This small terrace is the view from my chair. Now I don't have to crane my neck to see birds drinking.
These are my customers. Their feeder is about 3 feet away from the birdbath. Sometimes it takes birds awhile to get used to something new in their environment. I watched and I waited. _resize.jpg)
Finally, here he came!
Moving water apparently attracts the neighbor’s cat too.
A couple of days later, the hibiscus bloomed again. Three blooms at a time is about as good as it gets, and makes a nice frame for the birdbath fountain.
Aren’t they exotic? I think they’re a nice complement to the pink flamingo of my previous post.
While my daughter was visiting, we waited and waited for the Stargazer lilies to bloom, but they decided to open the day after she went home.
And this photo is for my darling daughter, who just lost her 10-year-old Manx cat. If there’s a heaven for cats, it must be a garden. And Hades, despite his name, is free to roam in it forever.
34 comments:
The birdbath looks wonderful in your garden.
Love the picture of your daughter and cat. Losing a pet is very painful and this poem is for her:
When our cat leaves us..
They left us their paw prints we no longer see,
their happiness still in our minds.
They left us fond memories to you and to me,
their friendship will last all of time.
They left us their shadows grow dimmer to fade,
but never forgotten we'll see.
They left us their photos to gaze at each day,
to brighten us up when we're down.
They left us their feelings their purrs and their meows,
that echo around empty rooms.
They left us those moments to think of and smile.
And the house was all empty without our small friends,
but the love that they gave will remain...
I know how she must feel,
Gisela
I love your new birdbath and your garden. But most of all, your daughter is beautiful! I'm so sorry she lost her kitty. I know how hard that is.
I am green with envy over your terrace garden and your new bird bath. You, a lazy gardener? Not if you have gardens like that. No way!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens (I think I'll stop by Lowes today!)
Gisela, thanks for the wonderful poem for my daughter. It's so true, isn't it? We never do forget our pets since they leave such an indelible print on our lives.
Naturewoman, thanks. It's been a tough time for my lovely girl. She lives alone and her cat was a faithful presence for the past 10 years. And speaking of fountains, her cat had his own "cat fountain" drinking spa made especially for cats!
Carol, heck yes, go to Lowe's! I love their summer markdowns. Remember when I got this
>Wall Fountain last year? That was from Lowe's also. Hmm, I think I have too many "water features".
And you know I'm a lazy gardener. You just don't see the bad stuff. I guess I'd better do one of those "good, the bad, and the ugly" posts!
Hades is a beauty and such a cute-funny name for a cat. Yes, Kitty-Garden-Heaven has a special place for Hades to play and sip water from a bird bath.
I love your garden, it is my style.
You got a GREAT bargain on that fountain!
Thanks for visits to my "garden" too. My sunflower banner is new and i'll probably change it someday, so for the time being, it will be "My Serenity CHEERFUL Garden"
~Becky
I'm sorry your beautiful daughter lost her kitty friend.
Your new birdbath lokks great in your lovely garden.
Love the birdbath. What a great buy!
I would enjoy seeing "the good, the bad, the ugly". I always try to show my uglies as well as the good stuff. I like to give a sense of reality.
Love the hot pink hibiscus blooms. I bet Ms. Flamingo would look great next to them. :)
This post hits close to home, since my daughter also lost her beloved cat this summer. I'm so sorry for your daughter, LostRoses.
Nice bubbler - I didn't see them at our Lowe's but was happy to find an outdoor torch for half off.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Becky, Hades (yes, great name!) was really a one-woman cat too. He had quite the reputation among her friends for being stand-offish to them, but he was a handsome fellow!
I'm glad you like the new fountain in my garden, and I love your banner! That reminds me I need to work on mine, but not quite sure how to do it!
Lynne, thanks. It's the little things that make us happy, isn't it? And watching birds at a birdbath is one of them. Also snuggling with a kitty.
Zoey, I promise I'll get to that good, bad and ugly post, but it makes me nervous. It's the same way I'd feel about posting a close-up photo of me. Some things look better from a distance!
Ms. Flamingo is quite pleased to mingle with the tropicals.
Oh Annie, I feel sad for your daughter too. It's too bad we can't make all their hurts go away like we could when they were six.
I was eyeing those outdoor torches too but I don't even dare light candles (forgetful) so I can just imagine the damage I could do with one of those great torches!
The bird bath was a great find ... I love the Hibiscus. Your yard looks great.
I am sorry to hear about your daughter's cat. It is so tough to lose one's pet...
You have a amazing oasis to view from your back porch. Your hibiscus is in a pot and I saw that a lot in Buffalo too. Do you have to overwinter it inside? I bought one this year that is supposed to be zone 5 hardy that is not as pretty as yours.
I love the bubbler. Country Girl was just describing to me what she wanted in a bird bath and I think this would meet all her requirements perfectly. I had a good chuckle over your first customer :-)
My sympathy to your daughter. It is hard to lose a companion.
I was doing fine, enjoying your lovely post and photos til I came to the photo of your dear daughter and her beloved cat. Then I read the comments and the tears are flowing here. We lost one of our cat-children this spring, and whether you have one cat or more, the hurt is terrible (as others attest). There's a quote which I can't find in its exact form but it goes something like, "When you open your heart to animals, your heart will at times be broken, but it will be better for the experience (of having had pets/companion animals)" My heartfelt sympathies to your daughter, and to others who have posted with their losses of dear cats...
Kate, thanks! I really enjoy hibiscus - they're one of those plants that bring back childhood memories of them growing abundantly in our Florida garden.
And I agree that losing a pet is one of life's heartaches.
Apple, that particular hibiscus is not hardy here and I'm not very good at overwintering plants though I try! I think at some point I just throw them out and start again and I've done that with the hibiscus. Our local grocery store sells them each spring for a ridiculously low price so I don't feel too bad about starting over again each year.
As for Countrygirl's birdbath, tell her to take a look at
>Julie’s Bird Spa
Now that's a cool birdbath and has plenty of room for bathing which my little one probably does not. But obviously it has enough room for a thirsty cat!
You're right, our pets are our companions. Hard to lose one.
Jodi, I couldn't agree more. Our pets give us so much joy but in the end it's always heartache. But who would want to miss those years with them?
Aww.. I am sorry to read that your daughter lost her beloved pet...I understand as I have recently had to face that grief. I posted a poem called ~Rainbow Bridge~ on my ~Goodbye Freddi~ post perhaps your daughter may find comfort in reading it..I did.I wish her comfort and peace to ~Manx~
Well that bubbler is the best~~
what a bargain!! I love it!! LoVeD the image of the cat ~christening~ the bubbler ..
your garden view is stunning!!!
Thank you for the generous comments
that you always pass along to me..
I truly appreciate it!
hugging you NG
You got a great deal on the fountain. I've seen that one and had been wanting it myself.
I'm new to your blog...just thought I'd drop in & say HI. I love your bubbling bird bath!
I was scrolling slowly as I read your post and I laughed out loud when I say your neighbors cat! You have a great delivery! Your bird bath is just what I'm looking for as Apple said, I can't believe you found such a deal! I checked out Julie's bird spa and spa was right, Wow. I'm not sure I would be so good to clean it every four days. My heart goes out to your daughter. Our two kitties are part of the family and I'm sure Hades was to.
The hibiscus is beautiful. It ashame the each flowers only last one day. But they are well worth it. Love the birds. Looks like you have some House Finches (the red ones) there. They are often the first to find and go to feeders. Other birds well soon follow. Nice that you have a new water source for them too :)
All the best, BOB
First, your daughter is lovely. And Hades is, too. Sorry for her loss, Mary.
Your garden looks better every post! Funny about your neighbors cat :o)
The birds will congregate even more now - they need the water, once they decide its safe!
Your bubble/bird bath is beautiful, and such a deal! You have it in a perfect spot...what a lovely spot to sit and ponder. Your neighbor's cat certainly knows where there is a kind soul. My heart goes out to your daughter for the loss of her beloved Hades. I'm sure it feels very lonely there without her friend. I hope that the days will get better as time goes by. Our pets will always have a special place in our hearts. My best to her. It is difficult to see our children go through rough times because we ache too.
I love the birdbath and it looks just perfect in your garden space.
you got that birdbath for a STEAL!!! It fits in perfectly!! I had to laugh at the neighbors cat.. Mine would do the same.. Hey mom thanks for the drinking fountain for us!!
Naturegirl, I remember your post about Freddi and I was very touched by your poem. These thoughts are comforting, aren't they? And I have to say, the neighbor's cat enjoys all my birdbaths, the silly thing!
mrbrownthumb, I hadn't even noticed it at Lowe's during the several trips I made there during spring planting season. I think they got it in later in the summer but I was glad they did!
debra, welcome, and thanks! At first, they birds did a bit of back-pedaling when they saw the dripping water, but I think they've gotten used to the bubbler.
Countrygirl, I'm not so good at cleaning my other birdbaths quite so often, but this one with moving water doesn't seem to need it as much. Mine are more likely to go dry first. Maybe the neighbor's cat has something to do with that! He is quite the character and I should have known he'd be my first customer! Yes, our pets are certainly a part of our families, aren't they?
bob, yes, house finches. They do sing prettily too. I have yet to see a bluejay, robin or a mourning dove in this birdbath, I think they prefer the deeper one in the lower part of the yard. Or maybe they're just smart enough to stay far away from that cat! I wish the hibiscus lasted longer than a day too, but "fleeting beauty" and all that!
Mary, thanks for the nice compliment to my daughter. I think so too, but I'm prejudiced!
My garden is trying to hold its own with the heat but luckily we've had some rain lately to give it a nice "booster shot".
Bev, I totally agree how difficult it is to see our kids go through a rough patch, especially when all we can give is sympathy. I know it will get better for her but I remember how much that hurts at first.
The birdbath is a good focal point for sitting and pondering, and I am good at that!
Connie, thanks. The birdbath is small in scale so I thought it would work well with the small terrace. At least the birds think so!
Dirtyfingernails, I love a steal! And I hate to pay full price for anything, so half off was a great deal. I didn't really realize it would serve as a cat fountain too!
I'm sorry about the loss of a beloved pet your daughter has suffered. Both look very happy and relaxed with each other in the pic. It is heartbreaking when a beloved pet has to leave us, as many of us know only too well.
Love your new birdbath with burbler, almost as much as your neighbour's cat. ;-) And what a bargain, the birdbath not the cat. ;-)
Hibiscus pretty! Will there be pics of said hibiscus with pink flamingo? Wouldn't that be a sight for sore eyes? LOL
What a barging! I would have snatched it up also. It looks beautiful on your terrace. From looking at your terrace I don’t think you are a lazy gardener. Everything looks wonderful and that double hibiscus is to die for. Wow, I haven’t seen a double one before. I will have to look for one in my area. I have put up a bird feeder a couple of time and my problem is the squirrels. They don’t get in the feeder but pack the ground down under it and I am afraid they will kill the perennials I have plant. What do you have under your bird feeder? How often do you have to clean up the mess from the feed form under it?
Sorry to hear about your daughters loss. I am not looking forward to the day our dog passes. He is going on 14 and is slowing down more every day.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful garden. Happy Gardening!!
Yolanda, thanks for your condolences for my daughter, you are very kind. Kitty was well-loved.
I think the neighbor's cat is a bargain too! I have all the fun of having him around and no responsibility. I would be happy to feed him but the neighbors are afraid he would never come home.
I think the hibiscus and the flamingo alone are quite enough, don't you!
KC Mo, I was just walking around this evening looking at all the gardening I should be doing. Morning glories overtaking everything in the front beds, roses to be deadheaded, hollyhocks to be cut down, and on an on. Maybe this weekend! You know how it is. As for the birdbath, I tend to buy first and figure out where to put it later. This time it worked out!
Under the birdfeeder is always a problem, so bare dirt is best. That feeder hangs over the end of a flower bed with nothing planted directly under the feeder. And I don't clean up the mess as often as I should! If I am religious about it, I just sweep the sunflower shells into a dust pan and be done with it, but I usually end up shovelling it. Lazy me.
Thanks for your kind words for my daughter. I know how you feel about watching your dog slowing down. We can only enjoy them while we can, and be happy for every day they're with us.
Happy Gardening to you, too!
I just took another look at your neighbor's cat. I don't think I have EVER seen a spotted house cat!
Your garden looks too inviting to simply sit and look at!
I love the cats!
Mary, when my neighbors first rescued him, they named him Dot, because of the spots. But then it became apparent that Dot was a male, so his name was changed to Dash!
Chuck, I do sometimes work in it, but I'm really best at sitting and looking!
I need to go to Lowes! I'd love a birdbath with moving water..and what a price!
The view from your terrace is lovely...and I like your visitors too :)
How sad for your beautiful daughter. It's so hard to lose a treasured pet.
How neat to have the technology to show your daughter the reluctant Stargazers...It's Murphy's Law that they wouldn't bloom while she was with you. They're beautiful!!
Kerri, I was thrilled to get this for such a low price, and I love the moving water too. Thanks for all your kind comments, and yes, you're right about the Murphy's Law, it's especially true in a garden!
Hi Kerri...
LOVE that birdbath, but how do you
keep the neighborhood cats from
killing birds?
Hi anonymous, this neighbor's cat, fortunately, is not a very good birder. He doesn't know the meaning of stealth, and stalks them in plain sight and they can all see him coming. Most of the time he prefers to watch them from a lounge chair on the patio!
What a lovely birdbath with water moving in it.We all need time to sit and stare at the garden.What better way then on a chair looking at the birds!
The Stargazer lillys are lovely.I grew my one plant inside and the smell was awesome.I love this lilly!
Its Sad that your daughters Cat has passed away.Im sure he will be in kitty Heaven, chasing butterflys and sleeping lots in a garden.
Post a Comment