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If you love wild bird, then create a bird lovers backyard showcase where you can relax and enjoy your garden as well as your feathered friends. By choosing the right plants for your backyard, you'll encourage birds to visit, eat, bathe, build nests, and raise their young right in your landscape. Your backyard doesn't have to be large to attract birds nor do you need to go to a great deal of expense to create a true bird lovers showcase.

The plants you select for your backyard bird haven depends, at least in part, on the species of birds you wish to attract. You must also consider the amount of sunlight or shade, the amount of maintenance you are willing to perform, your personal preferences for colors and textures, and the amount of moisture available. No matter the conditions, there are plants which are just right for every set of conditions imaginable which birds will really appreciate.

Habitat,Water And Food

There are really three keys to include when you create a bird lovers backyard showcase. These are: habitat, water, and food. Every species of wild bird seeks these three key factors and, once they learn you provide them consistently, they will return again and again to your backyard.

In urban settings, one attribute to incorporate when creating a bird lovers backyard showcase is areas of cover or habitat where birds will be safe from predators. Trees and large specimen plants as well as lush shrubs offer wild birds places to perch safely and securely without fear of being seen by hawks, cats, and other predators. Leafy trees and birdhouses offer secure nesting places so the parents can safely leave their babies while seeking food.

Another feature you should include in your backyard bird lovers showcase is a source of water for your feathered visitors. A low maintenance way to provide water for drinking and bathing is to incorporate a shallow, gently moving fountain into the landscape. Because fountains provide moving water, algae build-up is discouraged and mosquitoes are less likely to breed in the water. If you do not have or do not wish to invest in a moving-water fountain, a simple and inexpensive bird bath will do the trick but you'll need to empty and clean the bowl at least twice weekly to prevent red or green algae growth as well as mosquito larvae.

Food sources are another important part of your backyard bird lovers showcase. If you wish to attract hummingbirds, you can supply pesticide-free white, yellow, pink, red, or purple flowers and flowering vines which produce the nectar required by these exotic, iridescent little beauties. Great choices for hummingbirds include hummingbird vine, cypress vine, honeysuckle, and hibiscus, or you can provide the hummers with artificial nectar by purchasing hummingbird feeders featuring yellow or red colors which must be filled with syrup made from three parts water and one part dissolved sugar. There is no need to color the hummingbird syrup with red food coloring or to purchase expensive "nectar mix".

Attracting A Variety Of Bird Species

Insectivore birds, such as mocking birds and robins, can be provided for by offering lush grass and mulched areas which are never sprayed for insects. These species dig for worms and eat pesky insects. You can often see them capturing a fat, juicy insect or worm and carrying it back to their nest to feed their youngsters.

Wild birds which eat primarily seeds and other foods, including sparrows, finches, cardinals, doves, and other welcomed species, can be provided for by placing bird feeders in the landscape for all-year bird watching. They also appreciate incorporation of seed-bearing plants in the backyard showcase. Bright yellow mammoth sunflowers add tall highlights and the seed are loved by many species of larger wild birds. Extra sunflower seed can be saved for supplementing the birds' winter food. Some areas even have flocks of wild parrots which may be attracted to sunflowers.

By incorporating the three keys, habitat, water and food, when you create a bird lovers backyard showcase, you can select plants based on the colors and textures you desire. You'll probably want to place key elements so the [birds]can be easily viewed from a window from indoors. You'll also want to be sure to include a nice shady place where you can sit outdoors and watch the birds enjoy the efforts of your gardening.

You may think that creating simple stone patios is far beyond your abilities. This is not true if you have some basic experience working with concrete and have the strength or assistance available to move the stones you wish to use to create your patio. It is necessary to do some careful planning and follow instructions carefully in order to obtain good results when creating your simple stone patio. The whole process is much easier if you have some help from friends or family or hire someone to help you with the more difficult tasks.

Choose Stones:

First, you must choose the type and size of stone you wish to use for your patio. If you are going to be working primarily alone, select stones or pavers which are small enough and light enough in weight for you to move them by yourself. If you wish to use larger stones or pavers, you'll need to enlist reliable help since some of the steps must be completed without stopping for long periods of time.

Planning:

You'll need to know if there are any lines for gas, electric, or telephone under the soil where you plan to lay your patio. You can learn this information by calling your local utility companies. Determine the exact dimensions for the patio, keeping in mind that you do not want to bite off more than you can chew. In the case of do-it-yourself stone patios, it is better to tackle a reasonably sized project so you can be happy with the result rather than trying for a massive project that will be difficult to successfully complete.

The thickness of the stone or pavers you will be using when creating your stone patio will be important to your construction. Be sure to measure the stone thickness so that your bed will allow room for the stone without raising the stone higher than the doorway opening onto the patio.

Prepare the Site:

You'll need to excavate the site to a depth of 6 to 12 inches below the height of the finished patio. This means removing grass or other plants and leveling the soil using a builder's level. If necessary, ask someone to teach you how to use the builder's level to level the soil. Mark stakes at each corner and in several locations along each side so that you know exactly where the finished patio top will be located. The site will need to be compressed with a plate compactor which can be rented at a hardware rental center or a home improvement center.

Create the Bed:

Use a blend of crushed stone and stone dust, called pack, to build a bed on which your patio will rest. This is completed by laying 3-inch thick layers of pack, wetting the pack with water to reduce dust, then compact that layer with a plate compactor. Repeat this process until the top of the bed reaches a point below the finished grade mark which is the thickness of your stone plus one inch (for example, for 2-inch thick stone, the bed should remain 3 inches below the level of the finished patio top.

Spread Setting Bed:

Mix one part dry cement mix with 12 parts stone dust, adding water to create a stiff mix. Start in one corner of the bed and place concrete mix into bed over an area large enough to lay one stone. Level that portion of the bed with a hand trowel. Spread the concrete thicker than the space allowed for the dry bed because stones will settle into the wet concrete when laid. Depending on the size and weight of stones or pavers used, the settling may cause the stones to sink one-half to one inch or even more into the wet concrete. Move on to setting the stone in this concrete before spreading and leveling the concrete for the next stone.

Lay the Stone:

Place your first stone onto the wet concrete, jiggling it into the exact location desired. Place a bubble level on top of the stone. Use a rubber hammer to tap the stone securely into place, checking that it is level. Add or remove concrete as needed to get the stone perfectly level.

Once you have leveled the first stone, spread the setting bed for the next stone and lay that stone. Be sure to leave space between stones to allow for swelling and shrinking due to heat, cold, and moisture. Repeat until you have laid all the stones. Cut stones or pavers to fit those areas which are not large enough for a whole stone.

Fill Joints:

After the concrete has set, spread stone dust over the stones and sweep it into the spaces between stones to fill the joints. Spray the [patio] with water to cause the stone dust to settle and compact in the joints between stones. Spread more stone dust and again sweep it into the joints. This time, use a trowel to tamp the dust into the joints after wetting the dust. This creates a stable fill for the joints.

Finishing Touches:

If desired, you may wish to lay an edge around the stones using bricks, cobblestone, smaller stones, or other material. This is not required but can give a completed look. If using edging material, spread stone dust between the edge of the patio stones and the edge material. Wet the stone dust to settle and compact it.

Sweep off the finished patio or hose away any debris. Bring out the patio furniture, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labors. Now it's time to start planning some fun and easy patio parties for friends and family. You'll love telling them about creating your fun simple stone patio.

If you love butterflies, you can have fun creating a butterfly garden that will attract butterflies of all species. They’ll rely on your garden as a food source and you’ll enjoy these beautiful creatures through all phases of their lives.

Butterfly Lifecycle and Anatomy

In order to understand how to create a butterfly garden, you should understand butterflies in general. They begin life as an egg which hatches into a caterpillar. The baby caterpillar eats its egg shell as its first meal and then begins feeding on the plant where it hatched. These worm-like caterpillars grow, molting or changing their skin about five times, until they are ready to become pupa and finally become an adult butterfly which emerges from the pupa casing.

Adult butterflies have mouth parts that are like long coiled tubes which, when filled with blood, extends into the flower so the butterfly can drink the nectar or other liquid such as life-sustaining water. Butterflies smell through their antenna and use this as a means of locating food sources.

Planning Your Butterfly Garden

Different species of butterflies perfect different types of nectar from different plants. To attract the most butterflies, plan your garden with an abundance of different blooming plants. Select flowering plants that will bloom at different times of day and different times of the season. Plant the flowers in clumps rather than single plants so the butterflies can easily spot the plants they crave while in flight, helping them locate your garden.

Flowering plants to include in your butterfly garden are aster, black eyed Susan, butterfly weed, day lilies, goldenrod, hibiscus, lilac, lavender, marigold, butterfly bush, daisies of all varieties, phlox, azalea, coneflowers, rosemary and verbena. Plant the flowers in arrangements that please you and that can be easily seen so that you can enjoy watching the butterflies from your window or garden seat.

Because butterflies, like all creatures, require water to survive, provide a water source in your butterfly garden. This can be a bird bath, fountain or another type of water feature. Not only will the butterflies thank you, but the birds and other creatures that have a difficult time locating water sources at some times of year will also thank you.

Sit back and enjoy your accomplishment as you enjoy a cup of your favorite drink and watch the [butterflies]that come to your beautiful garden. You’ll enjoy both the gorgeous flowers and the butterflies, too.