Garden Objects #2

Jamestown is great resource for finishing products. I've found marine finish at Lowes.

Stormy, that bench is adorable! I've never seen anything like that. I actually prefer brush on to spray. It's easier to control how much you're putting on with each coat and you can make a much smoother finish provided you make sure it's thin enough to keep out brushstrokes and give it a light rub with steel wool in between coats.

The Bonfire begonia is gorgeous. Love that bright red.

Love the BBB, I ordered Begonias this year for the first time from on the the DG Co-ops. I put some in hanging baskets and some in my deck boxes. Some are still in pots waiting till the beds are ready for them. A few of them are flowering but they are still pretty small. Hope mine look half as good as yours.
I agree about the unmarked plants at nurseries. What really bothers me is when you ask them if they can ID them. They look at you like you're and idiot and say something like "They're Caladiums!" DUH I know they're Caladiums but which one? And this is the premium price nursery, not Walmart!

LOL I've run into the same thing... I can even ask, "Do you know what variety of salvia this is?" and get an answer like "it's just salvia" or "purple!" (Yah, I can see that the blooms are purple. There are a lot of purple-blooming salvias!)

Even with houseplants, I've gotten to like having some named varieties... it's not just begonias, you find the same mixed trays of african violets, episcias, philos, even succulents.

I love that hummingbird bench. There's a butterfly bench I came across at the Winston0Salem children's museum and just fell in love with, from Cricket Forge. It's very heavy and sturdy, but also very $. I'm still considering it, as it would be a fantastic focal point in the perennial bed. It's not only striking, it's also really comfy to lounge on.

Let me see if I can find a photo... http://www.cricketforge.com/

Thanks, everyone. Critter, There is a shop near here that sells that company's benches. They are very beautiful and extremely expensive. I looked carefully at them. They don't seem to be any more well made than mine. But maybe the finish would have lasted longer, but I don't know, the damage is really from the sprinklers. My beds are so hugh that every time that I've looked into a soaker hose set up, the planning & price and configuration were all overwhelming.

I do love that "Tree Bench" on their site. Rerminds me of some of the Antoine Gaudy Beaux Arts pieces in Barcelona. Today, in this rain, we moved the hummingbird bench out of the garden to the driveway. No small feat. We had to lift it and turn it face down and wedge it on top of the wheel barrow with the wings wedged against the barrow handles. It had to be backed out of the bed down the path. Fortunated the barrow just barely fit between the concrete bench at the other end of the path & the edging.

After DSO fully examined it, he declared it a week long job, it he works on it some every day (which will never happen). Terri & Hart, Thanks, for those links. I will get some of that marine finish.

Hart I had to laugh at your comments about your preference for brush applied paint giving your more control. If I were doing the painting, maybe, but not DSO. I once asked him to paint an 18" pole on an antique lamp. He put so many coats on it, it took almost 3 weeks to dry. The pole is now a visible quarter inch thicker than it used to be. Painting is not his forte. I will paint some things, but have too much on my plate to take on this, but can't let it go any longer.

There is a garden not far from here where someone has the butterfly bench, but they have repainted it a high gloss black. It definitely lost some of it's charm.

I have never been able to get enough brightly colored plants to grow in the deepest shade section of my bed, so I've been on the look out for some thing to put there to bring some life to that area. Well, this is what I found. It took three weeks of preparation to get it ready to brave the elements. It's a good thing we made the effort, as it's rained every day since I put it out there.

He's an african wood carving. Weighs about 75 lbs. Don't know what kind of wood as he was painted when I got him from an auction. His tail comes off, but we set it in place with something, not sure what we ended up using. He had a few age cracks, so we filled and sealed them all and then gave him numerous coats of polyurethane. especially his feet. I get a kick out of him lurking behind the ligularia in my jungle!

I'm still moving him a foot here to a foot there to try to get the best setting before we tie him to the ground. Because of his weight, I don't think he would blow over, but you never know and he would kill anything in his path.

Critter, I knew exactly what bench you were talking about. There is one in a shop down in Duck, N.C. where we vacation. Every time I hear someone talk about this great butterfly bench I always know which one it is going to be. LOL
Stormyla, I too, noticed that your hummer bench is very similar to the butterfly bench it is beautiful as well, was it made by the same people?
I took a few of these pic the other day probably the only garden art left that I haven't post pic of yet. They are my turtles they usually sit on the patio between the tropical pots when I took these pic the pots had been put back inside as this weather will not stay warm.
This is my oldest turtle it was a gift from a friend.

Very nice turtle, Holly! I know that you are holding out some garden art on us. I was drooling over a very nice hummingbird when at your house!
Haven't seen it here yet.

Mine has had offspring!

Goodness, no Holly! Mine did not cost even a quarter of what that one is selling for locally.

Critter, that is so cool! Heck, who needs money anyway? Go for it, girl!

Gosh, never mind. A place that doesn't list the prices online and makes you request a price list is pretty scary, LOL

Just saw that, I keep getting interrupted with cooking chores. LOL
Love, Love, Love that Monkey and the blue pot, I have some ligularia mine hasn't bloomed yet hopefully this year. If not I might be looking for a new spot for it. Your bed is just beautiful. One more turtle for now as I really do have to cook.
This is a small planter also a gift.

I was just looking at that link too - love the benches. I hate when the prices aren't posted to give you an idea - leaves you wondering... Critter, any one of those benches would look great as a focal point in your yard. Terri

Holly, what is for dinner??? I just made a batch of brownies for mine... Real healthy, I know. I'll start eating vegetables if I ever get a harvest LOL

Love that turtle pot, Holly!!! Terry, I thought only us single people had those kind of "Meals".

I missed the monkey! Stormy, where do you find all this cute stuff? He's so cool.

Yes, Hart & Holly, he spoke to me right away. I certainly was not looking for an animal, don't know really what I had in mind until I saw him. Actually, I was looking for a sculpture of some kind, but not an animal.

There is an auction not far from here that's held every Monday am, literally starts at 5am. Most of the buyers are antique dealers from the 7 or 8 surrounding states. They come with hugh trucks to cart off loads of furniture and hugh pieces of everything. They sell all kinds of stuff, not just antiques, but there is lots and lots of great stuff.

There is also a flea market surrounding it. Used to be 4 or 5 hundred tables, but since Ebay, it's now barely 200. At the auction, you can really get things for a song because it is mostly dealers that have the patience to stand there all morning while everything is auctioned.

There are 3 or 4 auctions going at once and it's a real workout to cover all of them simultaneously. But the dealers will only pay so much as they have to consider their overhead, repair cost and resale value. Individuals can really do well there. I go about twice a year and usually end up with a full pickup truck having spent about $300. Lot's of what I buy ends up as gifts or start up items for neices and nephews, but there are always great things for the garden, even plants. It is actually a very fun am to spend with DSO. Just the tools alone are fascinating.

This message was edited Jun 5, 2009 8:30 PM

I used to go "junking" all the time with a friend, years ago. Laws Auction in Manassas has auctions all the time plus a big flea market on weekends and we used to go to those. Not nearly as big as what you're describing, though.

You'll have to come down here to "antique alley" sometime. Down the old Valley Pike - Route 11 - from Strasburg through the entire county, there are antique shops everywhere. Most of the prices are fairly decent too.

Well, lookie what I found. Not quite as snazzy as the other one but probably a lot cheaper.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4810711

Hart, I'd certainly love to do it sometime. But I don't buy anything for the house anymore. Can't bring anything new in unless 2 things go out!!

Last winter, in the Poconos, I came across an urn that was at least 5' tall and gorgeous. Reminded me of some of the magnificent street planters in Paris. It took every ounce of restraint that I could muster not to buy it. I'm glad we had the van and not the truck, or that colossus would be out in my garden right now. It was magnificent, priced extremely attractively for the quality, age and collectibility, but still expensive. I was also concerned with someone stealing it. DSO found this rather amusing as it would require two people to lift each section, if not more. I am happier with my monkey!!

This message was edited Jun 5, 2009 8:27 PM

I had a very pleasant exchange with the Cricket Forge guy over the winter. We determined that a pair of the iris chairs would probably fit in our car, but the bench would have to be trucked up. I can swing it, but the medium size bench would pretty much use up what I've saved from writing DG articles, so I have to consider what else I might want to do out there instead.

I'm quite confident that nobody would/could steal the butterfly bench... that thing is really heavy!

I like the monkey!

Here's the gnome DH got me for my birthday a couple of years ago. He's made of resin, but he still split down the back last winter... doesn't really affect his looks, but I was surprised. Jim is opposed to "cute" gnomes, but we both loved this old grump. His name is Elmer.

Terri, LOL Maybe I should quantify cooking. I was boiling and peeling eggs. I was making deviled eggs for a picnic tomorrow and red beet eggs for Ric. There was a time quite a long time ago that I did do most of the cooking and shopping. Now Ric does all but a few things that seem to be my mine. As for dinner he made liver and onions, home fried potatoes and veggies in cheese sauce.

I gave my fairy her wings back.

Here is the glider I hope to repaint this year. Still need to get more of my planting done before I take on this project.

That's a great glider... it looks more compact than many of the ones I see with those huge frames. You could plant between paint coats... :-)

Critter, Elmer appeals to me too. Aren't gnomes supposed to be grumpy? I don't remember the folklore very well. My hummingbird bench weighs about 100lbs. It's more awkward to lift and carry than heavy. Oh, those Iris chairs would look nice! You could decide to go with either the chairs or bench, whichever you love more. I've never seen the chairs on display anywhere. My bench is very comfortable for two. Did you sit in either of them?

Lady, I think your fairy is just about the prettiest one i've ever seen. Not too cutsie. Glad she's no longer handicapped! Your glider is really nice. That paint job was really pretty. They are making reproductions of that style of glider now. I've seen photos of them on Ebay. I don't imagine that they are made as well though. How about red with a few scattered white daisies?

Holly, that blue pot is an old one that I stuck there to cover up a big empty space left by two Hypericum Albury Purples that did not overwinter. This would have been their third summer. Won't know until I dig them whether it was the cold or the voles.
There were 3 of them. The one on the left is still trying to leaf out. The other two are gone, but I wanted to wait and see before digging them up. I used the pot on a stand because there are small trilliums growing between them and I did not want them to get crushed. They are now growing under the pot!
Now I have to decide what else to plant there. Also have to decide whether or not to leave the one scraggly survivor there.Why is it always the stuff right in front?? I liked the hypericum because they looked good for 3 seasons.

What a cute gnome, Critter. I hope you do get your butterfly bench. That's gorgeous.

Chris, that glider looks very similar to the old lawn chairs my dad gave me. I repainted them with Krylon in a very pretty periwinkle blue with white arms and legs. You can see one of them on the left in this photo. I need to repaint those this year too. Be sure to remember to check the back and underside for rust too. It sure is cute and I love the smaller size.

I love those old gliders. The big cushioned one my parents had on the porch back in the 50s is now in the pavilion and everyone scrambles to be able to sit on it.

I have a small black glider I got at Walmart a few years ago. I keep moving it around. Someday it will find the perfect spot. I have a concrete bench too that I've had for a long time that keeps roaming. I want to put it under the big crabapple, which has very nice shade.

These are my two garden cuties that I have in my backyard--each up against a tree playing hide and seek! Snug, :o)

Critter, just love Elmer, One of the yards I pass from time to time has one something like him but not exactly the same, and every time we go past there I think how cute it he.
LadyG, I agree that fairy is one of the prettiest I've seen. Bet that glider was just beautiful when you first painted it.
Josh has one of those huge old gliders in his pavilion at his summer place. It is primo territory as you can sit and watch the river from there. I laugh because Josh says he sleeps on it when he is down there.

Oh, BTW Ric and I went to our Hobby Greenhouse Assoc. picnic today and we made living wreaths. I have two of them and when I get home tomorrow I will post a few pics. They were great fun to make. Ric is home while I am babysitting over night. Not too sure when I will get home as I just may stick around for awhile and do some gardening while I'm here.

Hart, That chair caught my eye when you posted another one of your photos. I zero in on all neat things!!! Periwinkle is great. What kind of paint did you use?

Snug_as_bug_rug, They ARE cuties. Bet they look great out there playing in your garden. I like how colorful they are. They would really liven up a shade garden. Thanks so much for posting them!

I've been keeping my eye out for one of those old gliders knowing that I have to replace the rocking bench in my side yard. I'd like to find a 2 seater. I was actually considering one of the reproduction ones like lady's but really wasn't sure how good they were. If i am vigilant, something will come along.

The color is actually much prettier than it shows in the photo. I used this in Global Blue.
http://www.krylon.com/products/indooroutdoor_paint/ Krylon has prettier colors than Rustoleum I think.

If you don't mind a new one, check out the metal gliders at Walmart. They're very sturdy - I've had mine for about 12 years and have never even had to repaint it, and they're not very expensive. Nice size too - comfortable for two people.

This message was edited Jun 7, 2009 12:37 AM

Thanks, Hart. I'll look at the Walmart site. Do you also use a clear Rustoleum when you use the Krylon?

There are people lurking in my garden too. I found these two guys at the same auction as the monkey. They are about 20" tall. I stuck them in this spot for now, but don't know where they will eventually end up. I quite like them and would like to know what it is they are talking about.

This guy used to sit on the floor of my balcony and now lives in the garden. My house has an open floor plan and the back side of it is all glass doors and tall windows. Over the years I've collected many paintings and don't have enough wall space here to hang them all. There are paintings hung in unusual spots in my home, including 3 in the kitchen.
A friend came to visit me shortly after I moved here. When he saw this guy in the garden, he said I had certainly developed an interesting decorating style.. Greeks in the garden & Impressionists in the kitchen!!

And sometimes we have real people in the garden! These are my two nephews who have given me so many garden objects. This Walmart hammock, which I purchased for DSO is the most popular spot in the yard. Watching the younger nephew try to get in and out of it is almost as amusing as watching DSO doing the same. Sometimes all 3 of them are in it together!!! Eventually whoever visits me ends up in it.

It's 4 years old and has not shown any signs of rust. Sometimes late in the day I will get in it with a good book. Ten minutes later the book is covering my face and I'm sawing logs!!! This was very inexpensive as hammocks go and was one of my best garden purchases.

Cuties!
I agree the string hammocks are very comfortable. Ours rotted after a few years of outside though. Hm actually, it lasted more than five and had some abuse by multiple kids. Worth the $

Stormy, you will never cease to amaze me, I can't keep up with all your "objects"! I LOVE the monkey and the "guys" are fabulous!!! Nice hammock and cute nephews :) Curious where you got your hammock? I'm looking for a reasonably priced hammock to replace one Rick picked up 10 years ago in Mexico and most are pretty "pricey"! It's not like we have a lot of time to relax in one but it is nice when we DO find the time :)

I have some fairly new beds since we are not in this house very long. Since I'm finally up to the point where I can give the gardens something other than living plants, I'm getting some great ideas here.

The tiling, junking, creating and searching done by you people is simple enchanting!! Your gardens have such interesting personalities. I have bought some stuff to display, but the "junking" articles seem to be the most appealing and I have not done that yet.

Some of this new store bought stuff is cute, but lacks the character of the old stuff.

I like this garden fairy that I picked up last year even though he is "new".

No need to use Rustoleum on top of the Krylon, Stormy. It's the same as Rustoleum, just clean any rust off first. I just wish I had thought to put a coat of wax on top of the paint. Other than that, you don't need to put anything on top of it.

That's a beautiful fairy, Roses.