More Garden Treasures

By request, I am posting more of my garden treasures for the world to see. Here is a concrete garden elf who hides behind the post of my wisteria pergola. His paint is really peeling and I would like to restore him, but I am afraid to scrape the old paint off. One of these days I would like to do it. Any ideas on what type of paint to use on him for outside? I wish I could find him a friend. He used to have a wheelbarrow he pushed because his hands have a hole to insert the handles. Perhaps I'll find a woodworker some day to make a wheelbarrow just his size.This plant stand might not look like much, but you wouldn't believe how handy it is to set newly planted seedlings on so I can keep on eye on them to water them. Then when they need to be re potted to a larger size, the larger sized pots fit in the circles on the side. The whole thing rotates around. I put the piece of wood on the top to sit the smaller plants on. I suspect at one time the plant turnaround had another layer - that would have been really something.
I picked up this mini tea cart up at a second hand store and couldn't resist it. Even though it is blue and doesn't go with the rest of the colors in my garden, I hate to paint it because it is so well preserved. It is the perfect height to put a glass of lemonade down while sitting in the lawn chair. I also have an old iron record stand that is perfect as an end table beside another lawn chair. You never know what you can use in the garden for furniture. I like iron or painted furniture because they hold up well under all types of weather.Here's a couple of my glass Victorian ladies (or totems as some call them) chatting in the shade of the garden cottage. One of them has had too much to drink and she is a little tipsy or maybe she's swooning in the heat. Anyway, the two ladies have been hanging around my garden for three years now and the glue has held the glass all that time. They are easy to make, just pick up the occasional mismatched vase and plate and glue them together in any sort of fashion. If you look closely you can see the ladies hat and their face and then their dress - maybe the heat has gotten to me too. If you look real close you can see the ducks around the ladies, I think they have been feeding them, because the ducks never leave their side.

I would love to see your garden treasures, in the comments section, please post a link so I can see them. I'll probably do one more post of garden treasures as I have a few more hanging around in the gardens.

Trash to Treasure

You can decorate your garden on a shoestring with re purposed furniture and other items found at garage sales, thrift stores, and, heaven forbid, even dumpster diving. I purchased the three wheel bicycle many years ago with the intent on planting the baskets with flowers. When we moved here and started my lavender gardens, I finally got around to planting the baskets and painting the bicycle just before it was destined to be taken to the dump. It now greets visitors to my garden.I've had this garden gilder for a long time. Originally it had peeling black paint. Now that we have painted the glider a nice color green it really lights up a dark spot under the willow trees. I planted this discarded wheelbarrow with gazanias and chrysanthemums and placed it near my vegetable bins. So when I water my vegetables I can easily give those flowers a drink too. In my garden there is a garden pond made from an old claw foot bathtub just before you reach the bicycle. The bathtub island looks much better in person. Many people pass the pond by without even knowing it's there. I"m glad because it means the pond blends into the landscape. The sculpture is a copper float I found in our barn and attached it to a rusty post to grace the pond.

We dragged the tub to the parking area and placed it in the center. We attached a PVC pipe to the drain in case we ever wanted to drain the tub. We then mounded soil around the whole bathtub up to the rim. Then we gathered rocks and placed them around the soil to keep it from sloughing off. Then we filled the pond up to the very top. I planted some shrubs like bottle brush, burgundy yucca, and cotoneaster to shade the pond. Keeping a pond in less than six hours of sunlight a day helps reduce the buildup of algae in the summer.I added bricks in the pond and set water plants on the bricks. About a month later I went to a discount store and purchased two gold fish and two bottom feeders and put them in the pond. They started out about 1.5 inches long and now, three years later, they are about 5 inches long. Even on the hottest days of summer, the water in the pond stays cool. This year I plan on getting a solar pump, I have been adding water each day to aerate the pond and the water plants add oxygen to the water too. I feed the fish a freeze dried fish food once a day. Now I see quail and lizards going to the pond to take a drink each day.This double washtub is perfect for a table near my vegetable bins. I can bring the tomatoes and peppers there to sort them into various sizes without bending over. Inside the tubs I can store containers, tools or flower heads to dry for seeds.

Have you turned some junk into a jewel for your garden or your home? I'd love to hear about your trash to treasure creations.

Quick & Easy Floral Arrangements

You don't need long stem flowers or a fancy vase to make a floral arrangement. With a few common flowers from your garden you can create a quick and beautiful floral display for a friend or for yourself. The vase I chose is an antique one I picked up at a thrift shop several years ago for fifty cents. The vase is only about 4 inches tall and has a small mouth, so no floral foam was needed. Pictured above is the bouquet I put together this morning in about 10 minutes. All of the flowers are growing in my yard. There is Shasta daisy, red and gold yarrow, lavender and the greenery is from the hopseed shrubs growing near my front door.


Sometimes you can even make a bouquet with shrub branches growing in your yard. Look for foliage with different colors and textures to give interest to your arrangement. Here I have used dusty miller, rosemary, variegated vinca leaves, and climbing rose leaves. Again, the vase I am using is milk glass I picked up at a garage sale for a nominal amount. Footed vases are nice for drooping foliage like the vinca vine.

If you want fresh flowers and don't have any growing in your yard stop by my gardens. I have fresh and dried flowers and ceramic vases in my gallery/gift shop. This week there are fresh English lavender bouquets available in different sized bouquets. I also have Shasta daisy and gold yarrow picked this morning. Lavender bouquets can be enjoyed fresh or hung upside down to dry. Gold yarrow is nice in an arrangement and when the arrangement fades, you can dry the yarrow and it lasts a very long time. If you're still intimidated by making your own floral bouquet, bring your own small vase with you and I'll help you put together a bouquet with flowers from my shop.

Deformed Leaves On Dahlias ?

For the first time this year I decided to grow some dahlias. I planted them in my raised bins. All but two came up. I have noticed a problem with some of the leaves and can't quite figure out what is wrong. Perhaps someone else knows? The photo below is from one of my healthy looking dahlias.


Now here is photo of one of my dahlias with deformed new growth leaves. Does anyone know what is wrong with this dahlia? If so please let me know. I would really appreciate any advice. The healthy dahlias are putting on buds and I can't wait to see the blooms. I'll be posting some as soon as they open.

Beauty & the Beast in the Garden

Look what's blooming in the garden this week! Many beauties and a few beasts. Well maybe not beasts, but strange, and oftentimes illusive, creatures have been seen in the gardens recently. Stop in for a visit, you never know what you might see.

The Lavender is Blooming ! ! !

Over the next several weeks the lavender will be blooming here. Our gardens are set up so that different varieties of lavender are blooming each week. We grow many different types of English, Intermediate, Spanish and French varieties of lavender. Despite a frost on April 21st, this year the lavender is blooming a full two weeks ahead of time. The first lavender to bloom is the French Lavender, Lavandula dentata and it has been blooming for over a month now. Some of the varieties of lavender I have growing here are Abrialli, Alba, Bella Pink, Buena Vista, Dutch Mill, Fred Boutin, French, French Gray, Graves, Grosso, Jean Davis, Munstead, Premier, Hidcote, Hidcote Giant, Seal, Lullingstone Castle, Otto Quast, Provence, Royal Purple, Royal Velvet, Sara, Silver Edge, Silver Frost, Vera, and Yellow.A Growers Workshop and Tour is scheduled for Monday, May 12 from 9:00 am to 11:30 a.m. If you are thinking of growing lavender on a larger scale, this workshop will cover everything you need to know to grow and market lavender successfully. Sign up early as space is limited and advance reservations are necessary. Please call for more information. Our Growers Workshop and Tour will cover the history of lavender, lavender varieties and selection, soil and site planning, planting and maintenance, harvesting, lavender crafts, pruning, propagation, marketing and resources.
When lavender is in bloom it is a sight to behold. We expect the lavender to be blooming until the end of June, so plan on making a visit to the gardens soon so you won't miss out on this year's bloom time. We will have fresh lavender bouquets available in our gift shop as well as all our regular items. Hope to see you soon.

Death In The Garden

I hate to be morbid, but I think this information is important to share. I was watering the potted plants around the gift shop and saw a dead bird. I thought poor little bird, and wondered why he had died. I picked him up with a napkin just in case it died of the bird flu. I examined the bird and could see no bite marks so I knew my cat was not responsible. I carried the bird to the trash can. On my way back I saw my cat had caught a gopher and he was eating it. I didn't feel bad for the gopher since the gopher provided a meal for my cat, but I was really saddened by the dead bird.

Later I came back to finish my watering and around the corner I saw another dead bird lying on the iron bench. I looked up and saw the mirror on the side of the gift shop and my heart sank. There was a perfect reflection of the willow tree in the mirror. The reflection was so realistic it looked like I could just walk right up to the tree. I knew what had happened. I had inadvertently caused the death of two beautiful birds. I realized both birds had flown into the mirror and had been killed from the impact. I carried the second bird up to the house. I quickly grabbed a can of paint from the garage and ran down to the gift shop and painted over the mirror to prevent any other birds from flying into the mirror. I am hoping someone will know what type of birds these are and will post a comment here.


Several months back I heard a pop on my window. I went outside to see what had happened. I saw a little bird lying on the ground and convulsing a bit. Since he was still alive, I picked him up and cradled him in my hands trying to keep him warm. Later he warmed up and stopped convulsing, but he seemed petrified. I tried putting the bird on a branch, but he couldn't stand up. I got my camera and took a photo of the bird in the shrub. I thought the bird wouldn't make it propped in the shrub since it was a cold day. So I got the idea to get a terry towel from the house and wrap him up in the towel only leaving a small hole for his head to peak out. I placed the bird in the towel in a small shrub in the front yard. Later, I went back to see if the bird was there and he had flown off, I was so happy. Perhaps someone knows what variety this little bird is too.

I did a some research on the Internet and read that it's estimated 90 million birds are killed each year from flying into windows. I wondered what could be done to reduce these numbers. After all, birds bring such joy to the garden with their song and beauty, not to mention the fact they reduce insect populations. Karen Bridges wrote about five easy steps onHow to Prevent Birds From Flying Into Windows.

This week I am going to do an assessment of reflection hazards around my home. I will also paint a couple of birds on the mirror. I hope if you have mirrors or window reflections in your garden you will consider some of the tips on how to prevent birds from flying into windows.