The Finches and Wrens await for me to put out 4 hanging plants each spring on my Georgia porch. You can see why they like the hanging plants in the picture above. These little baby finches called home to one of my Wandering Jew Plants one spring. I enjoy being surrounded by birds and provide them many nesting spots but they insist on getting into the hanging plants each year. 
Each spring as I hang the plants, I get the rubber snakes out of hiding as well as the artificial owl. I position a snake on each chain that holds the plant as if they are crawling down into the plant. Look closely and you can see a snake in the above picture. I move the owl around each day as if he is real. Well, don't waste your money on a $10 owl as the birds find it a perfect spot to perch while scouting out the perfect plant to call home. Yep, a cute little wren was perched right on top of the owls ear while fussing up at the snake then jumped right into this years Spider plant knowing the snake was not real! I would not mind the birds nesting in the plants but fear I will harm the eggs or babies when watering the plant from below. I would have to drag out the step ladder every time I need to water the plants and that is a pain in the rump during the hot steamy months of summer here in the Deep South.
Always trying to outwit the wildlife around me, I came up with a new plan this year. With the assistance of the dead leaves on the Japanese Maple tree above....
I pulled some of the leaves from the tree and formed them into a ball. These leaves work great as they are soft and you can easily shape them.
I then put a tiny artificial egg into the mock nest. 
And then placed one nest in each of the hanging plants on the front porch. So far, this has worked really well but I know my birds are smart and may figure this out. The Saint joked and said now a Cowbird will deposit more eggs in the nest. I said a Crow will probably choke on one of the fake eggs. Gee, the things we must do to keep one step ahead of the wildlife around us. If this works, it's a cheap and easy solution to keep HANGING PLANT'S FREE FROM THE BIRDS, In the Garden...
Pretty funny Skeeter! Fake nest and eggs-- maybe it will fool them. I have found so many little eggs on the ground already this year. A few look like they were hatched but some were poached and broken.
ReplyDeleteIt is lovely to have a porch. To have a place to hang plants would be nice.
Ingenious!! I hope this little trick works for you. No birds nesting here yet but it won't be long and the houses are cleaned and ready for them.
ReplyDeleteThat is a smart idea! A bird thinking it's another birds nest! I hope it will continue to work.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea! We have had problems with real snakes getting into our birdhouses. Makes me feel so bad!!
ReplyDeleteI"m curious to see if this works! It's a very good idea!--Randy
ReplyDeleteBTW Jamie has been working on a top secret sweetgum ball project that I'm not allowed to talk about.
Hope that works. I didn't hang baskets last year (fear of drought that didn't happen), but have already gotten one for this year.
ReplyDeleteCameron
No vacancy in the hanging basket, eh? Very clever!!!! Let us know what happens. Whenever I try to outsmart the groundhog, I lose. And he's not a gracious winner! ;-)
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone, just popping in here again to say hey...
ReplyDeleteI do hope this solves my bird issues in the hanging baskets. But as we all know, the wildlife is not easy to fool...
Cant wait to see Jamie's gum-ball project...
I must run now...
Funny and very smart thinking. Great post for a dark, dreay, rainy day.
ReplyDeleteFunny that we gardeners spend half of our gardening time trying to outwit the wildlife!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your decoy nest. I hope your artificial egg doesn't end up on the ground when a bird decides to take the nest over.
A good idea, I hope it works. I've had the same thing happen with nests. I did water once thinking the birds had left and all the babies went hopping out. I felt horrible and tried to round them all up. Eventually the parent birds got them all back. I felt guilty for days about it.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Skeeter. I, too, worry about watering once a wren finds my hanging plants.Meems @ Hoe and Shovel
ReplyDeleteA decoy nest -- good idea! The first picture is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Skeeter, hope it works for ya. I know what ya mean about staying one step ahead of the wildlife/critters only I don't have it as bad as you do.
ReplyDeleteYes, but how boring life would be without them!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Brilliant Skeeter! I don't mind when they build nests in my plants tho. There's just something so happy about watching them fly in and out so busily. Good luck and let us know how it works out.
ReplyDeleteThat is too funny! You are a hoot! (Pun not intended) I sure hope it works for you-good idea for sure!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny! You idea was cool, but birds generally are very curious ones and somehow find their way around. I'm sure Tina would agree with me (as she too owns a bird - though finches have less intelligence than parrots, birds in general are said to be ever inquisitive), but again I hope your faux egg works out.
ReplyDeleteYou clever woman! I look forward to hearing how the fake nest & egg work out for you. The Robins love to build nests in my hanging planters on the shed wall. It does make watering them a pain.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Skeeter. Hope it works for you. I wish I had the birds in my yard to have to worry about.
ReplyDeleteBeing in town is for the "birds", so to speak.
Hey everyone, Sneaking in here for a quick hello.:-) Been raining since we left and finally no rain today but lots of wind!
ReplyDeleteI do hope this works to keep the birds out of the plants. I have many birdhouses, and other plants which they are welcome to nest in just not the hanging ones that are too high to water if a nest is within. Anyway, this seems to be working thus far. Only time will tell though....
I need to run now...
Everyone have a good weekend!!!
You're so smart! And a Ha Ha to hubby about the cowbirds - won't they be surprized?
ReplyDeleteI had a CW building in a pot practically before I got the thing planted. But, they are my favorite bird because they are unafraid.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a fabulous blog. The pictures are so beautiful, and what great information. Wish I was your neighbor!
ReplyDeleteLOL Skeeter, what a great idea! Let us know if it works!
ReplyDeleteClever idea skeeter...I was trying to figure out a way to attract birds to nest here! Just hang a few flowering baskets...maybe I need to make the flowers silk so they don't need to be watered! gail
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. We are in and out again.
ReplyDeleteEveryone have a nice weekend!!!
Hi, Tina. Thanks for visiting my blog. It will be funny to see how the birds respond to those fake eggs :D
ReplyDeleteIf I were a bird, I'd probably find another place to nest. And for the humans looking at the plants, I think the little "nests" are kinduv fun, hiding in the plants like easter eggs.
ReplyDeletevuejardin, Skeeter posting this topic. Tina is on Spring Break this week. Sorry for the confusion...
ReplyDeletelostlandscapes, I do enjoy seeing nest in trees and bushes and even in my ivy on the porch but not in the hanging plants for fear they will drown when i water them. I have been getting a kick out of seeing the fake nest though. lol. Believe it or not, the bluebirds have been going into the See Rock City holes! Cant believe that...