Backyard Living Guru

Windchimes go back in history almost 5,000 years and are thought to be one of the world’s first known musical instruments. Primitive windchimes have been discovered at archeological sites in Southeast Asia and are thought to date about 3000 B.C.  At that time, they were usually made of bone, bamboo or other wood, stone or shells, and were believed to ward off evil spirits. Indonesian digs indicate that farmers were using windchimes and other sound-producing wind instruments to scare birds and other animals from their crops and predict wind and weather patterns during ancient times.  By 2000 B.C., windchimes had been independently developed along the Mediterranean Sea and in ancient Egypt, where they had been cast in bronze. Ancient Celtic tribes used them to intimidate enemies by making wooded areas appear haunted. Windchimes were also useful for ancient people who lived on or around the sea, as they were believed to provide evidence of impending storms and the possibility of choppy water. Around 1100 B.C., the Chinese created a bell that didn’t have a clapper, known as a yong-zhong and used in their spiritual rituals. Following the yong-zhong, the Chinese developed a form of the modern wind bell called the feng-ling. The feng-ling was hung from the eaves of Chinese shrines, temples, pagodas and caves, believed to be a positive religious talisman that would attract benevolent spirits.  The usage of a version of the feng-ling spread from China to Japan and eventually to the Western world, when Asian art, design and philosophy began to influence tastes in Europe and the United States.

Over time, the secular world began the frequent use of windchimes as home and garden decor–sometimes to scare away negative supernatural influence, but often because the sounds prove soothing, calming, or somehow pleasant.

Every day there are many negative events in the daily news and stress in our lives.  Making or buying garden décor will help to counterbalance these. A whimsical wind chime, a decorative stake, a garden statue or a birdhouse gives us something pleasant focus on when the stress starts mounting up. 

Garden accents help a person to create meaning and inspiration in their lives as they put time and effort into their lawns and gardens in such a way to reflect their deepest thoughts and feelings

Now that summer has almost passed us by, it’s a great time to reflect on the sights, smells, tastes and sounds that will soon be retired for another eight months or so. Many of the colorful birds that visit garden bird feeders will be venturing south for the winter. The crisp, refreshing taste of lemonade just seems out of place during any other season. The same is true of that sweet cherry pie aroma wafting from a nearby windowsill.

The sound of wind chimes is equally evocative of summertime, but, unlike many of the season’s other unique pleasures, it can be enjoyed all year long. Even if you’re not outside on the patio, basking in the afterglow of a hot summer day, you can still set up some wind chimes indoors. Just give them a quick brush with your hand and enjoy their melodious strains all over again. When the weather warms up again, just replace the chimes in their customary spot outdoors.