Hello everyone!!

This is my first thread and i was just wondering if anybody had ever been

okay sorry above i began my thread and accidently clicked enter lol

Any way i was just wondering if anybody on this site has ever done some inventive or artistic things to brighten up their garden etc, i am asking because at the moment i have an allotment and i just want to brighten it up a little bit, for instance i already have gingham curtains on my shed and a few ornaments dotted around, but i have some plastic bottles on poles to scare away birds, at the moment they look a little dreary and i thought i could possibly paint them or something to make them more fun for the people who see my allotment, (as there are a lot of dogwalkers etc).

I also need to do a sign to show the number of my allotment (22A), i was also wondering if anybody had any inventive ideas of making this little sign, (i was thinking of putting it on the side of the shed!)

i know many people will think im silly for caring about the asthetic aspects of my allotment, but aswell as just harvesting food from it, i would like to make people smile, or stop to look at it when they walk past it!!

Any positive contributions would be nice

TYLER.

On 4/20/11 1:58 PM, T.green wrote:
T.green;918410 Wrote:
Hello everyone!!

This is my first thread and i was just wondering if anybody had ever
been

okay sorry above i began my thread and accidently clicked enter lol

Any way i was just wondering if anybody on this site has ever done some
inventive or artistic things to brighten up their garden etc, i am
asking because at the moment i have an allotment and i just want to
brighten it up a little bit, for instance i already have gingham
curtains on my shed and a few ornaments dotted around, but i have some
plastic bottles on poles to scare away birds, at the moment they look a
little dreary and i thought i could possibly paint them or something to
make them more fun for the people who see my allotment, (as there are a
lot of dogwalkers etc).

I also need to do a sign to show the number of my allotment (22A), i was
also wondering if anybody had any inventive ideas of making this little
sign, (i was thinking of putting it on the side of the shed!)

i know many people will think im silly for caring about the asthetic
aspects of my allotment, but aswell as just harvesting food from it, i
would like to make people smile, or stop to look at it when they walk
past it!!

Any positive contributions would be nice

TYLER.

To scare birds, get some old compact discs (CDs) that no one wants
(music, software, etc). Drill a small hole near the edge. Thread some
kite twine through the hole and knot it back on the the rest of the
twine. Hang the CDs on about 1 to 1-1/2 feet of twine from various
points around your allotment. The CDs will twist in a slight breeze and
flash sunlight.

I do this to keep birds away from my fruit trees. I hang the CDs about
2-3 weeks before I expect the fruit to ripen. If I hang them too soon,
the birds get used to them just in time to snatch my ripe fruit.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

"David E. Ross" wrote:
T.green wrote:

plastic bottles on poles to scare away birds, at the moment they look a
little dreary and i thought i could possibly paint them or something

To scare birds, get some old compact discs (CDs) that no one wants
(music, software, etc). Drill a small hole near the edge. Thread some
kite twine through the hole and knot it back on the the rest of the
twine. Hang the CDs on about 1 to 1-1/2 feet of twine from various
points around your allotment. The CDs will twist in a slight breeze and
flash sunlight.

I do this to keep birds away from my fruit trees. I hang the CDs about
2-3 weeks before I expect the fruit to ripen. If I hang them too soon,
the birds get used to them just in time to snatch my ripe fruit.

I hang CDs inside certain of my windows to fend off birds from
attempting to fly through (outlines of raptors taped to the back of
shades help some too) but I would never do anything to thwart birds
from my garden... they are entitled to a share of the crop for all the
good they do eating insects/grubs etc. plus fertilizing naturally.
When I want to protect ripening fruit I use netting, that's really the
only way. Hungry birds aren't the least bit thwarted by dangling
doodads... scarecrows are for making farmers feel-good... crows, jays,
etal. just laugh as they pick the best of the crop. I put up three
owl decoys in my vegetable garden, but they are just decor for me, the
birds use them for poop posts for all they are ascared. The ONLY
correct answer is NETTING!

Thanks both for the answers, i think i will use the CD idea just so i do get a crop on my fruit and vegetables, but i do recognise they are a important part of the habitat, and i need to co-exist with them rather than scaring them away entirely, THANKS!

TYLER