[Edit: Consider this post a BEFORE! Click this link to see everything grown in, with many more flowers!]
As promised, here are some photos of my Shabby Cottage Garden. I spent most of last week-end working out in the yard. Not fun!
I know, I know, I have way too much stuff on the porch....something like seating for 6.....What can I say, when you have a small house, you make the most of it!
Pretend there is not a bottle of Miracle Grown in this shot--that goes also for the leaves....We had a HUGE scary storm the day before I took these photos, and I haven't had a chance to clean up from it yet! If you can't tell, I like urns! I don't know if you've had this problem, but see the one pot of petunias that is half dead? That is the second time I've planted them in that pot, as the ones before died, these are on their last legs, however--the other pot is thriving! Go Figure--they get the same amount of water, fertilizer, sun, shade, etc......
I love the little concrete frog that lives in the birdbath! I got him and some other statuary from a guy off of Craigslist. If you live in the Richmond, VA area, you should check him out--he has fantastic prices! His name is Clay Underwood and he casts everything himself! For more info you can email him at . All the green overgrowth are Periwinkles--I can't wait until Fall to see them bloom. They apparently were planted there years ago, and come back every year! I cut them back last year thinking they were weeds! I must confess, though, I let the clover and wild strawberries take over parts of the flower bed! I love the flowers and the little red berries!
Seeing how one of the goals of my blog is doing things on a budget, let me tell you about these elegant topiaries. I got the concrete urns on clearance at Lowe's over the Winter for $30.00, my friend Brenda had given me a GiftCard there, so technically she gave them to me. They sat there barren and empty for some months, until the tomato cages came out--yes the cone shape is an up-side down tomato cage--I broke off the bottom ring and pushed the edges down in the soil. I then twisted the pointy ends (the side that's supposed to go in the ground) into a point. Next I planted the ivy. The bare pointed top bugged me every time I walked by, so I thought about buying some cast iron finials to top them off. After not having a job for a while, money is tight getting everything back on track, so I put it off. Then I got to going though some stuff to get rid of, and found these cast iron pineapple finials already painted shabby white! So I put them on top! They really finished it off and will really look in proportion when the ivy fills out over the next few years! Mind you these topiaries are 5 feet tall and make quite a statement--grand total cost: $65.00, including urns, plants, tomato cages, soil, etc.! Wow! what a deal!
Just what every garden needs, a bird cage and some sweet little concrete birds! They came from Clay as well. Look at all the Periwinkles! I can't wait 'til they bloom!
Again, pretend there are no leaves in the photo! This cherub also came from the Concrete Guy! I highly recommend him--in addition to the birds, frog, cherub, and bunny (below) I have, he sells birdbaths, planters, stepping stones, assorted animals, and other items. He makes them all himself in his back yard--these aren't cheap imports--but are way cheaper than the cheap imports. His prices start around $3.00 (Three Dollars).
No Garden is complete without a cast-iron armillary. Sherry at No Minimalist Here knows my source for this well! That's right all of you from Central Virginia--I scored this at
Alexander's Antiques!
I also have a touch of Gothic in the yard with the neat mini screen some sort of vine is growing on, as well as this antique Sacred Heart Jesus statue, I thought the lamb was an appropriate companion to the Jesus statue.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' John 1:29-30 (New International Version)
This not so little guy watches over the yard.
It took me several attempts to get him up there so he wasn't wobbly! He at the Sacred Heart Jesus are antiques I acquired at the Estate sale of a retired Lutheran minister. He was an avid antiques collector and purchased them years ago for his garden, when he passed away he left everything to his church, which was across the street from his home. The current minister saw me struggling with the statuary and, in his formal vestments mind you, took them from me and help me load them in my vehicle! Many thank yous!
Here is one last pic from my garden--it gives you a nice view of the brick of my house (one of the selling factors), as you may know, I live in a 1964 rancher--I really wanted an Historic home, but this was such a sweet deal, I couldn't pass it up! This may be a mid-century rancher, but this brick is antique--it was salvaged in the early Sixties from demolished Historic buildings. My home and many others in my neighborhood are built from similar brick. I hope you have enjoyed my Garden Tour--hopefully next year this time, my new plantings of ground cover, etc. will be more mature so you can actually see it!
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