Outdoor Whimsy

by Chérie L. Turner

Gardening season may be short in the mountains, but that only makes our love for time spent there more intense. Here are some fun and beautiful garden accessories to help make your garden a glorious haven.

No one enjoys your garden quite the way the local critters do: as their next meal! Keep wildlife at bay with the Scarecrow (below, $79.99), a motion-activated sprinkler. Don't worry, an abundance of squirrels will not cause the over-watering of your plants; each disbursement only uses two to three cups of water. Available at Villager Nursery in Truckee, (530) 587-0771.

This unique bird birdhouse (above, $120.00) is the creation of Christopher Blake, a third generation folk artist taught to carve by his grandfather, who himself was a carousel horse carver from Germany. Blake's durable birdhouses are made from non-toxic materials, including crushed walnuts, limestone and seashells, using molds cast from hand-carved wooden sculptures. Each piece is then hand-painted. Available from Aspen Hollow in South Lake Tahoe, (530) 542-3180.

Make your garden "beary" inviting to those twittering in the treetops with this hearty (though not heavy) resin birdfeeder. Fill the fish with seed and sit back to enjoy the feathery company. Found at Tahoe Tree Company in Tahoe City, (530) 583-3911, for $77.00.

Wind the bear theme into your garden with these adorable bear-paw, metal "stepping stones." $12.00 each at Tahoe Tree Company in Tahoe City, (530) 583-3911.

Invite guests into your floral paradise with this decorative, but not obtrusive, wrought iron welcome sign. Available for $74.00 at High Sierra Gardens in Incline Village, (775) 831-7390.