Your log home is built and now it’s time to spruce up your outdoor surroundings.  

A tip before you start the landscaping around your log home: pay attention to the trees! (We learned the hard way.)

Following are some reasons why it’s important to survey your lot for trees that need to be removed, as well as a few tips for determining where you should plant any new trees, shrubs and flowers around your log home. 

Log home owners with dogs may be interested in incorporating some "log" features into your dog's lifestyle too. For example, outdoor dog houses, porches, barns, and beds for dogs.

Check 'em out...

Yesterday, Randy asked a great question about the likelihood of us subbing a creek for a pond on the property. (See my reply here.)

Our conversation reminded me of the fact that one of the 3 creeks on our property is what is known as a "blue line stream".

Here's what that means...

I first saw this birdhouse (pictured at right) when browsing through the May 2007 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

See how to build this rustic birdhouse.

I thought it was yet another creative use of twigs and sticks that log home owners might enjoy. And I especially like this one because it's very colorful... it's not your typical brown birdhouse.

I know that we are planning to build one or two unique little bird houses when we move into our new log house.

So I did some research and found a number of other cool birdhouses that can be made from sticks and twigs. Check 'em out...

The first log cabin birdhouse I ever saw was this one:

Check out the details about this log cabin birdhouse.

Okay, so it's your basic wooden bird house that just happens to be shaped like a log cabin. Now you want to see some that are really cool?...

Here is yet another "cool log cabin" outdoor accessory...

Check out these fun log cabin bird feeders!

One of my favorite things to do is to photograph old bridges and barns.

There's just something nostalgic and picture-perfect to me about rustic wooden things. (And there are quite a few old bridges around here. Most of these were photographed in Leipers Fork, Tennessee.)

While the land we're planning to build our log home doesn't have a water crossing that would require a bridge like this... it's still fun to look.

Is your home located on or near a creek?

Does your property include a small body of water?

Do you have to drive over water in order to get to your house?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, and you have a fondness for the log home lifestyle, then this wooden covered bridge may be right up your alley.