Monday, March 31, 2008

Another Bottle Tree for your Pleasure


I love my bottle tree and I know Gerianne loves hers too, just check this post In The Garden: Bottle Trees? to see ours. One of my regular commenters, reader and friend, Nina has a new bottle tree as well.

She just got it set up and took some lovely pictures which I would like to share with you all. Bottle trees come in all shape and sizes and are great additions to your garden. Not only does the sun make the bottles sparkle and light up the darkest days of winter, but the trees themselves are garden art which gives structure to the garden.




I like lots of glass in my garden. As such, any ideas for adding more which are practical like bottle trees really work for me. Does anyone else use glass in their gardens? And are some more readers going to make a bottle tree for their gardens? I am thinking my sister Dawn with Peaches might have one in the works for her new house. What do ya say?

in the garden....enjoying a bottle or two.

31 comments:

  1. Hey there,

    Love the bottle tree...and I know it is time to get one...I just haven't found my tree yet. So a cedar tree comes to mind.

    Have a terrific day, hope the gardens dry out!

    Gail

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  2. Good morning too! Did you see my other post on bottle trees? I used a cedar tree for my bottle tree. I do have to add more pegs for more bottles but it works. I do like the metal ones because they look neater and can be customized. You definitely need a bottle tree. Maybe for your area by the patio?

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  3. Hi Tina, love the bottle trees. I have edited your link in my sidebar with your new address thanks to Dave's heads up. I agree that metal is the way to go for the glass, but so far only have the bottle collection awaiting a good stand. I like your new layout, nice and easy to read. Good job.
    Frances at Faire Garden

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  4. Good Morning Tina, Just wanted to mention that my Husband made the bottle tree. He used rebar and it is very sturdy. Collecting the bottles was a problem for me!

    We spent several hours in another nursery saturday, searching for the foundation plantings. Getting someone to work with you is almost next to impossible. I ended up with carissa holly. I am hoping they will work o.k. But after going through three nurseries I just wanted to get it done!!!!

    Things are blooming and "popping" through the ground here. After five years, hopefully I will get that established look this year!
    Lot's of work yet to do though.

    Have a great day everyone!

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  5. Hi Tina --love the look of the bottle tree. You know I won't have one anytime soon hubby won't even let me put a fence up, lol. Eventually --like everything else I will work on him to agree:) Looks like a rainy day today --but I know my yard is loving it. Everything is blooming and waking up --Spring has sprung I'm sure:0)

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  6. Wait, you put the bottles on with metal? to the trunk? I thought these bottles are only slipped over the branches. I would love one, have to sneak it by Jack of all trades, pick a tree that's full leaves and let him discover it in the winter.
    Like Nina said, finding bottles might be a problem, I looked for wine bottles last week, a decent one (to fit in my rack) was $40.00. Could use small one though, do they do well in wind?
    That reminds me, have a recipe for dandilion and clover wine. Going to try it, only live once. Takes 6 months to be alcohol!?!? Wow!

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  7. Good morning Frances, Nina and anonymous,

    Frances, thanks for updating my link. it has taken me awhile to get it all straightened out. i love this format SO much better and I am glad you like it to. I can see a nice bottle tree in your yard, maybe by the new arbor? or in the veggie garden area between the hedges?

    Nina, Hubby did a GREAT job! On my bottle tree a neighbor gave me a bunch of green (beer) bottles. Green is a good color but it is kind of boring. I went to the flea market a few weeks ago and found 12 shaped bottles for $5. I still haven't added them but will. Collecting bottles seems to be the common problem, but they are so fun in the garden.

    You know those nurseries. They are frustrating at best around here. I like the ones in Evansville, not Nashville. I have shopped both places to check them out. Sometimes there are good people to help. Mike Hayes in Nashville is where a classmate of mine works, she is great! Her name is Carol. If you go out again, go there and ask for her. This is a big nursery and they are having a few sales.

    anonymous, i was all set to work in the garden but i see the rain too. the ground is too mucky. i have to stay inside and work in here today. sigh. hubby is set in his ways and that is fine, at least he let you get a big bird feeder for the stump! i will post about my fence soon, he may change his mind.

    Where is mom, dawn and skeeter this morning? I know lola comes on late-but hello!

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    Replies
    1. Just wondering why some of my bottles are breaking on the rebar, but am thinking that I need to put something on the tips as padding against the cold. Any ideas? Live in Mobile Bay area (Gulf Coast).

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    2. I had one bottle break on the rebar when I dropped it on too fast. It was a lesson learned pretty quickly. So far the rest have held up but I think when they get old the glass will weaken and these bottles might break. Replacing them is the only thing I can think of doing other than putting a stop where the rebar does not rest on the bottom of the bottle. It seems that seam is weak. Sorry I couldn't help you more but I think padding would not hurt.

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  8. dawn, we posted at the same time almost. you would love one of these in your yard. the bottles do well in the wind, you just have to make sure they are on there firmly and upside down so they don't collect water. you are funny. pick a tree with leaves and jack of all trades will discover bottles in the winter? you can surely do that easily. just snip off the branches leaving a stub and put bottles over the stub. the trick with a natural tree is finding one with enough small yet sturdy branches to use as stubs. you also have to make sure bottles don't rub against each other or they could break. another thing about bottle trees gerianne discovered. hers is in full sun and she found most of the bottles faded in the sun. we never expected that at all.

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  9. dandelion and clover wine-yuck! though we tried just about everything in iraq to make wine, homemade wine could sometimes be ok. but dandelion? clover?

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  10. Hi all,
    Like the bottle tree. Must get one for my garden. They look neat. Didn't know the sun would fade them. I won't have too much trouble in the area. I like the idea of iron, might try that. I would guess flea market would be best place to look for bottles.
    I kind of like the DVD's hanging in different places, not only to deter squirrels & birds but after they've been out for a spell they seem to throw off colors. Neat looking at moving colors even at night if there is any kind of light shining on them.
    Supposed to rain today so will see. But I hear the kitchen calling me. Later.

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  11. Herbal wine...the grapes give me a headache, herbal is surposed to have medical benifits-dandilion for digestion and clover for mild euphoria (duh). You can make it with almost any flower, I picked these two because of the amount needed, 2 quarts to make 6 bottles. You never wanted to try dandilion? Always heard good things about it, besides I want to try to make it. Found my canning jars and canner the other day, can't wait. Lola, your right-flea mkts. Yeh!
    My weather is snow again. Big fluffy flakes. Gawd.

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  12. Hi Tina, it's nice now a bit windy but we had a ton of errands to run. The weeds come out easier for me when it is like this:) Especially the wild onions that seem to multiply overnight, lol. I believe Jean was going into town today so she might now get on until later. Hi Dawn, Lola and Nina --better check on sidekick. Catch you later:)

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  13. Hey you guys!
    Lola, you are on here early today. How wonderful. I hope you are feeling great. I LOVE DVDS and CDs hanging in my garden. I make a nice flower out of them and will have to prepare a post, but just hanging by themselves it is nice. The sun reflects off from them and shines on the house like a prism. Love the effect. Some use them to chase deer away, not sure if that works. The weather is nice here-go figure. I am still working in the house and only taking a break for a sec. Do you think I should plant the roots you sent me in a pot so I can bring them in? What would be best? I am trying to find a spot to plant soon. It is warm here.

    dawn-yahoo for flea markts to-i love em. glad you found your canning stuff. i have kind of wanted to try dandelion greens, but I am always afraid a dog peed on them or something. never got quite brave enough. The same with poke weed. Not brave enough.

    i occasionally have a glass of sweet, sweet wine. an enjoyment for sure. never had herbal wine though. sounds interesting.

    anonymous,
    Pulling weeds today is good. Errands too I suppose. I hate errands but they have to be done. I have about 3 weeks more of school, then easy street. Going to Nashville two nights a week messes up my whole day, errands and all.

    More rain is expected tomorrow morning. I quickly cut my grass while it is dry. Say hi to the sidekick. i am still trying to stop in to see the ducks. how is the little one? holding his own?

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  14. Tina,
    Did you forget we pulled the flower shoots off the clover to get the nectar off the bottom? Liliac, and mayflowers? Imagine it's sweet. Everything is cooked to sterile temps. We have large fields that aren't frequented.

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  15. Dawn, it is so nice here today. Can't help but think about those snowflakes you are getting. It is actually kind of hot. I know summer heat cannot be far off. As long as we don't have a drought!

    I don't remember clover, lilacs yes. Mayflowers? Are those little white star shaped flowers? My memory surely fails me. Anonymous said mom went to town today so she'll be on later. She will be happy we are talking about our childhood. I remember buttercups. They should be coming soon. Anyhow, I just got my plants out of from under the house and found one last bottle of Beachaven blackberry wine. I forgot it was there. I may have to chill it and crack it open with all this talk of wine. I don't think I have had even a sip this entire year. In Germany it was always good on the deck after a long day at work. Why don't you send me some pictures of your house? I am dying to see it. You don't have to do it right now, just whenever. ttyl p.s. i am doing so good staying out of the garden today. I only mowed the lawn and walked around. Tomorrow I have some errands and meetings and I am going by the nursing home so it looks as though I am doing good with disciplining myself. yeah right! ttyl soon you'll be working on your stone wall and roses.

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  16. Hi to all and yes, Anonymous you are right, went to town. Tom had a dentist app. and eye app. so I dropped Papa off to take Tom around and I went and did errands. I was done and back at Tom's at 2pm but they did'nt get there till 4pm so I just got home and put stuff away.

    I like the bottle tress but had never seen one till you did your other post on them but sure would like to have one. Dawn we need to get one and start that trend for this part of the country. One would be very pretty in my yard and would be quite stunning, I think, with all my cobalt blue bottles but they are all old ones so will not use them for that. Another good place to get bottles is the Dollar stores or Family Dollar or such. But you could probably get them cheaper at a flea markets, but may not be able to get brightly colored ones there.

    Yes Tina that Dawn is funny!!

    Nana liked almost anything but did not like the danelion greens. She loved the fiddle heads and milkweed. Do you girls remember that I used to cook the milkweed.
    You only eat the bloosom and have to pick them when they are small or they are bitter. Taste like fresh peas. Don't know what the wine tastes like but have always heard about it.

    Tina do you remember the large plant I told you that I got last year that Elizabeth liked so much.
    It is a very large houseplant and I have it on the library table and it takes the whole space. I had moved it to the dinning room table at Christmas time and it lost all its leaves so I put it back on the library table and now is very lush with a zillion leaves again but so far has only had 2 flowers on it. Well I found a picture of one and it is Crown of Thorns.

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  17. Hey mom, welcome back from town. I know that is an all day thing. I would love a picture of the crown of thorns. I think it must like the bright sun in the library.

    I will keep looking out for bottles and we'll see if we can't get you one to look at. Put it right in the front yard for all the northerners to see and ask what the heck is it? Ayuh!

    I don't remember you cooking milkweed. I do love the milkweed flowers. I grows down here wonderfully. I absolutely adore it but I am not sure if I want it in my garden. It is kind of hard to dig from the wild successfully too. I do like peas. I planted some several weeks ago and I just noticed they are up. Finally! It took a while. I notice it does not matter how early I plant them, they come when they want. I could plant more right now and the peas will all be ready at the same time. I will do a veggie garden update on the 15th. Tomorrow is my to do list for April. It will be hard. Next year's list will be much easier. I think all garden bloggers should do it for their gardens in their part of the country. It would make it easy for new and local gardeners-wouldn't it? I hope our flower suggestions helped Sarah out. Did you read her bio? Her husband is a professor at Bowdoin. How cool is that? Small world.

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  18. I love bottle trees and have been collecting some blue bottles for awhile now. Yours looks great.

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  19. Hi crafty gardener and welcome! Do you have a bottle tree? Blue bottles would be lovely in Candada. My mother also collects blue bottles, not for an outside bottle tree though. They can be pricey. Thanks for stopping by and you have a lovely blog. Glad to see spring is popping up there too.

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  20. Tina you could put the roots in a pot for the 1st yr to see what they are gonna do. They do multiply so be prepared. Plus they get quite large. They are tropical so may now make the winter there. Mine die back in winter--they haven't started to grow yet. My voodoo is about 3' high now. If the sun will shine so I can get pics of that & arbor. Rain is good for all though.

    Dawn herbal wine? I have heard that wine was good for you. Don't think I've ever had wine. Dandelion & clover????? I too would be afraid some animal had peed on it.

    Jean glad you got your errands done. Seems it takes all day no matter what you do.

    Nina good to have a hubby that can weld. Wish Young'un could do it. Some real good things can be made if a person could weld.

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  21. I don't think I would want Milkweed in the garden as it grows
    and spreads like crazy. But then again I guess it sure would help in getting to those mice tasting flowers before they get too big.

    Yes I read a lot of Sarah's blog (over 3 hours worth) yesterday and I read the bio first. They sound like a very nice and fun family. It is a very nice blog with lotsa diverse info. I drove by her house in town today as we go to Tom's street via Sarah's street as it is quickest way to go.

    Ya, Nina would'nt it be nice to have a hubby like that. My husband is mr fix or build nothing,
    sigh. I do most of the handi work for us, sigh again. He does take great care of a very large yard and walks out to get the mail everyday. Guess it's a trade off.

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  22. Hi guys, think I have Jack of all trades talked into one of these by the wanna-be pond, one side is flanked with thick evergreens, going to look to see if any can be trimmed to hold bottles, I think it will look neat in the bushes. (making sure they can be seen) Mom, I know, people think around here would think I've flipped my lid if one of these were in the front yard. Take a couple hours for it to spread around town. I remember something about milkweed and esp. about fiddleheads, didn't nana have to be driven to a special place at a special time to get her fiddleheads?
    Tina, I'll send the outside pics to you this week, inside of the house needs to be seen. Yes, the little star white flowers we called "mayflowers", mayflowers grow sideways and have more of a strawberry flower.
    Lola, I might try liliac, don't know--but alot of medical bennie to it. Read about Mr.lincoln, I wasn't in time to suggest chicken soup. Coffee would be nice.

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  23. I love my cobalt blue bottle tree. I have not put it back up yet this year. I have some old fish net floats that I set out like gazing balls.

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  24. Hi Tina, I hope you all share these pictures of bottle trees :0) I won't have one yet --but someday. I ended up mowing the backyard(outer part) and cleaning up around the flowerbeds that I just mulched. We also took a few loads of sticks off the yard --these big old trees lose alot of branches and they sting when they hit you while mowing --I would know --I'm the mower here. I didn't ride the red beauty today --it was all about trimming around trees and bushes. I love to look out after I am done --it's such a sense of accomplishment, rofl. For a few days --right??? hahahah Glad you got to town today Jean --it's nice to get out once in awhile. My outings have been limited to the backyard and neighborhood since the truck gave out. The part "should" be in tomorrow --they had to order it. I won't know what to do with myself when I have my wheels back:) Oh, who am I kidding --I'll find somewhere to go --to the lake, up by the cave to walk the trails and lunch at school with the kiddos. I've been out but it's just not the same with hubby --a little more rushed, hahaha. Any word on Skeeter? I am hoping that she is doing well. It's been about a week --tomorrow since her surgery. I guess I shall get off here. Homework was long and drawn out tonight --they have to get back in the groove of things after that long break. Nighty-night y'all!

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  25. lola, i will plant the roots in a pot and watch and see how they do. rain is good.

    mom, hello there. yes, i seem to recall milkweed as a bit invasive. i was walking on ft campbell last year and first saw the awesome bloom. it was a sphere and pinkish red and i had never seen anything like it. i came straight home and looked it up. i suspected it was milkweed because of the milky sap in the stem. i had never seen it before. normally i'd be digging and moving. this time i was so cautious and think i will opt out. don't you find this blog thing a bit addictive? i am so glad i left the leaf's site becau
    dawn, a bottle tree would look great by your wanna be pond. you'll be able to see it from the house? that is important. i look at mine from my kitchen and dining room windows. tell jack of all trades you only live once. so what if word gets around the town? can't be worse than my yucca tulips in my town-and i LOVE them and that is all that counts. you know folks up and down my road have comments to say. flipped your lid? no, you will start a trend. remember, mainiacs set their own trends and were the only state in the union ross perot took. go figure. does jack of all trades mom have a bottle tree? she should to catch any evil spirits flying by at night.

    auntdebbi/kurtsmom, welcome to my little blog. i visited yours and must say you are a funny, funny lady. sister wars? my sister on here is dawn. we talk all the time but no wars. my mother is jean and she is ever so happy we all talk daily now. i am looking forward to hearing about your family and the 'monkeys'. how true you say it though not many people are comfortable with that, they are all probably thinking the same thing. i have added you to my sidebar.

    anonymous, hey there friend. i really love hearing what you do each day. ouch-sticks do hurt! especially when whipped about by mowers. get the kiddos to pick them up next time before you mow. i will be in that part of town tomorrow after a meeting and the nursing home so i am planning to stop by. i will call first to be sure you are there but if you are not, it is not a problem.

    i thought you already had the rearend? are you driving hubby's truck when he is at home? can't imagine you driving the black thing a majigy. must be different. hopefully it will be fixed soon. the jimster got himself up and off to school all on his own this morning. i was so proud. up to this year mom had to get him up and going every morning. growing up, so sad yet so nice at the same time. don't know whether to laugh or cry since he is my baby.

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  26. mom, i got cut off and had to publish real quick. i found out about this and now really like it so much. the blogger is so user friendly and it is nice to talk to others and window shop-as one blogger put it-in other people's garden. This is fun but three hours on Sarah's blog-must've been very interested. It is a lovely blog with all the pics and writing. I am glad you are having fun and won't it be cool to tell Bobby you saw him in the 'virtual' world?

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  27. My wife's been asking for one of these, and I even picked up some blue bottles on ebay, but am hesitant to make one. But I like the metal look I think better than what I was thinking (wood post in the ground with holes drilled and wooden sticks coming out). Still, it is my garden and I made it I build it....

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  28. Hi Tina --hope we get a chance to see you today. Yes, I was driving the hubby mobile, rofl. All muddy and full of fishing poles and decoys, hahha. It is spring turkey season here, right :) So, no one gives me a second look when pulling up in that "fine" piece of machinery. I have to make sure the boys are downstairs and roaring to go to school --looks like all the bad weather has passed, yeah!!

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  29. Benjamin Vogt-I love the metal ones. They are very customizable. Being in the south midwest-a bottle tree would fit in wonderfully and let's face it, you men need to keep the wives happy. Just ask Mr. Fix-it, he learned this many years ago. Makes him happy too. Don't hesitate to give your wife one-just do it then post about it.

    anonymous, i am going to drop in on my way to my meeting instead of after. it will be around 10ish. just for a quick second. i go right by your road so that works out better. yup, i can see you driving the black fish truck. rofl

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