Here's a crafty, container DIY that is fun to do. Take a decorative hinged bird cage, line it with moss, plant it with succulents—hang and enjoy.

I bought a few bird cages with hinged tops for the purpose of making hanging baskets with them. What fun. Take some sphagnum moss and line the cage, fill with soil as you tuck in your plants all the way up to where it is hinged. Plant a few succulents on top, hang and enjoy. Use hardy succulents and you can enjoy it outside all year round in the Pacific Northwest.

Unlike the wire moss baskets—such as this moss lettuce basket—that you conceal with the moss, showing the wire of the bird cage is part of its charm. The plants will grow and fill in a large part of this, but some parts of the wire may still show, and that's not a bad thing. I purposely kept the door open on this planting and have watched the black capped chickadees perch on it, after bathing in a water feature!

I have a smaller one that I am planting with a Pacific Northwest native sedum. These bird cage planters can really inspire some creative plantings.

Photographed in author's garden.

The following bird cages are found on Amazon.com if you can't find any in your locality.

Hanging Bird Cages

Bird Cages/ Set of 2

Deluxe Home Decoration Bird Cage (featured in above photo)

Whitewashed Decorative Bird Cages (Set of 2)

Galt International Decorative Metal Bird Cages, Rust, Set of 2

Small Antique Blue Square Iron Bird Cage

Vintage Style Large Brown Bird Cage Home Decorative Accent

Galt International Gazebo Style Metal Bird Cages, Rust, Set of 2

Without hangers

Small Antique Blue Iron Bird Cage