After watching an old, extra-large birdcage sitting on my side yard for years, just rusting, I decided to try to make it beautiful again by planting it with flowering vines and other plants. I knew this would be a challenging but very fun project, as it needed paint and a lot of TLC.
On day one, I figured out I needed to take off one of the five panels (the one with the little door) in order to be able to maneuver inside the cage and to make sure any pollinators attracted to the flowers would not get themselves trapped inside the cage. This was easier than I thought, so on to the next step, painting. After a few failed attempts to paint the cage, I discovered that spray paint was by far the most effective. I painted it bronze and cream to match our outdoor patio furniture. It was originally stark white; the bronze was much better.
After letting the cage dry for 24 hours, it was time for day two: prepping for plants. I filled the base with quality potting soil and found some pots that matched the color and prepped them for the upcoming plants.
Day three was shopping and planting day. I picked 3 different types of plants: one vine, a low grower, and one filler. The plants I planted are: Clematis viticella 'Madame Julia Correvon ', a lovely fuchsia colored vine. Gazania 'Big Kiss White' is a lovely daisy-like low-growing perennial. And by seed, I planted Sweet Alyssum as a space filler, both 'Carpet of Snow' and 'Royal Carpet'.
As for irrigation, I chose to have the birdcage hand-watered instead of adding an irrigation system due to it being on wheels and able to be moved around depending on the shade and sun, but mostly because I enjoy a little time with the hose in the evening. It is a very large and cumbersome cage, but as the plants grow and fill out, I’m hoping it’ll be a great centerpiece in the yard that I can move around as needed when we have gatherings and get-togethers in the yard. I am very happy with the project and am glad to keep such a big piece of trash out of the landfill. I am now crossing my fingers that it grows strong and thrives!
