Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Garden Tour -- Part I

LAST SATURDAY, my precious garden peeps and I went on the local garden tour. It was surprisingly delightful with perfect weather and lots of laughter. I filled my entire memory card with photos. But I won't take up your entire day with a bazillion pictures. Today's post will feature the garden art and Part two will be all about the plants and vignettes. So here we go.  

This vintage mirror has a ghost-like quality that I absolutely love. 

The owners of this sign had the three remaining seasons hanging in other parts of the garden. 

Not everyone goes for rustic but I do and I love this piece.

This photo isn't very good so let me explain. The wire sticks hold driftwood pieces.
Trust me it looked really cool. 

Raise your hand if you live by this mantra. 

In a few weeks when the Russian Sage blooms, this is going to look fabulous.

Stuff like this is so charming.

Hens & Chicks surround an aging penny-clad bowling ball. 

Kermit would appreciate this.

So simple, yet so charming. 

I admit, I wanted to take this vintage bicycle home. 

Flattened blue bottles. How did they do that? 

I'm a sucker for aging galvanized metal. Is this an old garden sprayer?

This rusty thing is way cool. 

This was in my friend Bobbie's garden but I couldn't ask her what it was because people
were lined up to get their plant questions answered.
It looks like a makeshift water pump. 

This vintage yellow chair looked perfect above a carpet of
green sedums and beside the dark foliage of
Sambucus nigra

This abandoned tractor would make some people grimace but I love it.  

Check out my friend Bobbie's vintage windows. The door is going to nowhere. It's magical. 

I have one of these pump handles but mine is much smaller. 

This birdbath has a sweet Asian feel. 

Dang. I mistakenly trashed my vintage reel mower. Why did I do that when it
could make such cool garden art? 

I want more of these. 

Mindy, these are for you. Whenever I see insulators now I think of you. 

Every garden needs a few birdhouses. 

And finally this quirky, mossy fish planter topped with blooming Saxifrage.
How cute is that? 
Next time, the plants, I promise. 

31 comments:

  1. No plants necessary when the garden art is as charming as this!

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  2. Really fun! YOU have delightful pieces already, but I know how it is.... :-)

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  3. Thank you for the tour. Loved it. Our tastes for garden art are the same :)The photos gave me some ideas...
    Patti, off to the garden

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  4. I always love seeing the garden art you show! It makes me look for stuff everywhere I go :) and I have found a few things. I appreciate your sharing of these pictures.

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  5. Oh, this is my favorite part of garden tours! I think our eyes enjoy the same types of garden art. Thanks for passing along these photos & ideas!

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  6. That's a fun way to break up an unwieldy post. Now I can't wait for you to get to the plants part. You led with the best art of all...that magical mirror.

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  7. Hi Grace and thank you! So many funny pieces! I love the idea of having four seasons signs!

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  8. What a great garden! It always amazes me how creative some people can be with putting together items in all sorts of unexpected places and arrangements. They make those of us who aren't so creative think of the possibilities! Thanks for sharing.

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  9. I love yard art and you've shown some cool pieces! How to flatten a bottle.
    1) Remove labels & clean the bottle
    2) Place the bottle on a kiln shelf (I like to use kiln paper as well) heat at about 500 degrees an hour to 1475 degrees. Look in periodically as the kiln reaches and maintains the temperature (you may need to go a tad higher.) Once the bottles have flattened to where you want them, turn the kiln off and allow to reach room temperature or do a fancy annealing process, whichever makes you happier, let the kiln cool to 90 degrees or below before pulling your flattened bottles out. You may wish to make a jump ring made out of high temp wire to put on the opening of the bottle before you fire it. The glass from the other side will collapse and trap in into place. Hooray, flat bottles.

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  10. What really fun and artistic pieces!

    Thanks for sharing ~ FlowerLady

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  11. Love, love, love the yellow chair vignette. Absolutely inspires. What a wonderful outing!!

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  12. Great garden art! I especially loved the old bike. I used to collect old insulators and had a number of pretty colors before I gave them all away...now I wish I had saved them for my garden. Looking forward to seeing the plants.

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  13. I'm raising my hand! I've been cursing the last few days of being stuck in the house with three kids, but I've also managed to get all the laundry done. Not an easy feat around these parts.

    How cool are the flattened bottles?!

    Love the chair with the colander of sedum.

    LOVE the birdie birdbath.

    The insulators are, of course, awesome. I keep thinking I need more so I can start an "outdoor" collection.

    What a great tour. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has a yard full of junk! :)

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  14. That garden art is wonderful A lot of it i have never seen here. That mirror (first picture) and that abandoned tractor!! I could see a lot of these pieces in my garden. Isn't it funny how after we see things in peoples gardens we say...now why didn't I think of that before I got rid of it!

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  15. I liked your garden trip, Grace!
    Lovely mossy fish, the door to nowhere and season Spring on a wall!

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  16. I'm intrigued by those flattened blue bottles Grace. They are highly individual. Love the door to nowhere and look forward to the next instalment :)

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  17. Heisann!

    So many funny garden decorations to explore!
    Have a nice weekend!

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  18. That's just the sort of garden tour that I love!

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  19. Gorgeous! Going on garden tours is one of my very favorite things to do.

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  20. You took some great shots. I love found object art in a garden. I found an old tiller behind my first house and pulled it out of the woods and into the garden. My mom is still in that house and the tiller is still a conversation piece.

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  21. Love the garden charm!! Thanks so much for the tour.
    Hugs,
    Jody

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  22. How delightful! :) I was smiling by the second photo :)

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  23. I love the ghost mirror and door to nowhere. The tractor doesn't make me cringe, but the ivy does. I'm sure the current owner maintains it, but what about when they're gone?

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  24. Your garden is so much fun! I love the mirror and the door to nowhere.
    I have an old totem pole and some salvaged pieces. Adds to the charm of the garden.

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  25. So many interesting things here! I could be there for a full day.

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  26. Beautiful garden art. I love rusty old things as well. The tractor was really cool. Great imaginations!

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  27. Did you hear me saying ewwwww and ahhhh as I went through your pictures? LOL! I would love some of those pieces in my garden for sure. Love the tour Grace and it gives me some ideas. :)

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  28. I always save images of your posts for idea making later. Thanks.

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  29. Just got home from travel so I'm catching up. Grace, your roses are incredibly stunning! That Cinco de Mayo is something I've never seen....nor seem the likes of! With all the challenges of the "ladies", they sure give a great deal of pleasure. Do you know "White Sail?" It is an amazing white rose for fragrance.

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  30. Wow Grace how fun and so much garden art. I love when folks incorporate nostalgia and whimsy into their gardens.

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Thank you for being here! Your comments feed my soul.