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| Warty gourd flowers invite bees, who transfer the pollen. |
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| Soon the female flowers are heavy with child. |
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| Lacking supervision, warty gourds will take over the yard - until the first hard frost. |
Watering for the Birds
I have 200 feet of soaker hose rigged to the backyard faucet, which has a splitter. One subnet goes to the fence garden, the other to the vegetable garden. I turn on the water and go back inside to write about gardening.
I always have birds bathing near the faucet (two baths to catch the spray), under the soaker hose suspended on the fence, and on the soaker hose. Six or more shallow pans catch the dripping water for baths.
Birds are attracted to the sound of dripping water, and they want shallow baths to use, not deep pools. They are my primary defense against destructive insects, so I seldom worry about insect damage.
Warty Gourds and Pumpkins Are Fun
Several green gourds are hanging from the fence now. I promised our grandson a real display on his next visit to the yard.
Mrs. I was startled by the growth on the fence. Our helper asked how that happened - "Did you plant all those?" Watering and pruning tree branches created an ideal place for supporting plants and exposing them to more sunshine.
Once the pole beans got established, like the gourds, they began climbing and twisting around for more supports. Some went the wrong direction, so I snagged their little leaves on the wire. That reminded me of the poem, Or help help a fainting robin unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain." Some tunes are earworms, but that poem is in my head forever. Poor little, lost pole bean.
I have not grown birdhouse gourds - so far - but I may next year.
