The blackbirds have been eyeing up my strawberry plants over the last few weeks, hopping about in anticipation, waiting for a glimpse of red berry. To curb their thieving, I have a cunning plan that doesn’t involve chemicals, shiny hanging objects or netting.
Apparently I can foil them with rocks (and no, not by way of a slingshot).
With the help of a few tubes of paint I can create some decoy strawberries that will have the birds rubbing their beaks in frustration. I have read that, after several unsuccessful attempts to eat a strawberry rock, they learn not to bother trying any more. This “learned response” is passed down through the generations and so should be a lasting solution. Naturally, I was keen to give it a go.
And at least if it doesn’t work I have a handful of adorable painted stone strawberries to brighten up the garden.
Here’s how you can go about it.
You will need:
About a dozen strawberry shaped and sized stonesAcrylic paint: red, green and white and black for mixingAcrylic varnish3 Paintbrushes: a largish one for the background red, a small one for the details and another one for the varnishNewspaper to protect surfaces from paint/varnishJar of waterSelect rounded stones, ones that most resemble strawberries.
Give them a wipe to make sure they are clean.
Mix your paint with some water to get a creamy consistency.
Apply a coat of red to the stones and then a second one once that has dried.
Use a smaller brush and green paint to colour on the calyx.
Mix up some black paint with some red to make a darker colour and use this to paint on the seeds. Add a few more details and when your stones are sufficiently berry-like, leave them to dry overnight before varnishing them.
You only really need to paint one side of the stones but feel free to do both.
Place your little works of art in amongst the strawberry plants and soon thieving birds will be a thing of the past.
Slugs, I’m afraid, are an entirely different matter…
Read more from Karen Nolan at her blog here.
The blackbirds have been eyeing up my strawberry plants over the last few weeks, hopping about in anticipation, waiting for a glimpse of red berry. To curb their thieving, I have a cunning plan that doesn’t involve chemicals, shiny hanging objects or netting.
Apparently I can foil them with rocks (and no, not by way of a slingshot).
With the help of a few tubes of paint I can create some decoy strawberries that will have the birds rubbing their beaks in frustration. I have read that, after several unsuccessful attempts to eat a strawberry rock, they learn not to bother trying any more. This “learned response” is passed down through the generations and so should be a lasting solution. Naturally, I was keen to give it a go.
And at least if it doesn’t work I have a handful of adorable painted stone strawberries to brighten up the garden.
Here’s how you can go about it.
You will need:
About a dozen strawberry shaped and sized stonesAcrylic paint: red, green and white and black for mixingAcrylic varnish3 Paintbrushes: a largish one for the background red, a small one for the details and another one for the varnishNewspaper to protect surfaces from paint/varnishJar of waterSelect rounded stones, ones that most resemble strawberries.
Give them a wipe to make sure they are clean.
Mix your paint with some water to get a creamy consistency.
Apply a coat of red to the stones and then a second one once that has dried.
Use a smaller brush and green paint to colour on the calyx.
Mix up some black paint with some red to make a darker colour and use this to paint on the seeds. Add a few more details and when your stones are sufficiently berry-like, leave them to dry overnight before varnishing them.
You only really need to paint one side of the stones but feel free to do both.
Place your little works of art in amongst the strawberry plants and soon thieving birds will be a thing of the past.
Slugs, I’m afraid, are an entirely different matter…
Read more from Karen Nolan at her blog here.
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