I created this gazebo model with Google SketchUp. Will I build it? We shall see.

Here’s my latest birdhouse hanging from a tree in our backyard. I wanted to give it a really garish paint job, using pink and purple, but I just couldn’t do it. I ended up with something that Sharyl said would fit in on Sesame Street.

Last weekend, I had time to put a few plants around the bottle tree, so now it’s looking more at home in the garden. I got those two gorgeous sea green junipers at Harb’s Oasis. I also found out that I’m allergic to sea green juniper; the hives stayed on my arms for about a week.

I moved my echinacea in front of the bottle tree and then put some recycled daylilies in front of that. By spring, this should look pretty nice.

My bottle tree has bloomed. I plan to add another couple of rows as I acquire more bottles. Maybe 12 more or so. Click here for more pics.

A side note to this project: What’s the one joke you hear the most when you tell people you are making a bottle tree? "At least you don’t have to water it."

Today, I planted a bottle tree. I expect it to bloom soon.