Back in Style: Bottle Trees

I think I subscribe to every plant and garden catalogue in existence but I was surprised to see a metal bottle tree frame for sale in The Gardener's Supply Catalogue. You can purchase it with an optional metal sunflower topper as well.

After you insert the four pronged stand into the ground, all you have to do is place empty bottles onto the metal rods. The tree holds up to 16 bottles. There are already 186 reviews of this popular product and, of course, comments on how great blue bottles look on the tree.

A point to note if you want to use red bottles: The color may simply be sprayed onto the bottle and it may turn into a less attractive color over time. If you look at the tip of a commercially available red bottle (bottled water, etc.) and observe the color fading out and some clear glass, this means the food safe red color was sprayed onto the bottle and it will not last. In order to manufacture a true red glass, expensive chemicals are needed which would in turn make the glass bottle too cost prohibiitve for everyday products like bottled water.

I am ordering my $29.95 bottle tree now!