Turn Your Birdhouse into a Planter

This finished planter looks spectacular with its vibrant coat of blooms and foliage.

1. Paint with exterior paint or stain. Do not paint the floor E or mount F; instead, apply a waterproof sealant before attaching them to the birdhouse.

Place moistened sheet moss on the roof of the planter to provide a hospitable base for the plants.

Use plants that have similar light and water requirements. This planter has miniature yellow and white roses, yellow variegated ivy, yellow and white miniature mums, white impatiens, maidenhair fern, and variegated house fern all in either six-packs or 3-inch pots.

Start by soaking sheet moss in a bucket of water until saturated. Wring out most of the water and attach the moss to the roof of the house by slipping it over the 2-1/2-inch nails.

Immerse plants in their pots in another bucket of water and liquid starter fertilizer (one that contains B vitamins for resisting transplant shock; follow package directions). After the soil is soaked, remove plants from pots and push root balls onto nails on the birdhouse roof.

Cover the bare soil by securing more wet sheet moss around it; use florist picks, if necessary. Plant the birdhouse base the same way, keeping plants along the perimeter of the base. Tuck bits of Spanish moss between plantings.

To keep the planter looking great throughout the summer, water plants using a gentle spray or a watering can every other day and apply a water-soluble fertilizer every other week.