The whimsical and creative talents of Oz Forrester
“I can’t do anything without making it creative,” Birmingham resident Oz Forrester said. “I designed renovations on our home and designed the addition. I grew up on a little farm and we built everything.” Evidence of his creativity abounds in his beautiful home and garden.
Forrester credits his wife Linda with partnership on the home projects: “She is my best supporter on all of my projects and she is smart, strong and willing!”
A floor-to-ceiling bookcase in the great room designed by Oz is built in a step mode conforming to the slant of the roof. “We both like books and have many of them, so I designed this to hold them,” Forrester said.
“A gazebo attached to the back of the garage is shaped like one-half of a hexagon. When we modified the home, we removed the screened porch. Linda missed it, so I made this screened in gazebo. We eat many meals here and it is pleasant to spend evenings here,” he said. “The ceiling fan and light belonged to Linda’s dad. I used them as a tribute to him.”
Oz Forrester retired after years of working in tool design for General Motors. “As I grew older, I began to appreciate my Cherokee and Creek Native American heritage,” he said. “I decided it was a good thing. This led to my interest in totem poles make by Native Americans in Alaska and British Columbia.” Oz studied their history and lore and replicated designs used to tell the story of the return to life after death as fierce animals.
The 12-foot high cedar plank totem on his deck depicts these animals, including raccoons, bears, ravens, wolves and bald eagles. The animals are beautifully depicted in flat exterior paint. Visitors on the recent Troy Garden Walk were especially drawn to view the totem pole.
Many features in the beautiful garden were created by Forrester. Along the back of the yard, thick logs form the fence, making a barrier which preserves privacy. “These were from thick branches of the maple tree and logs I cut after Detroit Edison trimmed some trees,” he said.
As guests enter the garden through a lovely arbor, seven beautiful birdhouses are visible mounted to the garage wall. These were built to Audubon specifications for finches, chickadees or other small birds. “These are comic things as Linda and I decorated them whimsically. One is a tribute to Tyree Guyton,” Forrester said with a chuckle.
There are many birds in the garden. Hummingbirds fly about rapidly. Forrester tells an interesting fact: “It is said that for every one hummingbird you see, there may be five or six about that you do not see. They come to many of the plants which we specifically plant to attract them.”
The bird feeders that Forrester built also attract many species of birds. Peanuts in shells appeal to nuthatches and woodpeckers, which like to peck at the shells to remove the peanuts contained in the two-sided bird feeder.
A compressed air tank was an inviting item for Forrester’s creative talent. He cut away the base of it and made a hanging chime as an ornament for the garden.
Looking around the beautiful garden and home is a testimonial to Forrester’s insight that he can’t do anything without making it creative.