Wind Chimes -
the true sound of silence?
Unwind with the wind! Put some wind chimes in your
garden.
Wind Chimes - An Unexpected Pleasure by:
Liz Norman
What could be more soothing to a
gardener's soul then the sudden sound of wind chimes softly catching the breeze
on a summer day? I always have to stop whatever I'm doing in the garden and just
listen to the wind chimes which seem to be telling me, all is well with my
world.
Undoubtedly, one of the first set of wind chimes were made from plain sticks
and/or strings of small sea shells. Then wind chimes graduated to those made
from the hollow stalks of bamboo, which resulted in a more pleasing sound. Once
that sound was discovered, some smart soul went on to learn if those hollow
tubes were cut to varying lengths, wind chimes could become almost musical in
nature.
Today, some of the most beautiful sounding wind chimes are made from hollow
tubes made of light weight metal such as aluminum. The longer the tube, the
deeper the tone. It is now common to cut 4 or 5 tubes of varying lengths and
attach them to a wooden disk at the top, while inserting a second wooden disk in
the center of the tubes. The purpose of the second disk is to allow the sound of
each tube to come forth as it hits the wooden disk, as driven by the wind.
One of the first wind chimes I ever noticed was made of thin pieces of glass.
They were extremely common at the time as they were available in almost any dime
store for less than $.50. I believe they were made in China and/or Japan. They
were not that well put together, but while they lasted, the sound they made was,
and still is charming. And to this day, the sound of glass wind chimes is still
my favorite. But because of their being so fragile, I know hang them inside my
home.
Yes, you can enjoy wind chimes inside your home as well as outside. I'm kind of
surprised more people don't seem to know that. Just hang them in front of a
window which you are inclined to leave open all summer long. Mine hang just
inside my kitchen and bedroom windows and offer beautiful, melodic tones upon
the whim of the breeze all summer long.
The best thing about wind chimes are they are still cheap. In general, they
start at about $4, but can cost as much as $200. They are made from all sorts of
materials. Bamboo, sea shells, aluminum, metal, glass, ceramic, and even
flattened table ware, such as old spoons, knives and forks. Take a listen, then
decide what kind of sound you would like to unexpectedly hear in your own home
and garden when that breeze begins to blow.
About the author
Liz Norman is an avid gardener and freelance
writer. You will find more resources for
wind chimes here.
Or, for more beautiful additions to your garden visit
Bamboo Winds.
Article Source:
http://www.articlecube.com |