Treasure Hill Cottage

My neighborhood is one of those suburban backdrops that you always see in the movies. Everyone is out on the weekend, pruning their garden and carefully arranging their yard decorations. Every year there is a friendly, yet heated, competition to determine best garden on the block.

It wasn’t a big deal until some of my neighbors got really competitive. My edge is that I’ve got stylish garden decor objects in my yard. No sir, no ceramic gnomes for me! One of the Victorian birdhouses I recently purchased is my centerpiece because it is decorative and useful. Even the judges this year loved it!

There’s nothing quite as ornate and decorative as products that emerged from the Victorian era. Known for its artistic flourishes and embellishments, anything associated with that age is sure to be decorative and beautiful. This includes everything from interior home décor to outdoor products. As such, if you’re looking to give your yard a boost of decorative beauty, look to a Victorian birdhouse.

Not only will you get to enjoy the birds that will flock to your home, but you’ll also get to enjoy the sheer beauty of the birdhouse itself. Depending on the style you purchase, it might have ornate architecture, or it might even boast stained glass. Whatever makes the birdhouse distinctly Victorian, it will be a great way to revive a yard that was otherwise bland and lacking in decoration.Victorian birdhouse

It is amazing how popular the hobby of bird watching is.  Some people travel the world to see their favorite varieties or wait for the swallows to come back to Capistrano every year.  Others prefer to relax at home and let the birds come to them.  If this describes you, decorative birdhouses may be just the thing for you.

Today you can find virtually any type of birdhouse, including those shaped like buildings-fire stations, country lodges, casinos, and more. I’ve even seen one shaped like a canteen, and another like a rooster wearing cowboy boots. Some of them are designed to be freestanding and others are made to be mounted on a tree or roof.  Whatever the theme of your garden, you can find a birdhouse that will please you and your feathered guests.

Living out in the countryside brings you to a harmonious peace with nature. A city girl most of my life, my husband and I retired to the outskirts of Knoxville, Tennessee. We wanted to escape the traffic and the pollution that accompanies it, the racing noises and the, as we call it, concrete jungle. Far away from everything we’d ever known, we made a tiny, yet cozy, home for ourselves.

My favorite aspect of our roost is the elongated, wraparound porch that stretches from our red front door to the sunroom located around back. At dusk we rest in our patio furniture out back and sip red wine as we discuss our post-retirement goals in life. And as we relax I can hear the gentle tweets of local birds as they snack on their dinner from our Victorian birdhouse. Life is good!

Who wouldn’t love to live in their dream home?  Whether it’s a classic Victorian, a Southern plantation, or an upscale condominium, it’s fun to think about what would be included in our dream homes.  While most people will never have their dream home, it’s nice to provide such a home for our feathered friends who live in our backyard.  Now birds might not be too particular about the space they nest inside (other than having four walls and a roof), but it’s fun to think about animals living in a little birdhouse that matches the idea for your dream home.  Decorative birdhouses make a great addition to the backyard. 

It’s important to remember that birdhouses serve as more than decorations, they’re also replacements for bird habitat.  We chop down the large trees and shrubs that birds might nest inside to build homes, and when we replace those objects with viable nesting locations, we are repairing the bird’s natural habitat.  It’s the duty of all homeowners to have birdhouses in their backyard to accommodate our feathered friends.  In return, the birds keep our yards free from harmful insects and provide aesthetic entertainment. 

During the summer, it’s a great idea to start cleaning up that backyard and really grow yourself a nice little garden.  Some of the most understated accent pieces are decorative birdhouses.

By getting a bird house, you can really add some personality to your backyard and make it inviting for both our winged friends, as well as our actual human friends.