Spring, Antlers & Wattle Fencing

Ah, finally, the fresh breeze of spring blows through our snow barren fields.  Although the grass has not yet burst forth, there is definitely the promise of warmer days ahead.

In a quest to fill my lungs with fresh air, I have been spending an increasing amount of time out-of-doors.  Wanting to keep the dog (and the ducks and chickens) out of the gardens in front of the shouse, I borrowed an idea for fencing from my friends over at Forgotten Way Farm.  In days of old, wattle was used extensively, forming barriers and boundaries that were quick, inexpensive and utilized plentiful, local materials.

And so, off to the woods I sent the children, to collect as many saplings as they were able.  We don't have willow here, so they chose small pine trees.  We stripped them of their branches and cut them to the appropriate lengths and then wove a small fence extending from the cattle panel arbor to the sun room.  What a fun project!  We have plans for more....another fence on the other side of the arbor and then our biggest wattle undertaking - a wattle panel on the south side of the sun room.

As we began to clean and tidy and plan, we were buzzed by a hummingbird or two and, that being the case we just had to get out the hummingbird feeder.  Not having the perfect spot to hang it, we had to improvise and so out came the antler shed.  It really is perfect - with numerous "perches", I am quite certain it will prove very popular with the winged set.

Now, if we could only get a few more springlike days.....