The Private Island Or: The Long Grass in My Garden

This year I decided to grow a ‘bird poo / faerie garden.’ When I described the idea to my husband he responded as you would expect: “I don’t get it.” I admit that when telling the person who shares your home that you plan to lay out rocks and bricks in the grass and allow everything within to grow as it will, you must allow for skepticism.

The idea behind the garden is that birds perch on bamboo poles, poo out seeds from fruit they have eaten, and those seeds grow. To aid and encourage birds to land on the poles, I added a hanging bird feeder. I only filled it twice, but they came.

In addition to the bird poles, I set out pieces of a broken bird bath. I laid the hollow bottom down like a tube, and the broken, doughnut-shaped top upside down with a bamboo pole in the middle. I also set out an old wooden bird and squirrel feeder. Then I waited.

This is the garden’s first year, so I haven’t expected much. Good thing, because not much grew except grass, indigenous and invasive plants, and a few sunflowers. I’m okay with that. It is an interesting piece, and an area I did not have to mow. But then I started to see unexpected guests.

My first sighting was at the old wooden birdfeeder. Our former neighbor’s father built it, so I didn’t want to throw it away when it no longer functioned as a feeder. It is designed to look like a log cabin with a chimney on top where you would pour in the bird seed. One day, as I was admiring the height of the resident grasses, I spotted a bee flying into the chimney. The amount of excitement I felt at that moment was epic. We had BEES!!! I was hosting a hive of bees. Wow.

Now that I have a ‘bee’ garden, my husband is pretty impressed (my word, not his). And the bees aren’t our only residents. I’ve seen baby rabbits from the warren under our fir tree resting in the cool shade of the grass. Squirrels tunnel through the thick greenery before sitting atop the old birdbath to chew off the green outer shell of a walnut. Steve, the chipmunk who lives in our garage, has been sighted utilizing the space as well.

I imagine there is a lot more going on in there than is visible from my workspace window.

I have a bird poo / faerie / wildlife sanctuary in my garden. It has prompted my protective instincts and I do what I can to keep my animal friends safe. Particularly from the new tabby cat I’ve seen carrying her tiny catches past my window. She has every right to hunt, but I would feel more comfortable if she hunted elsewhere. Fortunately, all I need to do is tap on the window and say “Hi kitty!” to send her running. Besides, she won’t starve. I think she belongs to a neighbor.

A garden such as this is not for everyone. However, I believe we all have our equivalent, and I wish everyone as much happiness with theirs as I have found with mine.