Bird Baths

 

I have been making bird

baths.  Inspired by my

Garden and the Birds

that are busy nesting.

 

 

This one is a gold fish.

 

 

I am full of ideas I want to try to make

but there is only so much

 time in a day to work

on my ideas.

 

 

The one above cracked and was sent

back to the clay bin.

 

 

This one is going to be a Monarch Butterfly

with Red Cone Flowers

 

 

 

Good Bye Vines...Hello Butterflies!

I have been battling wild morning glories

like these in my garden for over 10 years.

You can't kill them!

and they take over everything you

plant and choke it out.  I have

tried everything!

So being desperate to kill it I opted for cardboard.

I can get lots of this from work for free.

and I estimate it'll take about 2 yrs. to biodegrade

in which time the vines will hopefully

be choked out and killed.

I had to leave this end uncovered as the perennials

are too closely spaced.

I should mention that I bought weed cloth

but it was too hard to go around all the

perennials so that is why I

switched to cardboard.  In the areas

where I used weed cloth... the stupid vines

are still coming up through the weed cloth.  So 

the cardboard seems to be a better choice.

Then I covered everything with mulch.

Since I couldn't plant in the ground with the cardboard

I opted for container planting.  I wanted to turn this

area into a Butterfly garden.  I am hoping it will attract

more butterflies and humming birds.

I salvaged old dresser drawers

and turned them into raised planters.

A few of the flowers are blooming

I want it to be bursting with blooms!

Plus I used pots I had.  I like to have all 

my pots be a terracotta color   To me it

unifies everything so that it doesn't look like

a menagerie.  When everything starts growing 

I think the pots will just meld away and the focus

will be on the flowers.

I prefer the wilder cottage garden look than formal

gardens with everything trimmed into

balls or squares.  If I had it my way I'd

live in a cabin or a cottage with a thatched roof.

I found this fencing picture on Pinterest

and I liked the quaint look of it.

We are slowly converting

my garden fence to look like it.

I just need to collect a mere

70 more sticks out of the woods!

Plus I'm going to add some grapevine to it.

I like how it looks and once

all the flowers start growing over it

 it will be just like I imagined it!

This arbor is new from last year.  I lined the top with

chicken wire so the little bird

house could sit securely on top.

I knew the birds would be back again and

the house is full of babies at the moment.

 I strung up some little pots of flowers 

to add some color until the trellis grows in.

I have not seen a butterfly but

they must have traveled already

North from Mexico because

I have found 5 Monarch eggs so far

on my milkweed!

Eager to see what will Bloom!

Newly Built Mobile Planter

Since we finally warmed up in Michigan I have been 

in Garden mode.  So this has been my inspiration for the 

last few weeks.  The past few years my tomatoes have not done well,

I think due to how shady my garden area is most

of the morning.  I decided  to build a 

mobile planter so I can go where the sun is!

I doodled out how I wanted to build it.
I wanted to insert Rubbermaid type

bins so that the wood would last
longer and not be wet from the dirt.

It was pretty easy to build and went together quickly.

 Here I was determining where the shelf would go to hold the bins up.

My parents bought the building supplies for

this for my Birthday.  So I continually

sent pics to them showing progress.  I wanted my Dad

to see how nice and level it was.

I inherited my handiness from my Dad,
and I wanted him to see
it was being built just as he would do it.

My husband and I did it together!
I figure out how to do it and we do it.
We work really well together!
I'm grateful that he always
supports my little projects and is such
a good sport!

It's very sturdy.  We used wolmanized wood
and glued and screwed it all together.

It just make me happy to have an idea and
then see it all come together.

We drilled big drainage holes in the spaces

between the supports so that

it won't drain on the wood. 

Murphy wanted to check out the bins.

At first I tried staining it with a green colored wood stain.
I didn't like how uneven it looked.  It was really 
hard to get an even tone.  So I got and
opaque green water proof stain in the 
same color.  I am really happy with how it
came out.  Yes it was a pain in the butt
painting 2 coats but it should hold
up for many years to come.

The wheels are heavy duty and support 350 lbs. each.

With the bins being  deep I wanted to be sure

everything would hold up nicely.

I'm in love with the color and I think it's attractive.

It's rolls easily too.  I can roll by myself.

I hope maybe this might give you an idea
if you want a planter in a space and 
need it to be portable.

Hank's Anniversary!

Little Man Hank has been with us

a year now.  He was totally unplanned

but turned out to be the most

wonderful addition. 

He has been adopted by a

pair of Flemish giants and spends

all his out time cuddling with them.

He loves his little wicker tunnel.

He enjoys getting low calcium veggies every day

& treats with the big buns.  He has

learned to demand them quicker by

banging on the cage bars loudly

with his teeth.

Hazel acts like his mama.

If I pick him up and he squeals

she will come running to

check that he's ok.

He likes old Benny Boo too,

but Ben will be  7 next month

so he's an old man that likes to snooze.

Occasionally he does offer his head

for Hank to lick... I don't

think Hank quit gets bunny

language.

Snuggly always....

Many times Boo is the

center of attention getting

loves from both his admirers.

I think it's safe to say

Hank loves

his new home.