Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Antiques in the Garden




Even as our hearts and blessings are directed toward folks in the western part of the country   dealing with mud slides and northeasterners experiencing blizzard conditions my head has thoughts of of spring swirling around.

Surely Spring can't be that far behind this unusual pattern of weather the country has seen this winter.

Gardens are wonderful places to use items you love but which have lost their ability to be functional, have been broken or have missing parts. In the garden, you can display your most cherished and sometimes most damaged items.

   
An old claw foot tub now provides a rich
environment for a variety of plants.  Such tubs are available salvage and revonators' businesses.  Sometimes you may strike a bargain on-line or with someone who is renovating an older house.  They will be grateful for someone to haul the tub away, these tubs are not lightweight!  
In my garden I have placed several of my original wicker and and twig chairs.  Some are still able to be used to sit in, others serve as unique plant stand or bird feeder.  Even left where plants will grow around them gives your garden an antique informal feel. 


You will want to have at least one place in your garden
where you can sit and relax with guests or escape from the
work of the day.

Cement benches can be made more comfortable by placing colorful floral cushions on them while in use.

An antique table may be crafted of old barn wood or antique floor boards. Decorate your table by putting plants and flowers in teacups and vases that have chips.  Create a mosaic centerpiece by combining pieces of chipped porcelain or decorate a clay pot with bits of colorful porcelain chips.  The possibilities are open to your imagination!

This week as I scour the antique markets and second hand shops I will be looking for chipped cups and broken dishes.  I may even find a fanciful antique table  lamp that will be transformed into a birdbath, using a large porcelain charger to attach to the top to hold feed or water.


And remember St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology.

 A mismatched stone walkway leads to a garden hideaway protected by a wrought iron gate that harbors a discarded wooden swing.   Lots of colorful shrubs lend a peaceful informal place to relax.

Till next time, stay well, stay happy  

www.antiquesattheirongate.com
auctionmom@gmail.com                              
 
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Sunday, February 16, 2014

Spring Plannning

Thoughts of spring are beginning to fill my head.  I enjoy all the seasons even the one that brings travel to a halt and winds that blast snow against your face.  But winter is also the season for snowmen, ice sculpture, quiet evenings by the fire, and brisk walks during the day.

With spring comes renewal.  I enjoy watching the gardens come to life and while I adore tulips and crocus, I cannot compete with the wildlife that adore the flowers more than I do.  I am more than happy to plant my daffodils and watch as they multiply each year.

And another of my favorite flowers, the smiling cool weather pansy.  If planted just so, in some shade, will continue to smile throughout most of the summer.

Spring is a time for renewing the many furniture finds you purchased throughout the winter.  It is a time for recycling old pots, colanders, purses, and whatever you saved for something but were not sure of at the time, to turn them into planters and unique structures for the garden.  

Just as certain houses demand certain types of furnishings, so do houses demand certain types of gardens.  A cottage garden will look unkempt if paired with a modern style house.  The formal English garden will look harsh inhabiting the same lot as a country farmhouse.  Herb gardens are at home near colonial  kitchens and bird baths crafted of decorative concrete are a welcome addition to any garden.  

So enjoy planning and dreaming for the days are lengthening and it will soon be time to trade our woolen mittens for gardening gloves, and our snow shovels for garden trowels.



 Country Garden


 

             Formal English Garden

   

   Cottage   Garden 

 


Till next time, stay well, stay happy

auctionmom80@gmail.com

www.antiquesattheirongate.com