Garden Art

OK--we are all in a "holding pattern" until the end of February to see if we get any/more freezes so I thought I'd start a thread on garden art. We can actually see our garden art (LOL--it's usually covered up by a jungle of growth in the rest of the year) this time of year. Now in Texas we have a wide definition of what is considered "yard art"....feel free to post away with your contributions. We will all have something to look at for awhile.

Now in my garden I use some really strange things for garden art. I've got some "spokes, metal" from ancient decayed whisky barrels nailed to the fence for vines/things to grow up. And a really bizarre looking brick path I made myself 12 years ago (what was I thinking?!).

This first one I call the "Guardian of the Lettuce".

This is my old friend the Gargoyle--he is enjoying the herb garden right now....but he moves around on his owner's whim!



This message was edited Jan 21, 2006 1:58 PM

While technically not yard art--but probably definitely in the "weird" catagory--I grow all my herbs in pots. Does a large collection of old pots filled with herbs count as art? hmmmmm..........

Post away folks!

This message was edited Jan 21, 2006 2:02 PM

Hey Debbie,
Neat fence and hand laid brick too.
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Bet this will start a lot of pic's getting posted.

Actually half my back yard is behind that 3 foot fence--that's where my gardening really happens. It's a 20 x 60 area--raised beds with that path down the center. That was the original gate; although I have 3 openings now, with no gate.

I originally did that to keep our beloved "power-digging" golden retriever out of my garden. She hasn't been with us for 2 years, but the fence is still. (we still miss Sandy so! Once a golden owner--always a golden lover) I'm slowly removing parts of it.

When they first built my house 12 years ago--we could swear the traffic helicopters used our backyard as a refrence point to turn around. If you go thru that gate and turn to the west, here is the back view. I haven't cut anything back yet--but you can't see the 3 foot fence in this shot--it's to the left.

Debbie, yes, one of the things I love about garden art is that it is always there - drought or no drought, regardless of the temp, wind, or time of year. In the winter, it's wonderful to have garden art to look at for interest, color, and whimsy!

Some of my small garden art that went AWOL during the spring and summer..my gourds will be future frog houses...The rest are my kids toys they had when they were little..tricycles,skateboards,metal rollers skates, etc..were put up when the first sold snap we had...

love the frog house idea! Let us all see a pic when you get one completed.

Recycling the kids old toys in the garden brings back warm memories evry time you garden huh?

Yep, I also have an old wringer washing machine that I plan on using again growing MG's out it..I also have an old BBQ pit...I put a piece of hardware cloth over that hole and will paint it white with some more MG's vines growing out of it..
I gotta do something with an OLD YAZOO lawn mower from the 1970's..mmm just might put a dummy on there made out of something and grow gourd vines on it....
I like to recycle stuff around from the past...My kids swing set is next...

dmk1218, is that rusellia showing in your pic? I love that plant. Mine is a small one growing in a planter. I also have a little one that appeared out of nowhere and is growing in the ground. I plan to let it get huge like yours. How long did it take for it to get that size?

Debbie,
I certainly understand the fence for the "power-digging golden retriever"!! Have a granddog that fits the description, and I understand it is a permanent thing with retrievers. We fenced off the veggie garden last year, so he started in on my gorgeous St. Augustine lawn. Will try to get a picture of the little bit of garden art left - other granddog, a bull mastiff, has accidentally destroyed most of it.

Hope to see more art pictures for ideas!

Sharon

I have "destroyer" dogs too. A Great Pyrenes that weighs about 135 pounds who loves to chase squirrels hat taunt him. He has broken lot of stuff and stomped lots of plants. The other one is a Rhosesian Ridgeback that loves to dig spots for comfy beds in which to snooze. I will post some of my garden art which hasn't been ruined yet.

I couldn't resist buying this cute little boy and his dog. There is a rabbit hiding in the hollow log. You can see the tip of his nose to the left of the log. I added the miniature wagon to complete the scene. I took the photo at an angle that did not allow it to be seen. My father had taken a photo of one of my brothers with his dog. My brother was similar clothing as the boy .and had on a hat that was very similar also. So, this artwork reminds me of my father and my brother.

Mr. Leaf was a birthday gift from one of my broters. His eyes move back and forth when a sensor detects motion or when someone pushes the small button that is to the left of his chin.

Cool Mr. Leaf! I bet it really startles folks who come to your door---kinda makes the hair rise on the back of their necks huh? I love those green man faces too. Yours is very similar.

Vossner--that russelia is about 4 years old and has put up with total neglect over the winters. I seldom water back there in the winter. It's blooming now---it blooms all winter even when we have real winters.i had it in a pot prior to the ground but it never got but so large and bloomed little in the pot. Google them on the aggie site (I'm on the laptop and my links on my daughters computer) I read there somewhere they can get 6-8' wide. Really stands up to the drought. Probably the toughest plant I own.

This message was edited Jan 28, 2006 4:10 PM

I haven't seen one that is green yet. I have animal statuettes stashed around the yard. When I was a kid we had all kinds of real animals including alligators. These racoons remind me of the twin raccoons, Veronica and Constantina (Ronnie and Connie), that we raised from the time that they were a week old. We shared many adventures with them.

I haven't been able to locate a Vietnamese pot belly pig statue to bring back memories of Priscilla who lived with me for about 6 months when she was just a babe. She is very smart and now lives with my daughter near Seattle. However, I did find these nice size piggies.

As a kid, we had a huge "lizard castle" made with brick that had many rooms and floors for the horny toad lizards to explore. We had about 30 or more horny toads staying in it. It was neat seeing them run around and search for insects. They are now endangered I believe. So lizard garden art is found in many areas of my yard (as well as lizards). This is my lizard "wall". I realy need to paint the decor because it has faded.

I have attached stepping stones to my fences to add interest. The images on these are compased of embedded colored glass. The seagull commerates all of the enjoyable trips I have made to the gulf coast with family and friends. I just love to feed them. I used to have ducks and geese when I was a kid and love to go to parks and feed them now. They are so graceful in the water and seeing them glide so beautifully brings me a sense of peace. Using molds, these are easy to make (I bought these).

Htop, you have some pretty garden art items. Thanks for sharing them! Hope to meet you at the RU in April!

Wow that wall of lizards is really beautiful! How do you keep the stained glass stepping stones looking so nice out of doors? Htop you definitely put my yard to shame! lol

Sheila_FW, thanks for your kind comments. The yard art makes up for the rest of the yard which needs a lot of work right now.

dmj, I have been surprised that the glass has not faded and that I have not had to clean it but maybe 2 times in the past 4 years or so. It must have a clear glaze coating. My brother has made some painted stepping stones in the shape of frogs and has coated them with a clear glaze that I think protects the paint from the sun's rays. He gave me one for Christmas. It is really cute. He also made lady bugs from the left over cement and coated them also. I am trying to determine where to put them so my dogs don't destroy them.

Here are my happy little piglets safely away from the dogs on a plant stand ...

Those little piggies are just so darned cute.

I'm partial to the raccoons. I have an ancient one in an upright pose. He's almost "bleached" out, he's so old! Or maybe gray with age...lol

Posie4U, the piggies keep my smiling. When I saw them. I just couldn't resist "adopting" them. There are in the piglet family. I'll post them later.

dml1218, probably your raccoon is old like me ... :o) I wish I could find a larger raccoon that wasn't expensive.

I found 3 ceramic teapots at a thrift store. I hung them above 3 hanging baskets with them angled downward as though they are watering the palnts. After a rain (when we have one), they collect some rain water which I use a few days later to water the hanging baskets. Small birds go inside them to drink. Algae had been growing on the outside of the teapots. I used a Mr. Clean Magic Sponge to clean it off of them in a jiffy. It made them look new again ... like magic. This product is wonderful and cleans the outside of plastic objects very quickly as well.

Resin relief plaques are great garden decorations. I really enjoy them at night because the shadowing shows up so well with illumination. This is one of my favorites.

Here is a grouping of resin plaques with 50 cent tin containers. The tin containers adequately hold sedum which doesn't require much soil nor water. The sedum looks a bit scaggly now, but will fill back out and grow downward. The tin containers are bright like the spout on one of them. I had just watered the sedum and the angle at which I took the photo did not show their shininess. They were reflecting other colors as well. The plaques are about the same size and equally spaced and lined up. I should have taken the photo head-on.


This message was edited Feb 4, 2006 12:17 PM