Sorghum from Birdseed

It looks like our Georgia garden critters are taking things in their own hands by seeding some Sorghum plants from Birdseed!

First I thought it was corn, by looking at the plants leaves...

This was on September 8.

Against the repurposed Umbrella Post with Bird Feeder on top.

Pieter always leaves seed out for the mourning doves and for the brown thrasher, they love to search on the ground. Also the Cardinals and others.

So three plants have grown up from sprouted seeds...

This is close to the Bird Feeder that I mentioned in my previous post.

Pieter repurposed that parasol pole on Christmas day, 1998—it kept well!

They seem to be ripening perfectly well—this was on September 21.

We just leave them there for the birds to enjoy later...

Do you see plants growing up from birdseed in your yard?

Related link:

Sorghum Growing in Georgia | previous post by me

Our Bird Feeder with Dried Mealworms atop Umbrella Pole

 Keeping such a vast estate up to date in every area, is quite an upkeep.

But it is oh so rewarding to see HAPPY BIRDS around.

Bird Feeder with plexiglass front and back so we can see how much they ate...

Dried Mealworms with some sunflower seeds and other bird feed mixed in.

Pieter did start purchasing these dried mealworms for the baby birds from our Eastern Phoebe end of May, that had a nest in our front porch. See post below.

The Carolina Wrens go in there often, pick out one worm and hack it to pieces somewhere on a tree trunk.

We left the thick slice of the oak tree's stump on the ground—for that purpose.

Also the perfectly sawn off oak tree trunk serves as a feeding table for lots of birds—and squirrels of course.

But they too have to live... We saw one with a severe bot fly warbles under its skin—the dreaded Cuterebra emasculator Fitch.

Pieter leaves peanuts in the shell for the squirrels and sunflower seeds.

Are you feeding birds and using dried mealworms as well?

{Umbrella Pole Recycled into Bird Feeder Post} | previous post by me

Eastern Phoebe Reside in Front Porch with Babies | previous post by me

AMAZING recovery of Japanese Magnolia—after getting LIGHT and FOOD!

 With our HUGE oak tree now gone, there is more LIGHT + FOOD available for this beauty.

On the side, where once that HUGE oak tree took away all the light, and no doubt most of the food and moisture available, now some healthy NEW branches did sprout off!

Our Japanese Magnolia or  Magnolia x soulangeana is next to the vinyl picket fence.

A bird house (a Carolina wren residence) and also a hummingbird feeder make it into a favorite tree for birds.

From our breakfast area, we did notice another NEW shoot off branch right in the middle—look at the size of its leaves!

Vinyl picket fence is visible below...

It was rather hard to capture but here you see its enormous size leaves!

Happy and Healthy...

And, already on September 8, I noticed that all the BUDS for next spring were formed already!

Soft, hairy buds—waiting for the spring and here they bloom as early as February 12; often on my Mom's Birthday...

As I've always said, give a tree about 5 years to restore its shape and health after removing another big tree that stole light, food and moisture.

Looking forward to seeing it in the spring!

Have you seen some trees or shrubs recovering that way after creating more room/space for them?

Related links:

{MORE BLOSSOMS IN OUR BOTANICAL GARDEN} | previous post by me

{Our Japanese Magnolia against Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post by me

Big Trees Down and others Trimmed  | Previous post by me

{Feeder turned into Bird House}

On May 25 I did show you the special Gift Bird Feeder that we received in The Netherlands. Two sweet little kids had hand painted it for us and Pieter hung it up against a tree. There was a jar inside with some kind of peanut-butter-like bird food. It got emptied but all of a sudden some critter had tossed the entire jar out of the feeder! That happened more than once, we knew that could not be done by a squirrel so maybe a raccoon or possom did it. Pieter decided to change it into a Bird House instead!

Here it is; converted into a Bird House!

That was quite a large and heavy jar with yummy food but it got pulled out of this Feeder several times...

This little girl with her brother had hand painted it...

Pieter, being color blind himself, tried to match the artwork of the little girl and her artist brother...

In the back you can see a hand made Squirrel Proof Bird House by Pieter, link you find below post.

This was a new addition and supposed to be squirrel proof. There is a spring that shuts off by weight but the squirrels hang upside down from the roof tip and easily manage to grab whatever they like.

It does not have enough height for keeping the squirrels from reaching far enough. Too bad!

A hummingbird feeder hangs to the right.

Related link:
{Gift Bird Feeder} | previous post by me
{DIY Squirrel Proof Bird Houses} | previous post by me
{HOME SWEET HOME} | previous post by me

{Umbrella Pole Recycled into Bird Feeder Post}

Our old Umbrella Pole from the balcony got Recycled into a Bird Feeder Post...

Here it is...

Closeup

The feeder is holding suet blocks on the side...

Even though the squirrels benefit most from all the bird seeds and suet!

As you can see here; completely empty and being plundered by the squirrels...

Whenever I take photos, our felines go with me...

Barty showing to the right of the feeder; Spooky on the platform below the steps and Tiggy-Tiger to the left in front of that planter near the gazebo.

Loved the light around 6:30 PM in which our gazebo is being shown here...

All those huge trees make our garden a bird's paradise!

Related link:
{Our Balcony} | previous post by me showing the umbrella pole on our balcony... till Christmas 1998!

{Our Patio Pot Plants}

On April 10 you could read my blog post {Our Patio Tiles Are DONE!} and since that day we have been adding Pot Plants to Our Patio...

This is the kitchen bay window area on April 10...

Moving to the right where you can see the front porch as well.

Pieter has been painting several pots so they better match.

Stepping a little bit closer now.

The white trellis with our Clematis lanuginosa 'Candida' got made by Pieter himself.

Stepping further back towards our white vinyl picket fence you can better see the house.

Here is also an Oxalis patch near the lantern.

So happy to see green leaves on all our trees by now!

The patio starts looking nice with these pot plants.

This photo is taken on April 23, from underneath the huge Dogwood tree's canapy.

You can see the bird feeder hanging down from it.

When stepping back you can also see our squirrel proof bird feeder that will close down access to the bird feed when a squirrel's weight is on its bar. BUT those acrobats hang upside down from its roof and get what they want...

The Japanese style bird bath is also in sight here.

Closer towards the steps to our veranda...

Zooming in on this group of Pot Plants.

The purple one is the Patio Peach that I have shown earlier when it was blooming. See below post.

Our Clematis lanuginosa 'Candida' next to our Bonfire Prunus Persica - Patio Peach

Our front patio also is getting more and more Pot Plants out.

Will follow up when more are added...

Do you like the way they are being added on to the tiles?

Related link:
{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me
{Our Bonfire Prunus Persica - Patio Peach} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles Are DONE!} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles & Freeze Warning} | previous post by me
{Water Control Project Finished} | previous post showing you the tile sample on the concrete

{Gift Bird Feeder}

When we were in The Netherlands we did receive a very special gift...

Such a hand painted Bird Feeder by little kids' hands is unique...

Indeed, made in The Netherlands WITH LOVE!

Serious painting...

Here it is hanging on a tree...

Holding some yummy bird food.

Guess it will need a perching stick for birds to actually sit on when snacking. Stick got added yesterday so birds can now sit on it!

It got moved towards our huge dogwood tree and you can see it to the right. This is the main Bird Restaurant area of our garden and we always can watch them from the bay window of our kitchen during breakfast and such. Our Spicy girl loves to go there after her breakfast but the early birds have already eaten!

Now the wooden perching stick has been added and a lot of the seeds with peanut butter have been eaten away.

Those two kids did a great job and it blends in with nature so well! Do you also feed your wild birds?

{Orange Michael Kors Bangle from Last Call Neiman Marcus}

So sorry for not being able to visit other blogs because of Internet problems. As soon as I get those resolved you will see me around! 

As mentioned several times before, it really pays off to shop at Last Call by Neiman Marcus, either at their stores or on line at Last Call. This really is like The Rich Life on a Budget as blogger friend Adrienne Shubin puts it. So please see my newest addition:

This is me on a very bright and sunny day, March 14.

Also showing off our happy white pansies inside our Fiberglass Window Boxes! For sourse see below post.

Wearing my Escada Outlet orange top and black jeans.

Moving inside our gazebo barely does escape the almost too bright light!

Wearing my silver and gold earrings, necklace, bracelet and ring from Tane, the Mexican equivalent of Tiffany & Co.

And here you see the Mexican Tane jewelry next to the new Michael Kors Orange Buckle Bangle...

Michael by Michael Kors Golden Buckle Bangle, Orange 

Signing up for email notification from Last Call pays off as they frequently run these sales for one day with 30% off or higher! 

Do you love shopping from outlets?

Related link:

Flower Framers of Cincinnati | Source for Fiberglass Window Boxes