ones are suitable for placing
under the shadowy bush or tree. Hand carving would be as much out of
place on a bath such as this, as if one used an expensive silver bowl
for their benefit. To be sure a little ornamentation, simply worked out,
makes them more artistic. This can be accomplished through proper
planting. A delicate fern unfolding its fronds and drooping until it
almost touches the water is appropriate, as is a low-lying pine that
adds a bit of shade which is truly appreciated by your little visitors
who perch on the curb, after shaking off the dust from their wings in
the water below, and pour out their gratitude in a melody of song.
For ornament why not use a cement bath that is shaped like a large vase.
It makes an interesting feature in your twentieth-century garden, and
gives a chance to depict a favorite flower from which the garden takes
its name.
Rising stately and dignified from their floral bed, showing wonderful
and delicate carving, are marble baths exquisitely shaped and resting on
a shaft of the same material. These are fitting for an Italian or a
formal garden. They seem to blend in with an elaborate architectural
scheme such as we find in the planning for the decoration of a large
area.
There is no particular place where they seemingly do not fit in. They
are effective used as a central figure and surrounded with a circle of
well-chosen blossoming plants and they harmonize in the landscape scheme
even if used apart from the main gardens or designed to occupy a niche
in the wall. Here they are just as enjoyable as if they stood
prominently forth, the main axis around which the rest of the garden
revolves.
[Illustration: A WELL-PLACED BIRD-BATH]
They can be made much more picturesque if one trains over their side a
delicate vine whose tendrils cling to the foundation and bring out the
color effectively. Plant for the birds' enjoyment and combine with this
feature decorative beds, using not the strong colors, but the delicate,
dainty, pink, blue, white and lavender, of the many varieties that are
suitable for this purpose.
Do not let the base of your expensive bird bath rest on the earth,
rather place under it a pedestal of marble, granite, or cement. It need
not be conspicuous, a growth of turf, the planting of an ivy or some
other vine, will add much to its attractiveness, making an artistic
foundation for it.
Whoever lays out his garden plot with a thought of thorough enjoyment,
he who looks forward to sitting under the vine, will take special
thought of the birds. He will endeavor even if he is an amateur not to
make an ugly muddle in his planting, but aim for picturesque garden
vistas, and have his flowers properly balanced so they will show
harmonious massing of colors. One should be as careful not to give
sun-loving plants a shady place, as to put the shy little flowers in the
glaring sunlight.
It is a necessity if you are a bird lover, or if you wish to rid your
plants of insects and your grounds of worms, to attract the birds. This
can be accomplished by giving them not only proper planting but the
right place where they may enjoy their daily bath. If you wish the best
results, seek shade rather than sunshine. Our little friends prefer
shelter to warmth, so cater to their taste in the placing of their
drinking pool.
It is rather important that you seek a spot, just near enough to the
grounds to be companionable, there to place a mulberry tree. There is no
fruit that is more to their mind than this and it will be a source of
delight to watch the shyest birds reward you by flaunting their colors
before you as they flit in and out, feeding off the berries so
temptingly displayed for their exclusive use.
It is a mistake to look upon the robin as common and a pest. This fact
has been firmly fixed in our minds through his thieving qualities. When
you consider that he has been known to devour as many as seventy worms a
day, and multiply that by the voracity of his mate and his children, you
will then commence to realize what a benefit he is to your garden. Try
and cajole him into being a friend, and entice him to nest in the heart
of your flower patch. Listen to his song; there is a mellow quality to
his voice and he can put more expression into his music than any other
bird. There is a flash of color and a burst of sweet melody,
listen--there is a scarlet tanager, singing love songs to his mate. He
is a veritable bird of Paradise and once sported fearlessly among our
trees, but has now grown shy through being used as a target for the
sportsman's gun. Cultivate him by all means. Toll him into your garden.
Darting in and out of the garden one finds the humming bird, so tiny
that he measures only from three and a half to three and three-quarters
inches, the smallest bird in our country. There is a glint of color as
he dashes fearlessly from flower to flower, his brilliant metallic
throat and breast sparkling in the sunlight like a precious gem. The
trumpet flowers with their deep cup-shape blossoms are his special
delight, although he never scorns the sweet-scented flowers that he
finds on every side. For a moment he poises in the air motionless,
sighting his flower, then winging his flight, he drains the nectar,
uttering a shrill little squeak of delight, as he spies some especially
fat aphides on the garden foliage. These he shoots off like a streak of
lightning rapidly searching for more food.
How to attract the birds is a question that all bird lovers are seeking
to answer. It is such a simple matter that you do not have to look far
afield to obtain what you wish. There are many fruit-growing shrubs each
one of which is suitable for his majesty's needs. These should be
planted somewhere in the garden. If you prefer them surrounding the bird
bath, you will have more chance for bird study, but they will come
without that if you give them a chance and plenty of edible berries all
the year round. The red berried elder is one of their favorites, as is
the Canadensis or common elder, which flowers in June, and shows reddish
purple berries during the autumn; then there is the Arbutifolia or red
chokeberry. This is a native dwarf shrub, which is particularly tempting
to the feathered tribe. When planning for this feature, one should
remember that these bird-attracting shrubs should not be planted with
only one idea in view. They should be made to form a part of the
decorative plan, and the situation chosen should be among flowers that
would bring out its artistic value, far more than if they were grouped
in a mass. One is apt, in their enthusiasm in arranging their garden for
the birds' benefit, to forget that attractive color schemes must be
worked out, otherwise it will be a heterogeneous mass that will be an
eye-sore rather than a pleasure.
[Illustration: AN ORNAMENT DELIGHTFULLY USED TO MARK THE OPENING OF
PATHS THROUGH WOODS]
There is very little choice as to what kind of flowers to mix with the
shrubs. Take it all in all, the perennials stand first. The reason for
this is that they are more suitable for this purpose than annuals, which
have to be re-planted every year. Like the shrubs the perennials die
down in the fall and re-appear when the breath of spring sweeps over the
land, in greater profusion and showing added vigor through having
conserved their strength by resting during the winter months.
You are very foolish if you have taken no thought for the future life of
your shrub or perennial. Once planted they do not take care of
themselves and if neglected it only means the survival of the fittest.
Different species require different treatment, and a great many kinds
need to be subdivided every two or three years. The scarlet and crimson
Phlox, Spirea, and many other varieties should never be left longer
than two years, they should then be carefully gone over and an
experienced hand should determine how much should be left and what
removed. If you have planting of Iris, Shaster daisies, and Veronicas,
they can readily wait until the third year.
The ground is of just as much importance as the planting. Just because
you wish to grow flowers and shrubs, you must remember that they must
have food to live on, that this food must be properly prepared and
contain plenty of nourishment, otherwise you will have spent money and
time for naught. First of all comes fertilizing. Doubtless, in some part
of the ground you can find a corner that will be the proper place for
the compost heap. In its selection, it is better that it should be
concealed by shrubs or trellis, vine covered. It would be a blot in the
landscape if you treated it otherwise.
Every time you rake over the lawn or weed the garden, throw into a large
basket the refuse and let it form part of the compost heap. The
foundation for this should be plenty of manure and this, to be at its
best, must be well rotted and mixed in with other material to lighten
and bring about better results. You will be surprised, that is if you
have never tried it, to see how quickly it grows. Almost before you know
it you have enough to use in the garden next year. No matter how rich it
is, a liberal amount of coarse bone meal added will pay in the end.
Your fertilizer ready, as early as possible in the spring dig your
ground to the depth of eighteen or more inches. It is better if the
earth is pulverized; some people go so far as to sift it. Next put in
your fertilizer, mixing it with the earth previously removed. Give it
time to settle before planting and you will never be dissatisfied with
results.
Opinions vary as to proper time for planting perennials. Many people
feel that the spring is the safest. It is foolish to follow this plan
unless it can be accomplished as soon as the frost is well out of the
ground. Many of them are likely to die. Therefore, if you pot them in
the fall, and winter them under glass, the result will be much more
satisfactory. It is simply the working out of the garden lover's idea as
to what is correct and what incorrect as to the time of planting.
Many kinds are better massed. This applies to the Sweet William, the
Hollyhock, Delphinium, and other varieties, that seemingly belong to
the same family. The hardy Asters, which are late flowering, are
invaluable for massing. They burst into blossom at a period when the
early frosts have lolled the more tender plants, making their bright
hues a dominant feature in the garden. It is better to shade colors than
to plant one variety. For September and October blossoming why not use
the Abendrote or Evening Glow? It has a bright rosy red flower and is a
very free bloomer. Mix with that the Glory of Colwall, which is ageratum
blue, showing double flowers, grown on stout, erect stems. The pink of
the blossom contrasts admirably with the rosy red. The White Queen will
mix with these two colors very effectively. This is a pure, splendid
white and comes into blossom at the same season of the year.
A very interesting way of treating the defining line of the garden
proper is by a low hedge. Many of these are berry bearing, thus working
into the bird scheme. The Hawthorn Oxyacantha is well suited for this
purpose. It is used in England for hedges and during the time of its
blossoming shows a pure white, sweet-scented flower followed by a
scarlet fruit. The Berberis is excellent for hedging. It blooms in the
summer and is succeeded by a bright colored fruit that lasts into the
winter.
Once interested in this feature of garden culture, by careful study one
will realize what an inexhaustible theme it becomes. Color shades in
berries often help out landscape effects in winter, therefore it is best
not to plant promiscuously.
GARDEN SEATS
[Illustration: A FORMAL GARDEN SEAT]