Saturday, January 12, 2008

henrycorel: A Guide To Attracting Birds

henrycorel: A Guide To Attracting Birds

henrycorel: Garden Design - Keep Beautiful Views in Mind

henrycorel: Garden Design - Keep Beautiful Views in Mind

Garden Design - Keep Beautiful Views in Mind

Home & Lifestyle > Gardening > Garden Design & Styles
The most important concern in our minds when designing a garden is its beauty. We imagine a beautiful garden dotted with pretty flowers and chirping birds that fills our heart with joy when we sit outdoors with a book or view it from the inside through a window while sipping coffee. While the first scenario almost always becomes possible, the second - of seeing the beautiful views of your garden from an indoor window - does not always become possible. Often, you are left facing the back of a hedge or the trunk of a tree which can easily be avoided if this concern is given a thought when planning the design of the garden.

Think Inside the Box
Just like you go to the garden to see if your window decoration look good from a distance, you need to take a hard look at your garden from your window and decide what you want to see. Try to give beautiful views to all the garden facing doors and windows in your house. You might want to see flowers, a mix of leaves, a large tree, a trellis, an arbor or a built structure like a garden pond or fountain. Take your 'views' into consideration when designing the garden.

What Not to See
Amongst a host of other things that you wouldn't want yourself or your guests to see, when peeking out from the windows is the compost bin and the tool shed. A large tree blocking out everything from view is also not desirable nor is the 'back' of a hedge that is bordering a pretty bed or rock garden. A vegetable patch need not be seen by formal guests although it will make a good view for any informal guests like your friends who may accompany you into your kitchen. A cozy sitting area in the garden also needs it privacy and shouldn't be seen from a room where you entertain guests.

A Place for Everything
Just like in your house, everything in your garden should have a place too. Your vegetable and flower gardens, fruit-bearing plants and trees, children's play area, sitting area etc. The kids would love to have an access to their play area and you might want to have a view where you can keep an eye on them. The flower beds can be grown close to your sitting area where you can relax and take note of the blooms. A fountain can be right in the center of your garden and your pond can be a hidden surprise if you fancy it that way. Your sitting area should face the west so that you enjoy sunsets. Wherever you enjoy your mornings - in the breakfast nook or in your patio - the sunrays should not be obstructed.

Framing the Views
Make your views more interesting by 'framing' them. A pair of conifers can beautifully frame a view and will draw your attention to the scenery between them. An arbor is the prettiest frame to see a view through. Alternatively, vines climbing up your window or plants flowing out of their hanging baskets in the patios will make any view more beautiful

A Guide To Attracting Birds

ide to Bird watching is one of the most popular past times in the world. In addition to being fascinating and entertaining to watch, they also add beauty and music to your yard. Their value doesn’t stop here. They also help to keep down insect populations on your property making your yard more enjoyable. If you would like to reap the rewards of having birds frequent your property then you need to provide them with a few basic resources. In addition to Plants that Attract Birds, here are ways to attract birds to your garden.
Food
One of the easiest ways to attract birds to your yard is to provide them with a food source. You can offer bird feeders with seed, you can grow fruit in your yard, or you can provide them with a suet feeder. If you don’t know what type of food the birds in your neighborhood like to eat you can visit your local library to check out a book on birds, or you can contact your local chapter of the Audubon Society.
Water
In addition to attracting birds with food, you will also need to provide them with a water source. A birdbath can not only provide your feather friends with a water source, but it can also be an easy way to add character to your yard. Birdbaths can be made from just about anything from a ceramic planter to a molded piece of cement.
Home
Like any other living creature, birds need a safe place to raise their families. If you want to attract birds to your yard you should provide them with nesting locations. If you want to attract smaller birds then build, or buy, bird houses with smaller openings. This will encourage small song birds to take up residence on your property. If you want to attract larger birds then you will need to provide larger bird houses or nesting sites.
Protection from Predators
Protection from predators is very important to add to your yard if you want to attract birds. Create hiding spots for birds that are out of the reach of your pets. Place feeders on poles to keep cats and wildlife from eating the birds’ food, as well as from eating the birds. Squirrel guards can also be added to your feeders to protect the bird food.
Respect
The final thing that you need to attract birds to your yard is respect for the animals. While some birds are less skiddish around people, most bird species don’t like to be approached, chased, or harassed. While it is nice to watch your bird neighbors do what they do, make sure that you give them plenty of room to live, especially around nesting season. Too much human interference can cause a bird to abandon its nest leaving the baby bird vulnerable to predators and the elements. To get a closer look of your birds use binoculars