Calhoun County, AL –I seek out garden art in out-of-the-ordinary places. Such as I go to salvage yards where you can find iron and metal objects. I found 3 cattle panels that I used rebar to stand the panels vertically. I paid $5.00 for each iron cattle panel. Compare that to retail prices at the farming stores. I created vertical trellises for vines to grow. Those iron cattle panels can stand up against almost any wind. Cattle panels can become vertical mock walls in your garden spaces. In outdoor decorating, it is called creating rooms. These rooms help the viewer walk the pathways and be intrigued to turn a corner slightly hidden. I also ramble in flea markets and outdoor junk stores. I found a red shabby 1960s ice cream table I sanded and painted orange. I paid $10.00 for the wooden ice cream table and $7.00 for spray paint. Also at a salvage yard, I found a heavy, sturdy iron yellow 20-gallon pot. I use it for water-loving plants because it does not have a drain hole. I paid $0.00 (zero). The salvage truck was hauling it to the dump as I was strolling their junk. I inquired. They gave it to me. Cheap miniature white fencing can be repainted. I use these white fencings to create borders and boundaries around some of my smaller in-ground planting areas. I found out by talking to the Lowe’s power cable department that the wooden reels the cable is rolled on, are free. Yes! When the customer buys up all the cable on a reel (spool) first come, first serve can free the empty reel. Those reels are carried out back at the dock to be discarded if a customer does not want them. My free reel I stained in the color of one of my sheds, and I roll it as a mobile potting table anywhere needed in my yard. Always look for tall vertical weather vanes, that can be painted. Concrete garden objects can be found at Estate Sales, cheap. You can never have too many wildlife-watering pedestals. These are just a few ideas to get you inspired!
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, raised bed garden, and in-ground garden. Both her surnames are agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: [email protected]
