Grow It

This Christmas tree is strictly for the birds.

This tomato cage Christmas tree is an inexpensive natural decoration to delight wildlife. Trimmed with snacks and a star-shaped suet feeder, the tree will have birds flocking to it. And you can retrim it all winter as they eat up the treats. Turn a tomato cage upside down to rest on its circular top. Bend the wire spokes together and tie tightly with green gardening twine. Starting at the bottom of the cage, begin bunching fresh greens and tying them into place with twine.

Work upward in a circle, adding more greens as needed to cover the cage completely. Trim any stems at the top and tuck the twine out of sight. Arrange the greens and trim with hand pruners.

Mist the whole tree well with water to keep it fresh.

To make the decorations, first rinse and drain fresh cranberries. Cut a 6-ft. length of strong thread and tie a large knot at one end. Thread the other end onto a needle. Alternate cranberries with three kernels of unsalted, unbuttered popcorn

(plain microwaved popcorn is fine) on the thread until filled; tie a knot to finish. Tie one end of the garland to one of the wire spokes at the top of the tree. Wrap the garland around the tree and tie the other end to the cage or a strong branch.

Tie a piece of baker’s twine to each top of several pine cones. Spread peanut butter on each cone side and bottom. Roll each cone in a shallow dish of birdseed to cover. Tie the pine cones to the tree.

Unwrap a suet cake and place in a star-shaped feeder. Settle it on top of the tree, pushing it into place among the spoke ends and securing the feeder with floral wire. Trim sharp wire ends.

Secure the tree to the ground with metal lawn staples, or with heavy bricks if displaying on a table or bench.