Decorating the garden


Birdhouses are a gift both for the gardener and for our feathered friends. Even when unoccupied, they lend a rustic tone to the garden. I bought this one for nine dollars from a discount chain. I think it's delightful. You can make your own birdhouses from a few scraps of wood, just make sure it's high enough to keep the neighbours' cats away!There are also some wonderful bird feeders on offer at many garden centres.

Unfortunately, there's a downside to attracting all those birds - before too long they'll be devouring your strawberries and pecking holes in your tomatoes. But bird protection needn't be ugly. My partner Grant's father Graham made these delightful 'strawberry houses' to solve the problem. A panel in the roof opens out for easy access to those juicy ripe berries, but the birds can't get their beaks anywhere near.

For a very good book loaded with great decorating ideas for the garden (and gorgeous illustrations of the finished results) I'd heartily recommend Decorate Your Garden : Affordable Ideas and Ornaments for Small Gardens by Mary Keen and Marijke Heuff. And if you're in the mood for on-line shopping,Garden.com has lots of inspirational ideas. But sadly, they don't ship to New Zealand!

The copyright of the article Decorating the garden in New Zealand Gardens is owned by Lynda Jardinet. Permission to republish Decorating the garden in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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