This tip is "for the birds" in your garden. I don't throw away large sticks that fall during storms, instead I keep them and use them to make stick sculptures for the birds. They add whimsy to my garden and the birds "love" to land on them because after all they are sticks from real trees. I started with a plain garden hook and just attached the sticks as I found them and it's an ever changing sculpture. You can add birdhouses or anything you want to, but I guarantee you that the birds will land on it and land on it "often!
My neighbor came to my garden and said, "What's that?" and I told her it's my stick sculpture for the birds. She loved it and went right home and made her own! Have fun with it! I used either twist ties to adhere the large sticks or those plastic bands you use to secure things that never come lose unless you cut them. After that I just intertwined sticks randomly and securely.
I also have a bird station with many feeders on it. I added sticks to it and the birds really loved that too. The birds can land as high as the stick is. It seemed to make them feel safer about landing on the feeding stations. It might look crazy but the birds seem to think it looks like a place they want to land and spend time on.
So remember, when you see a large stick in the road or in your yard, pick it up, there is a bird out there would love to land on that very stick if you place it high enough. Best of all sticks are free and constantly available. I love the birds and they love my crazy garden and all the "stick sculptures" I have made for them.
On one stick sculpture I have added an old broken trellis and am going to grow a vine on it, it will look even more natural and fun.
By Jean from Richfield, MN
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What a neat and thoughtful idea. My mom is going to love this. I can't wait for her to see it.
Thank you so much.
MisMachado
I do something similar, only I stick various broken branches in the garden's dirt throughout the garden. Then around our dinner time in the summer months, I turn on a sprinkler for about an hour. The birds love to land on the natural shapes to take a shower while other birds frolic in the birdbath, water filled frisbees, as well as the plants and garden surface.
I can hardly wait for morning, I have a huge pile of sticks I was looking at today after pruning some trees, I never thought of this. It is great! I am using some of them as walking sticks with pink duct tape on them since we are in the mountains and we walk a lot, and for snow sticks when it snows, but this stick sculpture is the greatest idea I have seen yet...I am kind of like a recycle artist at heart and I am going to have fun with this!
If you place a source of water near your stick sculpture, your wild bird friends will always have a safe place to escape to if needs be. This is a really neat idea too. I kinda like a little bit of wilderness in my gardens anyway.
Thanks for the great idea. Nice pictures too.
Lee
What a fantastic idea! I appreciate learning anything that make birds feel more welcome. The pictures help with ideas. Thank you so very much!
Teresa
Portage, Michigan
A very nice idea. How creative. Very nice pictures too. Thanks for sharing. : )
This is a great idea, I've put branch designs in the ground for ages. I stopped making the designs right in any gardens that had flowers, etc. as those gardens ending up being filled with sunflower seedlings very quickly even though I have cedar chips around the flowers. I keep my design along the tree line around my yard, if sunflowers grow they just add another feature to the branches.
This is a great idea. The picture really helps too, thanks!
These are genious! I absolutely love it! I cannot wait to start on one! I've just been tossing things into the backyard fireplace! But believe me we come up with enough stuff to share plenty with the birds!
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