One of the garden projects last year was to create a bottle tree using an old lilac bush that for some reason stopped growing. The branches got trimmed back so they would hold the coloured bottles.
The first photo was taken in April 2014 when the garden decorating started. At that time we were waiting for the lilac buds to appear … but they never did.
So the garden cutters came out and the branches started getting clipped away till it left just the main branches. By June I had started to add the bottles and turned this area into a climber for the beans. I knew there was a reason I was saving those blue and green bottles. The beans grew but not really well. It was a strange growing season last year and crops weren’t as good as they has usually been.
Towards the end of August when the beans had been harvested we started to transform the base of the bottle tree. Old wood from a deck rebuild was used to frame the base and soil was added. Next growing season I’m going to plant some morning glories in this little garden and have them grow up the bottle tree. In the Fall I also planted some daffodil and tulip bulbs in this area. It is visible from the deck so it will be lovely to see some spring blooms growing there.
Two different views of the bottle tree taken in September. Now the odd brown bottle has been added. The bottles have been safely put away for the winter months and I’m looking forward to getting them out in the spring and seeing how this garden develops.
Over the winter months I hang bird feeders in this tree as it is visible from the kitchen door and dining room window .. perfect for watching all the feathered lens friends that visit.
I added some bottles at the end of the season and still have to take the labels off some of them. On a wintery day I’m remembering the bottle tree and wondering when I’ll be able to set it up once again.
I’m sharing with Mosaic Monday and ABC Wednesday, where the letter of the week is B. B for bottle tree.
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