by Cathy Monrad
Common items that are probably in your garden shed right now are all you need to provide our pollinating friends a drink.
1. STEEL TOMATO CAGE: Use plain or paint as desired. A powder-coated cage can also be used. To create a shorter stand, use wire cutter to cut legs just above shortest ring. Push cage legs into soil until the bottom ring rests on the ground for maximum stability.
2. PLANT SAUCER: Choose saucer with rim that is slightly later than top cage ring. Use clay saucer as is, or paint as desired, adding spray sealer when paint is dry. Alternatively, a glazed ceramic saucer can be used.
3. RIVER ROCKS OR PEBBLES: Make a few stone islands for butterflies and bees to land on and rest while drinking.
4. WATER: Fill saucer with water, but do not completely submerge rocks. Add fresh water daily, and clean saucer and stones once a week.
5. OPTIONAL TREAT: Add a few over-ripe orange or banana slices for butterflies to munch on.
Bonus idea: Use as a portable table for a cold drink and your favorite gardening !
Cathy Monrad is the graphic designer and the self-proclaimed garden crafter for the Upstate Gardners’ Journal.
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