Part 5 (1/2)
During the early seventeenth century there were imported into seaport towns princ.i.p.ally at Salem, Ma.s.sachusetts, unique bird baths. They came packed in among the cargo that was stowed away in the holds of the slow sailing s.h.i.+ps that plied continuously between Singapore and the New England sh.o.r.es. Many of these were the result of orders given by the s.h.i.+p owners who wanted to set them in their posy beds, laid out at the rear of their stately homes. Rare were these sh.e.l.ls with their fluted framework, and hard to find, yet so s.p.a.cious 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-fas.h.i.+oned 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 gra.s.s, 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 gra.s.sy knoll, at the edge of the garden proper and watch results. You will not have long to wait before softly tripping through the gra.s.s or dropping from their leafy covert, one by one, they show their grat.i.tude 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 grat.i.tude 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.
[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 ma.s.sing 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 suns.h.i.+ne. 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 ma.s.s. 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 ma.s.s that will be an eye-sore rather than a pleasure.
[Ill.u.s.tration: 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.