The Old Man

The old man disappeared a few months back. His ancient Lincoln Continental, with its glossy finish gone flat and peeling from years in the sun, was always parked in the driveway. Every day, as I passed by on my early morning walk, I picked up his newspaper and put it on the trunk of the car so he wouldn't have to bend down so far.

The old man's yard was unique to him. Two beautiful cherry trees heralded each spring's return, their lowest branches adorned with hanging baskets full of faded plastic blossoms. A garden of pinwheels stood at the foot of one. He had a sense of whimsy.

The old man disappeared a few months back. The Lincoln is gone--a neighbor parks his car in the empty driveway now. The garden is overgrown, but the pinwheels, hidden in the knee high grass, remind me that the old man had once been there and I smile.

Trash or Treasure?

19th Century iron fence remnant for a project

I met a welder at a project today to show him how I wanted the reclaimed 19th century ironwork I specified installed. I bought the pieces last fall in Scranton at Olde Good Thing's incredible salvage yard specifically for this project.

They were leaning against a tree outside of the garage and the crew thought they were garbage and hauled them away. I freaked out when I couldn't find them! There's 2 more pieces beyond these and I will post some photos when the installation is done. I called the contractor and he found them--one piece is now bent and a small piece broke off but can be repaired.

The old cliche is true...one person's junk is another person's treasure.

Was it the Disco Ball?

via stock.xchg

A short while back, I was looking for a spherical ornament for a garden I was designing for a client. It probably has to do with my long past nights of dancing under a disco ball till dawn, but I have an affinity for spheres--a perfect shape that echos the earth's own.

Alliums in bloom (via stock.exchg)

I often use Alliums as part of a planting plan for because of the spherical blooms. I have also used gazing balls, carved stone orbs and lit night orbs. Below are just a few of the spheres that I like.

A rusted wire orb in Bunny William's garden in Connecticut

An armillary from David Harber in the UK

'Soap Bubble' gazing balls in my first flower show garden

Limestone spheres from Garden Artisans

Aluminum garden sphere from Ore