Greeting guests with whimsical, colourful, birdhouses.
Welcome to my home. As you arrive, you see a huge maple tree that changes to brilliant crimson in the fall. This spring, I add decorative, whimsical birdhouses I painted last year. As I have them on the lower branches, birds will probably choose to nest elsewhere.
Citrus fruit birdhouse.

I added citrus fruit to a birdhouse my dad made me decades ago and which I had carefully kept in the basement for all these years. I decided no more – this was a house to be seen and enjoyed, if not by birds, then by anyone walking by…and in this neighbourhood, many do walk by as this is a quiet area close to bike and walking paths.
Yellow cylindrical birdhouse.

The yellow birdhouse with the cosmos like flowers was bought long ago when I supervised a busload of students as part of a school trip to Stratford, Ontario. We stopped in St. Jacobs, a quaint little town in southwestern Ontario with a nearby Mennonite community.
Students were given time to visit the little boutiques of homemade items whether it was worked leather, embroidered linens, freshly made fudge, pies, wooden toys, knitted clothes, etc.
After a couple of hours, we were all shopped out. We loaded the bus examining our purchased treasures and were on our way to tour the countryside.
Eventually, we made our way to Stratford where we had tickets for a Shakespearean play. This year, the Stratford Festival offers Cymbelline, Romeo and Juliet, and Twelfth Night as well as other plays and musicals.
Originally, the bird house was a washed out brown. I added bright yellow paint and then painted purple flower which remind me of cosmos I had in my yard long ago.
Pink roses birdhouse.
Finally, the last birdhouse for the front yard was made by hubby with a few pieces of scrap wood. I painted roses on all sides.
Not far from the birdhouses, this pair welcomes guests as they park their cars in our entrance.
And the bench that was reworked by hubby and painted with a dog family is always on the front porch. Some friends don’t know my address, but they know where I live because they look for the red bench on the porch.

Back yard birdhouses.
Once the front was done, I decided to add a few fake birdhouses in the back yard as well. I reprised the citrus theme on the left birdhouse. All birdhouses were made by hubby with the exception of the one with the crystal doorknob – that was another birdhouse that I bought in St. Jacobs.

Gourd birdhouse
Okay, now this Is really the last one…a red gourd with an opening for chickadees.
Last year, we did have visitors to the gourd but no takers. It is so fascinating to watch birds. The Austrian pines at the back of the yard attract many different species of birds and we are always entertained by birdsong and bird antics. We have a birdbath that is also a very popular watering hole for robins, grackles, chickadees, cardinals, cedar waxwings…
I hope you get some singing tennants, Louise. They look very tempting.
Thanks Graham. There are many birds in the Austrian pines and even in our small Emerald cedars, surprisingly.
I just love those bird houses, and the gourd. Attracting birds to your backyard is a lovely thing to do, that is why I made a bird bath, albeit quite small, but watching the birds enjoying drinking and bathing in the water is fabulous.
We have had a birdbath for decades and we brought it from our former house to this place. It’s always fascinating to watch the birds as they come to cool off in the summer heat. Cheers Sally.
You do have a lovely sense for colour and play Louise. I especially love the welcoming bench with the dogs.
Thanks Vivienne.
Oh dear Louise, I love your whimsical birdhouses. They brighten the day and bring a smiling in my face. Thank you so much
Hi Birgit! I remember all the birds you painted for the blog post several years ago.They were all so delightful! Your evolution as an artist continues with beautiful florals that I love to see in my feed on Facebook (although I am spending less time there nowadays!). Kindest regards from your Canadian friend!