Neighbours talking over the garden gate has long been a tradition. They share gardening tips, complain about the weather and pests yet are ever eager to discuss their gardens. That is what I had in mind when creating this blog. So stop by my garden gate to find out the latest happenings in my garden.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
"All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child." ~ Madame Marie Curie"
Lion Topiary
December 16, 2010
We left the chilly north on December 8 to stay mainly at our vacation home in the sunny south, returning north January 9. During that time we made two visits to Busch Gardens. While this is an amusement park it very much has a garden setting. Many of the plantings have name tags that I found quite useful. It's nice to be able to see the actual plant for future identification.
I was quite impressed with the huge lion topiary waiting to greet visitors to the park. Isn't he majestic? I can't imagine how much work goes into keeping him trimmed. I would love to try my hand at topiary. I've tried to find a wire frame for reindeer like those used for Christmas decorating but without the lights. So far I have been unsuccessful so I might have to buy the ones for Christmas and strip them of their lights. This project is on my to do list for my new garden once we move. Hopefully the house will sell soon so I have ample spring to work on the new garden beds.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
Tipi
July 28, 2010
Home gardeners know that gardening is not just the bare basics. Garden decorations enter the picture at some point. Some aren't even intended garden decorations but meant rather to serve practical purposes likes pest deterrents or critter protectors like toad home. The organic farm has a wonderful tipi constructed on a bit of open space. Despite adding character, the tipi could serve as a spot to harden young plants in the spring. The canvas would shield from sunburn and wind while proving a bit of warmth. I'm not sure if they are using it for this purpose so will be sure to ask the next time we visit.
Behind the row of evergreens which is a common windbreak in rural areas there is a larger traditional row garden (picture tomorrow) and a lovely pond that is just still in progress. It will be gorgeous when finished. They are planning on adding sitting areas for visitors to rest and ponder awhile. They also have horses and while they no longer offer riding lessons they may will offer a trail ride. They have free range chickens as well so I now have another source for buying eggs until I get chickens of my own.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
New Arrivals
July 22, 2010
Many people don't realize that Gnomes come in a variety of sizes much like their human counterparts. They also have a wide range of interests. The smallest Gnome is an exclusive design from Cape Shore. He is about 2 - inches tall. Unlike working Gnomes this little one is all about lounging on the beach complete with drink in hand. He sports sunglasses and a funky patterned shirt moving away from the plainer attire of garden and home Gnomes. He is simply about as adorable as you can get! Gnolfing Gnome represents my husband's interests. He might tag along in my husband's golf bag occasionally to bring a little luck. Something tells me this little guy will be going places!
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Petunia Garden
July 10, 2010
Part of loving gardening is enjoying and learning from other gardeners. Saturday we took the boat out for a wonderful day spent on the water. I managed to snap this picture of a petunia garden from the boat. I'm actually impressed at how clear it came out. Aren't those frogs simply adorable? They look like they are enjoying their quiet spot tucked in the petunias!
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Vacation Gnomes
May 22, 2010
As the happy keeper of
Gnome Empire in Ontario, Canada I was anxious to have a few gnomes volunteer to help establish a
Gnome Empire Outpost at the vacation home. I looked high and low to no avail. I was becoming quite discouraged ready to put out an SOS for any gnomes willing to join the
Gnome Empire Outpost. Just when I was giving up hope these 2 friendly gnomes popped out of the woodwork to volunteer their services. I was ecstatic at their generosity so took them up on their very kind offer. Now what many don't realize is a gardener does not choose what gnomes come into their lives. Rather the gnome chooses the gardener. Gnomes are very helpful creatures but only to those who love the little ones. They bring a mystical magic to the garden that's hard to capture through any other means. I'm so glad these gnomes decided to join the
Outpost!
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
A garden is more than just a few plants tucked into the ground. It really does become an outdoor living area. Yes it provides food but that is no reason it can't aesthetically be pleasing! Even functional gardening necessities can provide a bit of eye candy. We wanted to tuck the first raised bed perpendicular to the garage. The problem was there was a large, scraggly and over grown euonymous bush blocking the way. We made the executive decision to remove it freeing up the space for the first path and removing yet one more rodent habitat. What we discovered was a rather unique and obviously homemade water hose hanger!
Before
Thank goodness there is already water, natural gas and electricity to the garage so we don't have to worry about installing any of those lines. The existing water spigot is what I would say is in need of a bit of tweaking but that really is a minor and inexpensive repair. The water hose hanger sits in front of the garage within about 9" of the water tap. It is iron like many of the other handmade artifacts we've found on the property. I immediately decided to keep the hanger. It has nice lines and just suits the garden nicely. The problem was it had been covered by the bush so obviously neglected for quite some time. Pictured is the unexpected find along with two of my new solar lights. As you can see there is still much work to do for this first pathway but that will come.
After
The hose hanger obviously needed work but it was still firmly planted in the ground and very functional. I swept off the cobwebs then went over the entire structure with a brass brush to remove both rust and any loose paint. Then I washed off any dust with the hose and let the hanger dry completely before proceeding.
The hanger is only inches from the garage so I protected the area behind the hanger with cardboad. Then I sprayed 2 coats of Weathershield® Rust Coat in a gloss black. Using a gloss paint is something I like doing for certain outdoor projects. In this case the surface was quite textured so the gloss accented it slightly resulting in a soft sheen. At the same time the gloss tends to weather nicely. I'm quite pleased with the results. It will look a lot different with the hose hanging on it which is the next step.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2009
Standing Guard
Garden 2006
Garden gnomes bring good luck to your garden and work hard to help your garden prosper but sometimes they need a bit help. That is where other garden decorations can help. Garden decorations add a touch of whimsy to the garden but they can also help in pest control. Pests are smart especially the rabbits who likely have group meeting to decide the best way into my garden and how they are going to outsmart me next! The best decorations for this purpose is anything with large eyes or items that resemble eyes because the represent predators. It's best if the eyes have a bit of shine to them especially at night. Other useful garden decorations that can help with pest control are those that move such as streamers or whirligigs and decorations that make noise. For best pest control results be sure to move the decoration to a different location and use more than one type. Motion activated decorations that make noise are more effective than those that make noise all the time.
Quite often farmers will use owl statues and they are popular for keeping swallows away from the boats in marinas or on docks. There are motion activated owls that likely would be more effective. We have two plastic owls, one for our boat well and the other for the garden. In the garden, the owl seems to be effective for discouraging squirrels, rabbits, mice as well as morning doves. The first three pests are destructive while the morning doves, a relative of pigeons, makes a mess. For best effect, I move the owl around the garden on occasion so pests do not become adapted to it's location. That's important since once the pest becomes adapted to your strategy, the decoration will no longer be effective.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2007
Gnameless Gnome & JackGnameless gnome was used to being the only gnome in my garden. As you can see he lost a couple of pieces off his rake so I'll have to see if I can find a way to fix that for him. He was joined by a wide variety of other garden decorations. This year I decided to use a unifying theme instead of a mish mash of decorations. Of course that theme had to be gnomes! The visiting kids should really like these little guys! I also decided to add solar lighting and while I now have eight solar lights and two solar rock lights (spotlights made to look like rocks) I am planning on adding just enough to get a subtle twinkle effect.
Jack the swinging woodland gnome arrived today. His birthplace was Aarons Enterprises Inc. then he traveled to
Krupps and finally came to me. He is an 8" gnome so a bit smaller than Gnameless. I was quite happy with him so ordered two more gnomes. I'm planning on making or buying gnome ladders for each of the beds so the gnomes can get up there and will be adding a few other gnome accessories. The goal is to achieve a gnomescape without interfering with the function of the gardens.
Gnomes and other garden critters should be protected by an acrylic spray with UV protector annually in it something I did not know. So I will be cleaning Gnomeless and the raccoon twins then spraying all of them before placing in the garden this year.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2007
Garden Goodies
I treated myself yesterday for behaving at the dentist. I hate dentists so actually bribed myself. Yes I know, I clearly stated here that I was gnomifying the garden and I am but the store I stopped at had no gnomes! I bought two new bird feeders and solar lights. I think I might pick up another set of the post solar lights and perhaps another solar rock. All are on sale until this weekend. I think with a bit of planning they will really look nice in the garden. Oh a frog did sort of slip in but he's going up closer to the house away from the main garden area, I think so shouldn't affect the gnomes. I only bought three packs of seeds: mammoth long island dill, parsley and stringless green pod bush beans. I am now officially on the countdown to gardening season!
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2007
Stella de Oro Daylily
Spring is just around the corner even though it does not feel that way today. It is cold with freezing rain and snow flurries. Everything was coated with ice this morning thanks to the Colorado Clipper as it made its way northeast. I'm itching to be in the garden again! This week I will be starting a few seeds indoors
Gardens can be so much more than just plants and while that's what most of us aim for, a touch of whimsy is always nice. For years I have used used decorations like turtles, frogs, racoons, miniature scarecrows and of course a garden gnome. One reader emailed me to ask if the garden gnome picture in my profile was a real statue. It is. I've had him for a few years. He is made of resin to withstand the weather. I think he is somewhere around 9 to 12 inches, just guess as he is put away for the winter. My decorations have tended to be whimsical with no real theme. During an online search I discovered
PhenomeGnome.com a wonderful website dedicated to gnome lovers. There is a lot of information as well as a forum. What intrigued me was setting up garden decorations to follow one theme and in this particular case it is called
gnomegardening. They like to show gnomes in their natural environment and use gnome accessories such as doors, tree stumps and other natural elements for a realistic gnome based environment. These items are referred to as
gnomescaping. While the goal of my vegetable garden is production, I am going to try gnomescaping this year. The idea of more earth elements blessing my garden is appealing!
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2007
GnomesMontelago Village, Lake Las Vegas, Nevada
The number one question I get online is "Why the nickname
Garden Gnome?". The nickname originated from a smart alec comment from my youngest referring me to a
Gnome because of my short stature. The
Garden part came because ove my ever expanding garden and desire to spend more time there. Gnomes have always been interesting to me likely because of their mystical qualities so I didn't mind the nickname. I just had to take a picture of the gnomes in a little shop in
Motelago Village on Lake Las Vegas.
Statues of gnomes have been popular garden decorations for since the 1800's. The traditional depiction of the male gnome is short, elf-like beings with wrinkled and gnarled human-like features and a head slightly too big for its body. It is dressed in bright, solid colour clothing. They wear a conical hat usually red and have a long, white beard. Quite often they are hunchbacked or misshapen. According to
Wikipedia the first garden gnomes were made in
Gräfenroda in
Thuringia,
Germany based on local legend that gnomes helped in the garden at night. They are usually depicted doing some type of activity like holding a lamp as in the picture or holding a rake like mine. While originally made in terracotta, garden gnomes are now available in other materials including resin that tolerates the weather well.
Gnomes are legendary creatures associated with the
classical element of earth because of their subterranian habitat. In lengends they protected secret treasures concealed in vast caverns underground. While the origin of the garden gnome indicated that gnomes helped humans in their gardens at night, older legends indicate that gnomes were not naturally inclined to help humans. But they could be valuable allies if a human were to gain their trust. In gardens, gnomes are seen as good luck charms for aiding in the growth and protecting that which is planted. Not everyone views garden gnomes as beneficial garden inhabitants.
J.K. Rowling referred to garden gnomes as "potatoes with legs" in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. In the wizarding community, garden gnomes were pests much like moles so wizzards had to routinely de-gnome their gardens. The de-gnoming method was rather simple. Grab the gnome by the legs and swinging it around to make it dizzy then toss it from the garden.
Garden gnomes are often depicted globe trotting since they became popular items to snitch. One garden gnome gained his moment of fame when he was uprooted from his garden and sent on a trip around the world. Pictures came from each destination assuring his owners that he was having a wonderful time. He finally made it back to his home garden safe and sound. While this sounds rather humorous, no one should remove a garden gnome from his own garden! It disorients the gnome and brings bad luck to the garden and it will bring bad luck to those who remove a gnome. Remember a gnome is not naturally inclined to help humans and have magical powers that can cause humans to feel sad. So to those so inclined, please don't remove a garden gnome from his garden.
Garden Gnome
© 2007
Before
After
Gnameless Gnome
Racoons
Rose of Sharon, Althea
