A new hobby at 90

Published 8:43 pm Saturday, July 27, 2013

Lake Prince Woods resident Chuck Kuehn has turned the area behind his house, including nearby woods, into a showplace that includes 30 painted birdhouses and hundreds of flowers.

Lake Prince Woods resident Chuck Kuehn has turned the area behind his house, including nearby woods, into a showplace that includes 30 painted birdhouses and hundreds of flowers.

By Susan Stone

Special to the News-Herald

Since moving to Lake Prince Woods in 2002, Chuck Kuehn has been known as the “man with the green thumb.” But now he’s known as the “birdhouse man.”

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A couple of years ago, Kuehn saw some miniature birdhouses his son was painting as Christmas tree ornaments and got the idea he’d like to paint larger birdhouses. At the local craft store, he found a variety of sizes and shapes of unpainted birdhouses and thus, at age 90, a new hobby was born.

Kuehn gets ideas for painting the birdhouses from pictures in magazines. He has several pasted on the wall in front of his workstation to give him inspiration.

Painting the houses is a several-step process.

“First I put a coat of primer on the birdhouse,” he explained, “and then a coat of white enamel. I found the acrylic paint I use adheres better to the enamel.”

After the acrylic paint dries well, he gives the birdhouse three coats of varnish, since it will be outside in the weather.

He estimates he’s painted about 50 birdhouses, 30 of which are hanging in the woods behind his house. For some houses he’s built stands; others are nailed directly to a tree.

The area behind Chuck’s house is a real showplace. Since moving to Lake Prince Woods in 2002, he estimates he has planted 100 azaleas and 100 gardenias, in addition to lilies, iris, hostas, roses and numerous flowers in pots. The 100 gardenias all came from three original plants he brought to Lake Prince Woods.

A portion of the walking trail meanders behind his house, and he always keeps it raked and in pristine condition.

Residents and visitors alike enjoy the beauty Chuck has provided through his gardening and his artistic endeavors and look forward to seeing what his next additions will be.

Lake Prince Woods is a residential retirement community offering an array of lifestyle choices. Located in Suffolk, the community is nestled among 172 lovely wooded acres bordering Lake Prince. As a continuing care retirement community, Lake Prince Woods offers residential living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing care.

To learn more, visit www.lakeprincewoods.org.