Friends in the Garden

Southern Living, Oct 2004

Create a scarecrow to add a fun touch to your yard.

And the flowers and vegetables, a tall figure stands quietly while the sun sets over the crops. Is this a tired farmer, exhausted from the day's work? No, it's a scarecrow.

From the simple to the elaborate, scarecrows have adorned gardens for thousands of years. According to Scarecrows: Making Harvest Figures and Other Yard Folks, by Mississippi writer Felder Rushing (Storey Books, $16.95), ancient Greeks placed statues of the god Priapus, protector of animals and crops, among their plants to ward off evil spirits. People of many other ancient cultures had similar practices. The modern scarecrow is an evolution of these early statues.

Today, scarecrows are used mostly for fun. Science has supplanted whimsy in keeping pests away from plants. Still, many folks enjoy their homemade garden companions, which have become symbols of the harvest season. And hey, they may even scare away a crow or two!

Make It Easy

To create a simple scarecrow, just follow these instructions, adapted from Felder's book. Start with two wooden poles (one 6 feet long and one 3 feet long). Form a cross, and bind the two pieces together with twine. The short one will be the shoulders, and the long one will be the spine. Drive the long pole into the ground.

You can fashion the head from any number of items. Stuff a burlap sack or a pillowcase, draw a face on a milk jug, or drill a hole in a dried gourd. For hair, attach raffia or yarn. Then stitch or pin a hat onto the head.

Your scarecrow can wear overalls and an old work shirt for a classic farmer getup, a frilly dress for a stylish look, or a jersey from your alma mater to show your team spirit. Stuff the clothes with some straw or crumpled newspaper.

Finally, accessorize with a scarf, gloves, shoes, garden tools, costume jewelry, sunglasses, or other props. You can even add a touch of irony by sewing a fake bird to the shoulder.