Midwest Living
Garden
Garden Ideas & Inspiration
How to Make a Living-Roof Birdhouse

How to Make a Living-Roof Birdhouse

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

Updated August 30, 2020

Skip gallery slides

Here's a bird-friendly DIY project just in time for spring.

Start Slideshow

1 of 10

Home tweet home

Missouri-based gardener Rebecca Nickols creates living-roof birdhouses for her business in Springfield. Follow her steps to design the perfect nest for the a backyard bird.

2 of 10

Step 1: Gather materials

Before you start on your bird haven, you'll need:

A birdhouse
Moisture barrier (roofing paper or plastic)
Potting soil
Sphagnum moss
Poultry wire
Dandelion weeder
Sedum plants
Pole or pipe for mounting
Stapler, scissors, screwdriver

3 of 10

Step 2: Create a barrier

Cut the moisture barrier to fit the roof; set it in place.

4 of 10

Step 3: Top coat

Cover most of the roof with moistened potting soil.

5 of 10

Step 4: Moisten and pack

Soak sphagnum moss in water for 30 minutes to moisten it thoroughly. Wring it out with your hands, and then pack it thickly onto the soil in the roof.

6 of 10

Step 5: Staple

Staple poultry wire on top to hold the sphagnum moss in place.

7 of 10

Step 6: Trim

Trim the poultry wire back to the edges of the roof.

8 of 10

Step 7: Bring on the moss

With a screwdriver or an asparagus-cutting tool, poke even more sphagnum moss through the mesh in the poultry wire to fill any gaps or thin spots. You should not be able to see the potting soil underneath.

9 of 10

Step 8: Sow sedums

Plant sedums. Poke the asparagus-cutting tool into the moss to make room for the sedum roots and tuck the plants in, firming them with your fingers as you go. Rebecca uses hardy sedums in her living-roof birdhouses.

10 of 10

Step 9: Knob needs

Attach the knob with a screw on the side, so you can open the birdhouse to clean it out. The perch under the entry hole is optional. Birds don't need it.

Replay gallery

Up Next

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

Simmering Soups and Stews

Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2021

Sparkling Spring Dessert Recipes

How to Make a Living-Roof Birdhouse

1 of 10

Home tweet home

1 of 10

2 of 10

Step 1: Gather materials

2 of 10

3 of 10

Step 2: Create a barrier

3 of 10

4 of 10

Step 3: Top coat

4 of 10

5 of 10

Step 4: Moisten and pack

5 of 10

6 of 10

Step 5: Staple

6 of 10

7 of 10

Step 6: Trim

7 of 10

8 of 10

Step 7: Bring on the moss

8 of 10

9 of 10

Step 8: Sow sedums

9 of 10

10 of 10

Step 9: Knob needs

10 of 10

Up Next

Everything in This Slideshow

Account

More

How to Make a Living-Roof Birdhouse

1 of 10

Home tweet home

1 of 10

2 of 10

Step 1: Gather materials

2 of 10

3 of 10

Step 2: Create a barrier

3 of 10

4 of 10

Step 3: Top coat

4 of 10

5 of 10

Step 4: Moisten and pack

5 of 10

6 of 10

Step 5: Staple

6 of 10

7 of 10

Step 6: Trim

7 of 10

8 of 10

Step 7: Bring on the moss

8 of 10

9 of 10

Step 8: Sow sedums

9 of 10

10 of 10

Step 9: Knob needs

10 of 10

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Everything in This Slideshow