Tuesday, January 25, 2011

OutdoorMama's Cardinal Theme Suggestion for Your Backyard!

A popular theme in a lot of backyards is a very popular red bird, the cardinal.  This avian friend of ours has inherited popularity, especially in the winter as northern cardinals do not migrate.  These birds are surely a site to see with a beautiful back-drop of a fresh blanket of snow.
Male Cardinal
Female Cardinal
There are cardinal themed wind spinners and bird feeders to help you accomplish the cardinal theme you want in your backyard.  The best decoration for a cardinal themed backyard is the great northern cardinal itself.  

NO/NO Red Cardinal Feeder
Was $33.95
Now Only $28.95
12" Solar Light Cardinals
Was $42.00
Now Only $36.00
Country Cardinal Bird Feeder
Only $9.95!



Monday, January 24, 2011

Winter Bird House Project

DSCI5615.JPG

Just because it's winter and you feel like there's nothing to do, try building your own bird house out of old scraps like the picture above.  The wood used in this bird house is nearly 100 years old.  Vintage chair legs make up the chimney and the columns in the front.  The top perch is a handle off of an old Victorian style cabinet.  The bottom perch is made up of a latch and chain attached to a skeleton key.  The possibilities are endless when building your own bird house; you can make it whatever you want by whatever you find! Have fun!

What is thatch and how it affects your lawn...

"Thatch is not understood well for most homeowners. Some lawns have serious thatch problems while others do not. Thatch is a layer of living and dead organic matter that occurs between the leaf surface of the lawn and the soil. Excessive thatch creates a favorable environment for pests and disease, an unfavorable growing environment for grass roots, and can interfere with some lawn care practices."
Read more here...

If you want your lawn ornaments to look their best in your lawn you might want to take care of this issue if it is a concern for you.  For lawn ornaments such as garden statues and stepping stones, that are directly on the grass and flower beds, this is important to address as they direct attention to the grass.