Martin Meadow -Adding purple martin bird houses to our native wildflower garden on Forrest Avenue

We are fundraising to add purple martin houses to our native wildflower garden at 1098 Forrest Avenue (Martin Meadow) in Carnes Galloway Gardens neighborhood.  We believe that we have a good opportunity to attract these beautiful, migratory birds to Martin Meadow from their winter home in South America. Each spring the purple martins migrate north to nesting grounds in North America. They nest as far north as Canada.  Many nest in purple martin houses provided by residents in Memphis.

Our wildflower garden has the right conditions for attracting martins to nest there.  It is open enough to accommodate the way martins swoop into their houses from high in the sky.  It is less than two miles from a body of water; Wolf River to the west, Kilowatt Lake to the north and Rainbow Lake to the east.

We have created a wildflower garden from a vacant lot, so it is no longer a reminder of what was lost.  We want to make it Martin Meadow by adding purple martin houses so these beautiful birds will come to nest there each spring.

Steps 1-- Purchase materials:

• 8 specially designed gourd houses that protect from other birds and predators

• galvanized, telescoping pole with hanging rods for 8 houses

• martin decoy to attract scouts in spring

• concrete mix

 

Step 2 -- Set the pole and raise the gourd houses

Less than one year ago Martin Meadow was a vacant lot.  Although it was being mowed so not completely neglected, it was a reminder of the lost home and of other vacant lots in the neighborhood.

 

Last year we planted a wildflower garden which is now a beautiful asset in the neighborhood.  Now that we have a wildflower meadow, we want to attract purple martins to nest here.  The martins will arrive each spring at the same time the first wildflowers emerge and begin to bloom.

 

Because of our wildflower garden, Martin Meadow is no longer a reminder of what has been lost, but a symbol of what our neighborhood is becoming. We want to continue building on the garden.  We think adding purple martin houses is a natural next step.