Lazy Hill Farm Feeder: A Beautiful Accent Piece for the Garden

Welcome to the 442nd Metamorphosis Monday!

When I had cute Eastern Phoebe birds nesting in the corner of my front porch…

Eastern Phoebes Nesting

 

…I was offering fresh mealworms a couple of times a day via this pitiful setup. lol The mom and dad Phoebe would get super excited each time I brought out mealworms and placed them in the bowl. Occasionally, I would look out the window and see them perched on the top handle of the ladder, checking the bowl to see if the mealworm fairy had been by.

 

At the same time the Eastern Phoebes were nesting in one corner of the front porch, I also had a wren nesting in the copper-roof dovecote. She was also enjoying the mealworms I was putting out, feeding them to her babies in the dovecote. This photo is from last year right after I had planted all the boxwood shrubs. They have grown so much this past year!

Boxwood Garden with Dovecote Birdhouse Accent

 

Though the wrens and phoebes have all flown the nests now, I noticed this week that I have a family of bluebirds nesting in another dovecote in my front yard. Sadly my garden no longer looks like this, I need to totally replant this area this fall. This dovecote is available here: Dovecote.

Lazy Hill Farm Dovecote in Garden

 

With all the nesting activity that’s going on in the front yard each year, you may remember I recently ordered this Lazy Hill Farm bird feeder from Good Directions, via Amazon. It’s not the kind of feeder I would typically order since it’s definitely not squirrel proof, but it looked perfect for offering mealworms to nesting birds. When birds become aware that you’re putting out mealworms, they will start to watch for you and the worms go very quickly each time you put them out. So a feeder like this is great for those type treats, the ones that go quickly.

(Pssst: If you’re in need of a squirrel proof feeder, THIS ONE is my absolute favorite. I have three and absolutely love them–and they work!)

Lazy Hill Bird Feeder with Dish for Mealworms or Seed

 

Unfortunately, Amazon sent this instead–not helpful for feeding mealworms to phoebes and wrens! Since I didn’t see another feeder online, I contacted Good Directions and ordered directly from them.

Lazy Hill Farm Loretta Bird House

 

I had gotten to know them quite well back when I purchased shingles to repair a hole in the roof of my older dovecote…

Lazy Hill Farm Dove Cote

 

…a hole I’m pretty sure was made by one of the two Pileated woodpeckers that frequents my yard for the suet I put out.  (Read all about that repair here: How to Repair Woodpecker Damaged Roof of Lazy Hill Dovecote.)

Pileated Woodpecker Eating Suet

 

I had a hard time deciding where exactly to place the new feeder in the front yard. Birding websites all say to not place feeders too close to the nests because it can draw predators or other birds to the nest. I had placed the ladder just on the other side of the long curvy line of shrubs. That was probably a little too close to the dove cote where the wrens were nesting and the porch where the phoebes were nesting.

I got out the post hole diggers on Saturday and decided to install the new feeder in another island further up and away from the house. You can see where I placed it in relation to the house in this photo below.  It’s close to the spot where I used to have an inexpensive bird house that rotted and fell completely apart after only 2-3 years. Do you see the new feeder there on the right in the photo below?

Lazy Hill Loretta Bird Feeder in Landscape

 

I should have taken a photo with all three houses/feeders in the picture. The other dovecote bird house, the one where the bluebirds are currently nesting, is on the opposite side of the yard. It’s almost directly across from the new feeder, just across the yard on the other side of the driveway.

Lazy Hill Farm Bird Feeder, Beautiful Accent Piece in the Garden

 

This feeder came with a tiny, little clay saucer, but I learned long ago that clay saucers do not work for feeding live mealworms. I’m sure they are fine for regular treats, but mealworms can crawl right up the sides and escape a clay saucer. So yesterday afternoon I drove over to Home Depot to see if they had a glazed saucer in the size I needed.

Lazy Hill Bird Feeder

 

They did! I actually bought it in two sizes: a little saucer that was closer to the size of the clay saucer that came with the house, and this larger one that you see below. I’m so happy the larger one fits through the openings because a bigger saucer gives more space for birds to perch. Usually when I put out mealworms, several birds will come to feed, so more perching space is a good thing!

Lazy Hill Designs Loretta Bird Feeder, Use for Mealworms

 

This saucer fits so perfectly, I think I’ll buy a couple more today so I’ll have a few spares in case one gets broken. It came in four different colors, I really love the green.

Good Directions Lazy Hill Bird Feeder

 

Remember the two standard Limelight Hydrangeas that I shared recently, the ones I have in planters in front of my house?

Limelight Hydrangea in Bloom in Planter

 

They are outdoing themselves! They are even more amazing now as more blossoms have opened up. Love, love, love these Limelight Hydrangeas, definitely a long blooming plant that will reward you with gorgeous blossoms!

Limelight Hydrangea, Standard, Tree-form in Planter

 

So, that’s my metamorphosis for this week, went from this…

Make-do Meal Worm Feeding Station

 

…to this. It wouldn’t have taken much for an improvement, right?! lol I need to find a way to let the bluebirds know it’s there. I put worms out in a regular bowl the day I installed it and they were gone an hour later, so someone has found the feeder, just not sure who.

 

Lazy Hill Farm houses/feeders do not come with a post, however they do sell them. I always just buy a pressure-treated 4 x 4 post, then prime and paint it with exterior paint. That works great and the post will last forever, just needs a new coat of paint every 5 years or so to stay looking fresh.

I recommend buying an 8 foot post because you need to sink the post pretty deep into the ground. I purchased an 8 ft post for the dovecote in the garden and the one that’s down near the house. I ended up cutting a few inches off to get it to the height I wanted.

The new feeder is on a post that I already had. It’s a 6 foot post and that’s a bit shorter than I would have preferred, but it should work fine as a feeder for the mealworms. Also, I can easily reach the bowl to fill it on this size post. I definitely wouldn’t want to put a house on it, though…probably a little too low for that.

If you’re looking for an accent piece for your garden, think about adding a bird house or bird feeder. They add so much ambience to the garden, and even better, they bring beautiful bird song to your yard. I live for that in my garden! It can lift your whole mood, such a gift!

Bird Feeder, Beautiful Accent for the Garden

 

What birds are you seeing in your yard this summer? Do you have any of the Lazy Hill Farm feeders or houses in your yard? I will never forget the garden tour I went on a few summers ago when I saw so many beautiful houses and feeders in one yard! There must have been 6 or 7 in that one backyard. It was a big yard!

Hey, I just now realized that one of the houses they had in their garden, the one on the far right, is the same bird house I was sent accidentally. lol Maybe I should order one for my backyard, it really is a pretty house! You’ll find all these birdhouses/feeders below available here: Birdhouse and Feeders, Beautiful Accents for the Garden. You’ll also find their dovecotes at that link, too. The dovecotes are my favorite, and so many birds love to nest in them!

Lazy Hill Farm Bird Houses and Bird Feeders

 

Happy summer to you!

Pssst: I post almost daily to Instagram. Follow Between Naps on the Porch on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch.

Looking forward to all the great Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. There’s nothing like wildlife in your yard!

  2. Susan, you are amazing with all the work you do! I have limelight hydrangeas and love them…they are blooming profusely! Thanks for hosting and Happy Monday!

  3. Anne Shaheen says

    If I don’t get the feeders filled in the morning, little birdies sit on the sill of my kitchen window and chirp. My husband says its silly to think that birds recognize people, but I and you know better.

    • Awww, that is so cute! Love that! They’ve done studies that showed that a crow can remember a specific person’s face for up to two years…pretty amazing!

  4. Thanks so very much for hosting each week!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

  5. The birds in your area certainly dine in style Susan! I love the green ceramic saucer you found~ and all the pretty houses. Thanks for the fun today!

  6. Susan, your yard looks beautiful. The Limelights are incredible. They definitely love the spot where you planted them.
    Your new bird feeder is so pretty. The saucer in green is perfect.
    I have a bird feeder with a rounded dome that is copper that I’ve had for years. I’ve always loved those types of houses and feeders in the garden. They add so much charm!

  7. Your yard looks so beautiful Susan!! I’m sure the birdies love their feeders! Happy Summer to you!

  8. Your yard must be full of the sounds of singing birds. It’s a bird sanctuary. I’d love to just come sit on you porch and listen to and look at the birds. What lovely feeder you’ve added.

  9. Your garden is delightful. No wonder you attract so many sweet birds. And that hydrangea is stunning! Thanks for another great party.

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

    • Thanks so much, Susan! It’s come a long way over the last few years, now I just need to figure out my backyard again since the sod failed to work back there.

  10. Gwen Healy says

    Thank you for such a delightful posting today. Love the pictures!
    You are a veritable font of information Susan. Thank you so very much!
    Hugs, Gwen.

  11. Susan, what luck birds have who happen to nest in your yard! I love how caring you are for wildlife around your house. Your birdhouses/feeder are so lovely and add so much to your gardens. You are truly one of a kind, digging your own holes with a post hole digger! I would have paid lots to have someone come and install it for me. Not to mention, I don’t have any of the proper tools. I’ll use that as my excuse and stick to it! LOL! I have always wanted to ask you about your pine straw mulch you use in your beds. Does it really keep weeds out? And how deep do you put it down? Have a marvelous week!

    • Martha, it really isn’t that hard with a post hole digger, especially is you wet the ground the day of and soften the dirt a bit. I didn’t think to do that, but we’ve had so much rain lately, it was too awful. The only bad part was there was a HUGE rock deep in the ground where I wanted to place the feeder. It was a bear to get out, but I finally did get it out.
      Pine straw is a very popular mulch since Georgia and some of the surrounding states have lots of pine trees. It’s time for me to freshen up the beds again. It definitely keep down the weeds. It’s not full-proof but it does help a lot. Plus, it really helps hold the moisture after a rain on these hot summer days.
      I usually put it out myself but sometimes I will let the company I purchase it from put it out for me if that’s a service they offer. It comes in bales and when companies spread it, they normally finish up using a blower to sort of roll and tuck in the edges so it looks neat. I have so many islands, it can be very time consuming.
      It usually has to be put out twice a year, preferably in the spring and again in the fall. It also helps plants weather the colder temps of winter.

  12. Beautiful bird feeders & your hydrangea is perfectly placed between the windows.
    Love it!

  13. Jill Brewster says

    The green saucer looks so much nicer than the clay saucer.

  14. If the birds have trouble finding the new treat spot, perhaps you can use your ladder and move it a few feet closer and closer to the new spot gradually leading them to the new feeder. I was thinking that if they could see each new spot from the old spot that they would follow it to the new spot. Your feeders are lovely. So classic and perfect for your yard.

    • That’s a great idea, Lorri! I should put some on the ladder near the dove cote and then just gradually move it across the lawn toward the house. My neighbors may wonder about that roving ladder in the middle of my yard during the transition 🙂 but that is the perfect solution! Thanks for suggesting that!

  15. It is so wonderful to have birds visiting the garden. Your place is lovely. I love the hydrangeas.

  16. Jean from Georgia says

    Hi Susan, Your birdhouses and feeders look so pretty in your lawn. I have a question totally off the subject of feeders. Looking at the bird house with the roof repair, I realized you have the same kitchen countertop as I and just wonder what color you have on your walls? My kitchen needs to be painted a lighter color and yours looks so pretty and light. We chatted years ago when you asked how many lamps we had in our homes and I sent you photos of the lamps I make for my home – long time follower!!

  17. I love your feeders and bird houses. I love seeing wildlife in the yard. Thanks for hosting.

  18. Kathleen says

    Another great post: interesting! Your home looks gorgeous with the plants and blooms and benches and birdhouses and feeders. Watching every plant and accessory get put in place has been fun. Love the idea of getting a glazed color dish for the meal worms as it really looks perfect. I take it you sent the wrong birdhouse/feeder back and now you may get it again?!

  19. Man Susan! You are a Miss CanDo! How do you know how to go about doing things such as post hole ng, etc.?! I love the Dovecote birdhouse! I wish my Dad was still living, he loved detail work such as that.

    In the meal worms…do you have to touch them? Judas! A Miss CanDo with bravery (your snakes).

    Would hydrangeas last in a big pot in Midwest, close to Chicago suburb winters? Prolly not. Mine are in the ground with my blue hydrangeas and boxwoods. Love that look!

    • lol I don’t remember when/how I first learned about post hole diggers, probably when I bought that first birdhouse so long ago. Trust me, they are easy to use, you literally just drop them on the ground in the spot where you want to dig, then scoop out the dirt…and repeat ad infinitum. They are so heavy, they practically dig the hole for you as you drop them each time.

      Nah, you don’t have to touch the mealworms, you can just shake them out of the container into a bowl for the birds. I used to not touch them at all, because I wasn’t sure if they could bite. I finally asked at the bird store and they told me they don’t bite, so now I don’t have any problem scooping up a hand full to put out. But it’s not necessary to touch them. 🙂

      I grew up around snakes, my best friend when I was in elementary school had a brother who used to catch them all the time, and he would let me touch/hold them. So I’m not afraid of them, but I definitely wouldn’t want to encounter a poisonous one! lol

      I’m not sure if Limelights would survive a really cold winter. So far my hydrangeas that are in containers on the deck, have survived and they are must less protected.
      Just check with a nursery in your area to see if they will survive in your gardening zone before you buy any to place in containers. My Limelights are on the north side of my house, so they don’t get a lot of warmth during the winter, but so far they are doing okay. We did have a mild winter, though.

  20. Lona Coleman says

    Hi susan. I live in Kansas where the ground is very hard I recently discovered a new easier way to put a 4×4 post in the ground without using post hole diggers. I buy one of those green metal fence posts and drive it in the ground (hammer) and then screw the 4×4 to the green post and set the 4×4 post even with the ground. Makes it simple and easy for me.

    • What a clever idea, Lona! I never would have thought of trying that. We’ve had so much rain lately, the ground isn’t has hard as it usually is, but sometimes it’s like trying to dig in concrete. Thanks for sharing that idea!

  21. Thank you for hosting each week. Have a fabulous week.

  22. Nancy Bailey says

    I loved every morsel of this post and it is so timely. We are moving to a new home that will be perfect for bird feeders and these gorgeous dovecote birdhouses. I do have a question – where does one buy live mealworms? Thank you.

    • Thanks, Nancy! I usually pick them up in my local Wild Birds Unlimited, but they can also be purchased online at Rainbow Meals, too.

  23. Cynthia Raines says

    The Limelights are gorgeous! Love the new feeding station also. My wish list is growing and the Dove Coat is on it. 🙂

  24. Is there a post here that has a tour of your home (indoors)? What a beautiful house. Would love to see all the interiors!!

  25. Judy Miller says

    Love the little birds! I have a house wren nest right next to the front door! Nothing do the mama but build in a potted hosta closest to the door. I now have babies but am having difficulty keeping plants watered in this summer heat. I have five baby bluebirds in a house in the back yard and in between hummingbirds are keeping my two feeders empty. It’s an exciting time of year and I can appreciate it’s wonders from the comfort of my home while appreciating the invention of air conditioning! Enjoy you little ones, they will soon be grown and gone……just like my two children.

  26. Hi Susan ~
    The birdhouses are neat, I need to get a few more !! We have clay ground here and my hubby poured cement down in the hole around the post, but after a few years the strong wind broke it off ! I used a decorated post so I do not think it was a solid wood piece like a 4×4 would be. Your limelights are beautiful too, I just cut some of mine to bring inside . I live in northern IN. and mine is doing great!
    Have a super week!
    Paula
    IN

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