Swing into spring with the sounds of music Wind chimes are a fashionable and affordable way to add wonderful sounds to the outdoors. Above from left to right, a few of the styles offered by Woodstock Chimes: Tiki Chime (available in red, blue or green); Vesper Chime, specially tuned to sound like church bells; Baby Birdhouse Chime and Pathfinder Chime, which doubles as a candle lantern. Spring is the time of year when the backyard garden comes alive with blooms of color. As the days lengthen and the temperature rises, we naturally desire to spend more time in the great outdoors and especially the garden, admiring the return of spring. So why not add to the season's beauty with the sounds of music? Wind chimes are a fashionable and affordable way to add wonderful sounds to the outdoors, and there is a chime to suit any budget, sense of style or musical taste. Woodstock Percussion, one of the world's leading manufacturers of tuned wind chimes, offers this advice on where and how to hang wind chimes: Hang your chime directly from the metal ring or loop at the top of the chime to a fixed hook. Using chain or additional string may cause the entire chime to swing, when only the center string and clapper should move. Hang your chime where the wind can reach it from as many directions as possible. An open corner is ideal when hanging the chime from a building. Hanging a chime underneath a porch may help protect it from the weather, but avoid hanging it within two feet of a wall or too close to plants, furniture, or anything that might obstruct or divert the breeze. Try hanging your chime in different locations during different times of the year because winds change seasonally. For information on where you can purchase Woodstock Chimes in the United States, call (800) 422-4463 or visit www.chimes.com.