For most of the year, Bobby has been working on his water fountain and little pond just off of the front deck. He is using driftwood, and some interesting branches which he has decorated with plastic foliage to make it look more natural. Today, we went to Harbor Freight and he got the water pump for the fountain. He still has to put a back onto the little mini-pond at the bottom, and then he can fill it with water, and some water plants. Here is a picture of how it looks so far. The water is trickling down from the top and over the leaves; but it is hard to tell that just from the picture.
It would appear that the birds like this, too ! Bobby already saw one little bird getting a drink from the dribbling water. We had talked about getting a little bird waterer because they really need water as well as the bird feeders, it is so hot and dry here in the heat of summer. Now, they can have their own little place to take a bird bath and get a drink. As long as we don't end up with a bunch of bird feathers (or droppings) in the water, we will enjoy seeing the birds getting their little drinks.
Nice feature Yvonne and I hope it gives you both many hours of pleasure. I love the soothing sound of water in the garden but being a useless DIYer I opted for a simple Pebble Fountain. It has like yours attracted more birds and frogs to the garden.
That is a nice garden fountain you have built. I used to like a garden fountain but when mosquito was mentioned, I started to change my mind. We live in a tropical country and stagnant water is the habitat of mosquitoes for breeding. A fountain is okay as long as it would run 24/7. Once it stops, there is the risk of turning it into a nursery for mosquitoes. But aside from my story, I was able to purchase a garden fountain when we moved in this house in 2001. That fountain was made of lahar - dust and ash from the Pinatubo volcano that erupted in 1990 (not sure of the year). Those craftsmen near the volcano used the lahar in making those fountains. Unfortunately, that fountain did not last because of an accident that cracked it. What is left now is the pedestal. Just let me know if you want to see the photo of that pedestal, okay?
@Corie Henson , I would love to see the picture of your volcanic pedestal ! When Mt. St. helens erupted, we had volcanic as covering all of Washington State (or at least most of it), and parts of Idaho and Montana as well. Some of it was used to make ceramic pottery and other items, and after they had fired the ash, it turned beautiful colors, and you would never guess that it was that ugly old grey ash that had been lying around everywhere on the ground. We do have mosquitoes here; but we also have a lot of frogs (happily singing at night), and they just love to feast on the mosquito larva. Since Bobby built it just in front of the deck on the porch; when we are sitting on the deck, it is nice to hear the tinkling sounds of the water, and it makes it seem like we are beside a rippling stream.
@Yvonne Smith, I took the effort to take this photo just now. That pedestal is in the storage area in our backyard. See the LPG tank? That grey thing is the pedestal of the fountain made of lahar sand. That pedestal is also made of lahat and although it is hollow but still heavy to carry. I'm not sure if there are fountains like that still being sold in the Mt. Pinatubo area. So I am keeping this pedestal as a souvenir.
@Yvonne Smith, Be sure to tell Bobby to start looking for water plants in the ditches in your area for a few plants to help your water fountain keep the water from going stagnant. When I was looking for plants for my frog pond, they were over $10. for little 3 to 4 inch plants. A shovel and pail, and a few minutes in a ditch, and you will save, to me, quite a bit of cash. (Waving a you Tinker.)
There is a small creek just down the road from where we live @Ina I. Wonder , and I think that we can probably find some water plants there. Bobby is still working on it, and he has to put more of a back on it before he can totally fill it up with water; but he was very anxious to get the little pump for it and see how it was going to look with the tree branch and the greenery in it. He has ordered more greenery from Amazon, and it is kind of an ivy vine; so when that comes, he will have plenty of greenery to put on the fake tree and make it look real.
We already have the frog sounds, @Joe Riley ! They have been outside singing for all all of the spring long. Now, we have crickets and cicadas, which seem to be taking the place of the frogs. Probably that is because Bobby cleaned all of the rainwater out of the little Intex pool in the back yard, and filled it up with water for us to swim around in. The city water has chlorine in it (and who knows what else ?); so the frogs are no longer frolicking around in there all night. The fireflies are out in full force ! Let me say right here and now, that I LOVE fireflies ! That is one of my favorite things about the South, right next to not having to shovel snow anymore. The fireflies seem to love me, too. In the evenings when we have the front door open to let the cool evening breeze in; the fireflies also come in, and they love to buzz around my head, get stuck in my hair, and just show their affection in ways which I do not appreciate. I did get one of those mosquito-zappers that looks like a tennis racket; but of course, you simply can NOT go zapping a firefly and killing the poor dear. So, I endure their affections.....
that is absolutely beautiful!! what i wouldn't give to have something that nice in my yard... i actually have the tubs to put a pond in my yard. i just havent been capable of getting it done. The yard, other than mowing, is my domain, so if i want a pond I had better learn to put it in lol
Actually there are fireflies in the North too. the first time I ever saw one was in Pennsylvania, my great grandmother lived on a mountain side and we went to visit one summer. Back on the dirt road was more fireflies then i had ever seen then or since then. To me they seemed magical and i wished I had a jar. After living in this house a few years I noticed one evening when we took our walk that there were fire flies in the area. I see them in and around our bushes, the other night I had a few near my screen to the bedroom glowing very bright. I believe the use of lawn pesticides keep the population down. It is sad because they are wonderful to me.
Oh yeah, we had fireflies in Michigan. We had a lot of them there. I believe that we have fireflies in Maine too, but I can't recall seeing very many of them since I've been here. I have seen them, but they were not nearly as thick as in Michigan.
I don't know if its just the area, but with the massive numbers of ticks and fleas, we have gained a massive number of fireflies, too. I have been in the south my entire life. And I have always loved the lightening bugs. The past few years they haven't been showing up as much. But this year they are on my carport, outside the glass door all night long. My daughter and I were talking about how beautiful it would be if you could make a neon sign, but instead of the light, put lightening bugs in it.