I have to admit to a certain appreciation for bottle trees. Certainly they are a part of primitive Americana. Typically seen in more rural than urban settings and more southern gardens than north, they definitely fall into the category of recycled art.
Made of rebar, and wine, water and beer bottles, they typically are brown, green, or blue. There is a certain beauty in sunlight glinting off shiny glass. They can be assembled as shrubs, with individual pieces of rebar stuck at various angles, numbers and heights into the garden, or as closely held and tightly welded trees more reminiscent of a coat or hat tree.
If you want one of red, yellow, or even aqua, your bottle tree will be a long time in coming, however.
That was until I noticed a faux chandelier of bottles painted unfortunately, on the outside, of funky shade of lime green. Although paint isn't quite so shiny, and painting the outside is not the way to do this, it can be scratched off, it did give me the idea. I will gladly pass along to my fellow gardeners looking for a piece of primitive garden art.
Paint it on the inside.
Simply pour some enamel paint into the bottle and swirl it around until it has coated all areas. Pour out the excess and allow to dry before carefully placing on it rebar spike. Be careful not to scratch the painted inside! You may want to cover any sharp burrs on the rebar with duck tape, which won't be visible given the paint is not translucent as typical glass bottles.
I love bottle trees. don't know why I don't have one yet!
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