This is the second in a series on my own small "dream" wildlife area. This week I'll be covering water sources.

What are your dream birdbaths or other water sources?

For my dream deck, I actually would like several water sources: at least one for wild birds, one for bees and butterflies, and at least one water garden for dragonflies and other interesting water critters.

Wild Birds

I'd like an ornamental but functional birdbath fountain, one that is lightweight and not terribly large. The moving water is a bigger draw to attract birds than a pedestal birdbath, and the fountain is more aesthetically pleasing than a heated deck-mounted dish.

My favorite: Three Tier Fountain Birdbath

Butterflies and Bees

Butterflies like mud, and bees like moist gravel, so I will layer a shallow birdbath with mud, then gravel before adding water. This "bird" bath does not need to be heated, since butterflies and bees will be dormant over winter. In fact, this water source could be stored away for the winter, if desired.

To take up a less space, this water source will be deck-mounted. My favorite: Hiatt Bird Bath.

Dragonflies and Other Pond-Loving Critters

This water source is perhaps the toughest. Purchasing a kit for entire water garden - even one for a half-whiskey-barrel or a similar size gardening pot - is almost impossible to find. You can find kits for the half-whiskey-barrel, plastic-liner, and aerator, but not the necessary organic elements for a healthy but small ecosystem. So, many people build their own.

My current water garden is home-made, assembled from a large gardening pot, a sturdy plant roller, and the top part of a grow-through plant support (it just happened to be the right diameter to fit top of the pot). The grid keeps the birds from drowning in the water garden.

I planted a dwarf lily in mud topped with gravel, and I have had oxygenating plants and a couple of bog plants. I used special pellets to keep mosquitoes from breeding.

I'd like to try another option, perhaps like this split-barrel arrangement. Or, I may go with a detailed plan.

The Series

1. An Introduction
2. Providing Water
3. Bird Food
4. Bird Feeders
5. Shelter
6. Vines and Shrubs to Shelter Wild Birds
7. Flowering Container Plants