My new birdbaths...

...aren't really birdbaths at all. They're actually plastic chip bowls I just purchased from The Christmas Tree Shop.

I've had these hydrangea patterned ones for a few years now, and although they're somewhat faded from the New England summer sun, they're still going strong.  
(I store them inside our shed over the winter months.)

Some are placed on the ground where, in addition to the birds, they get lots of action from our squirrels and chipmunks. I've also seen some of our nocturnal visitors drinking from them (skunks, possum, and raccoons).

Some are placed in old birdbath basins that have cracked and no longer hold water.

 Some sit on tree stumps...

And some sit on metal garden tables/plant stands.

The birds love the large size. There's lots of room to splash around. This is one of the new bowls. I filled it with water and placed it in an old wicker planter I have on the deck.

 They didn't have any hydrangea patterns this year, which I'd been hoping for, but they did have a great selection of designs. I got some that were very bright and cheerful (top row) and some that were more subdued garden and bird designs (bottom row).

I think the birds will really enjoy these for years to come.

I got twelve. That's "12."  A full dozen. Yup. Call me crazy, but when I find something good, I sometimes buy backups. If I take good care of the hydrangea ones I have now, I might not even need to use these for a couple of years yet, but I like having these as backups in case the hydrangea bowls crack or develop leaks.

 At $1.29 each, I couldn't pass these up! I'm not sure if this is a special sale price or the everyday price, but if you have a Christmas Tree Shop nearby and are in the market for an inexpensive birdbath (or twelve), run and pick some up!

The birds will thank you!

 (2010 photo of blue jay at one of the birdbaths on a small metal plant stand/garden table.)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
We're in for about 4 days of humid, over 90 degree weather.
I'm sure I'll be spending much of that time making sure my birdbaths stay full!

Donna

Macro fever in the garden...

I thought I'd share some of the garden statues and such that reside on our deck or in our little garden. The camera is set for macro, so here I go (trying to beat the rain that is due any minute now from the looks of the sky!)...


My prized possession - a vintage, chippy Mary garden statue that I found in a NH junktique shop last year (and on sale, too!)...


A little stone bird, from Target, living among the flowers in the garden birdcage (or is it bird cage - 2 words?).


A little fleur-de-lis adornment (from Wal Mart) for the top of the cage. I think it dresses it up nicely.


This little garden angel has been around since my primitive days...

She's been a steadfast friend, watching over our little garden for many, many years as her distressed wood attests to.

My biggest, heaviest wabbit; he lives on the patio. All our "Chips" enjoy sitting on top of his ears. I'll share those photos when I do my next "Chip" post.

Our little hedgehog (all cracked open in the back, but that doesn't seem to bother him so I don't let it bother me either)...

An old (but not yet vintage) lantern that was probably meant to hold a large candle. I like using it as a planter.

Littly bunny foo-foo is a little flower pot stake that I picked up at Wal Mart several years ago.

A very cute, short, round bunny that I got at a craft fair many, many years ago.

Mr. Tweet, who came from The Christmas Tree Shop a few years ago.

Mrs. Tweet, a little bit smaller, bought the same day.

A little garden turtle that I bought for Court so she'd always remember her box turtle, Nike, that she had when she was younger.

Rascally Rabbit, still down in the backyard chasing those flamingos around...

Rusty, a little bird who lives in our garden.

The "other" stone rabbit (because there can only be one original stone rabbit... Dana, my SR would LOVE to get together with your SR any time! Maybe we could have baby stone rabbits!)

The welcome bird, just picked up this year (Wal Mart I think?)...

I call this little guy David the Gnome becuase my girls used to watch that cartoon all the time when they were little. He was a Christmas present from a good friend (which is why he's holding a candy cane, but he's too cute to only come out at Christmas time, so he never gets packed away).

A happy little bunny from The Christmas Tree Shop....

Another bunny from The Christmas Tree Shop (not quite as happy as the other guy, but since his back has cracked I guess we know why!)

Rustic little church birdhouse on a stake which is strictly for decoration as no birds have ever used it.

I have a thing for chipmunks (Chips) so when I spotted these guys in the dollar section of Target this year I grabbed two - one for each corner of the deck.

One of two cherub "curtain rod holders" that I picked up at a church rummage sale a couple of years ago. I just use them for decoration out on our deck.

A little stone birdbath (with a broken rim, so it doesn't hold much water anymore), but I like to just set it out between plants.

A little birdbath that hangs from the oak tree next to our deck.

A little bird perched on the side of a birdbath down by the patio.

A bird perched on the birdbath I got at Christmas Tree Shop...

And now it's time to run inside and get these pictures posted because the rain has arrived!!!

Donna