Sidney Firebaugh's gardens are as unique and colorful as she is. Maybe that's why the wildlife she attracts is a little on the unique side, too.

Although her daughter, Michele, is reminded of Snow White's forest when she sees all the birds that come to feed in the evening, most people that visit Sidney's garden probably feel more like Dorothy, when she stepped out of her drab farmhouse and into the colorful land of Oz.

Sidney and Sam Firebaugh's Merritt Island property is filled with colorful shrubs, trees and flowers growing from the earth, from pots, from hanging planters and floating in the ponds. Brilliant shades of red, purple, yellow, pink, and orange create a multi-colored landscape that not only attracts the common wildlife such as blue jays, cardinals, and doves, the cuddly wildlife such as bunnies and otters, but also some truly unique wildlife.

"When the red tailed boa visited, I knew for several days that there was something amiss in the garden," Sidney laughs. "All the birds that visit my feeders were acting very strange. Finally one morning I went out to put in seed and there under one of the feeders was this huge colorful snake. What a fascinating sight!"

Another exotic creature that took a liking to Sidney's yard was a beautiful green iguana. "A worker was reconstructing my pond," Sidney explains "and while taking a break, he looked up in a tree and said "Sidney, do you have an iguana?" I said "No" and he said, "You do now...Look up"

The little opossum didn't get to stay long, it was that time of the year when the mother decided he'd been hanging around long enough, scraped him off and he ended un in one of my recycle bins and couldn't get out. Isn't it amazing that ALL young things are cute? The animal control lady was very gentle, picked him up by the tail and then the scruff of the neck just like his Mamma and he curled up and off he went to a safe place.

We live in a Cataline Isles tract home and are constantly amazed at the wild life that has visited over the years. In addition to these that I have photos of from this year, We've been hosts to a turtle (He stayed for a whole winter) a rabbit who lived under the shed for several seasons, an otter (I broomed him out of the pond) a Mother possum who sheltered her babies in our previous shed, a black snake that we rescued from entanglement in bird netting and a rat snake who enjoys climbing the well to the pond....a drink or a bath, I"m not sure which.

Bird feeding doesn't yield the variety it used to. I no longer see redwing blackbirds or robins very often. In the past there were pairs of painted buntings who nested nearby and came to feed and drink. I have seen cedar waxwings and an occasional oriole. But nowadays it's mostly cardinals, jays, woodpeckers, flickers, ground doves, ring necked doves and turtle doves , sparrows of all kinds, boat tails and mockingbirds. There is the green heron that has been around for years...I HOPE he eats mostly the minnows and leaves my golden orfes alone. There is a big blue heron who challenges me every once in awhile. So far I'm winning and The bird songs are wonderful.