Painted Apple Gourd Birdhouses

Painted apple gourd birdhouses getting their last drying before hanging in trees. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Painted Apple Gourd Birdhouses

You are going to start seeing these gourds at local farmers markets late summer so I wanted to inspire you to think ahead. These gourds can make charming homemade gifts as hand painted birdhouses so this is how to make them into something simple: apples.

A friend gave these to me with the wren-size holes already drilled. I love wrens as well as the other birds that like the 1 1/4 inch hole entrance: tufted titmice and downy woodpeckers. If you want these birdhouses for other birds, check on what size entrance the specific bird likes. You can find a number of these guides online, here is one as an example:

The gourd will also need holes on the bottom to let any moisture drain. A simple drill bit 1/4 inch wide will do the trick.

Drilling holes in the bottom help the gourds stay dry. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Simple eye hooks securely screwed into the top will work to hang these gourds. I used copper wire from plant packaging to give the gourds a safe hanging wire.

Simple eye hooks into the top next to the stem make the gourds easy to hang. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Now paint the gourd with a good primer.

Once dry, add a coat of red. I used Valspar satin paint sample jar, cost around $2.50.

Once dry, I added two more coats, drying in between.

Green leaves on the top add dimension. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The green leaves where added free hand first in a solid satin dark green, those took two coats.

A lighter green gave the leaves some dimension.

The stems were painted brown; those took only one coat.

Once dry for a good 2 days, I finished by spraying with a clear plastic coat.

Painted gourds on a stick drying outside. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This gourd has a wider opening courtesy of a wintering mouse. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

So two gourds will welcome wrens. The third one, with the wider opening courtesy of a wintering mouse, might be attractive to nutchatches or maybe a yellow bellied sapsucker. 

Better yet, make a painted apple gourd to add to one of our songbird throws and you will have songbirds in hand.

Now wouldn't you like to get one of these as a gift for your garden?

Charlotte

Caring for Gift Flowers

These gift roses came in pots, another way to give roses. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Caring for Gift Flowers

If you received gift flowers such as cut roses recently, there are several things you can do to keep them beautiful:

If they came in a vase, put them where you can enjoy them but keep them away from heat vents and sun. Don't place them on top of TVs or near electronic devices that get warm, the heat will shorten the lifespan of your beautiful flowers.

If they were in a box, get a vase and make sure to wash it with hot water and dishwashing detergent, rinse and dry, then fill vase 3/4 full with room temperature water. Add a penny to water to help keep bacteria from growing. I have also used half an aspirin. Most florists also provide floral flood packets. Don't save the packets, use them!

Measure the first stem against the vase you want to put them in and make them taller since you may be cutting them down several times. Cut the bottom of the stems under room temperature water with sharp pruners or a knife, making a 45-degree angle cut so the stem can take up water. The running water helps the stem take up the water; that helps keep the rose stay saturated.

Also remove all leaves that will be submerged in water. 

Add the florist food packet, mix, then add the remaining trimmed roses.

Whether already in a vase or you add the flower to a vase, plan on cleaning the vase, replacing the water with fresh, room-temperate water and making fresh stem cuts every 2 days.

Peruvian lilies are one, if not the longest lasting, cut flowers currently available. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

If you received carnations, mums and Peruvian lilies, these flowers are longer lasting but also would appreciate fresh water every 2-3 days. Also trim the stems so water can get absorbed and keep the flowers in bloom.

A bouquet of Peruvian lilies I bought around Christmas lasted 9 weeks with a little extra time cutting off the stems and placing them in clean water every few days.

If your gift was a plant, remove the decorative paper immediately and place a tray under the pot to catch water. Check the soil to determine whether it is wet or not. If it is dry, give it room temperature water until the soil is saturated again but not wet.

Read the enclosed care instructions, they will tell you what kind of light conditions your plant needs. Then place the plant in appropriate lighting conditions. Most orchids, for example, like indirect light similar to African violets and English primroses.

Spring bulb gardens prefer full sunlight so the sprouting leaves can collect energy in the bulbs. Once bulb gardens finish blooming, keep watering and allow the leaves to turn yellow. The bulbs can then be planted in your garden for re-blooming after the bulbs have recharged their bulbs.

On a personal note, keep the flowers where you spend the most of your time so you can enjoy them. Even though they may appear beautiful one day, room conditions may change and speed up their fading process so don't take them for granted.

And there is nothing wrong with buying yourself a flower bouquet to brighten a room so go ahead, splurge and enjoy!

Charlotte

Personalized Christmas cards

Last year, one of our artists tossed out a card with a gift check inside so I decided I needed to make my cards stand out this year.

I thought about making my own cards but time escaped me. I was going to make something inspired by our ribbon garden quilt, reminiscent of cards I remember making when I was a kid.

Seeing a ribbon on a handmade card a friend sent me, ribbons were still on my mind. I took some of our organza blue ribbon and added it to ready made Christmas cards.

Inside, I tucked the check into the ribbon so that it wouldn't be lost once the card was opened.

This card will be a little harder to loose, don't you think?

Charlotte

How to Dry Rose Buds

While you are shopping for your white ceramic pieces, pick up a basket with perforations around the sides and a solid bottom. It will come in handy when it's time to dry the gift rose buds.

I start by saving all those decadent bags in shoes in a jar so I can add those when I need to dry something. Once I have the basket, I add a paper towel, then the items I want to dry: rose buds, either from a florist or from my garden. I place the basket on top of my refrigerator, where the hot air from the back of the motor helps dry out the buds faster. It also keeps the flowers safe from admiring cat paws. I check once a week, until the buds are dried and ready to arrange in the white ceramic bowl.

If you just want to have the flowers still around, you can also dry them on stems with leaves. Just shape them the way you want them in the end so you don't break the brittle stems once they are dry.

Have you dried rose buds before?

Charlotte