One of our local readers and daylily extraordinaire, Ellen, has been kind enough to share a picture of her bottle tree with me. She graciously agreed to allow me to share it with you all.Bottle trees are as different as the gardeners who create them. They are wonderful reflections of the gardener and add so much to a gardeners' garden that no garden should be without one.
This particular one looks like a big blue bachelor button to me. It is perfect in its setting near the pink flowers and lovely birdbath. It even echoes the shape of the ornamental grass nearby. Great job Ellen and thanks for sharing!
in the garden....enjoying the gardens and seminars in Jackson, Tennessee at the University of Tennessee's Summer Celebration. I'll be back tomorrow.
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31 comments:
I do appreciate the way Ellen has her bottle tree tucked up next to the natural tree as sort of an understory with color. There is something delightful about light shining through blue glass.
Enjoy the gardens in Jackson today, Tina.
Meems
Tina .. I have never heard of these trees until I joined Blotanical and have seen so many American gardens with them .. I love the blue glass ! How did this all start up, do you know ?
If I may say, this bottle tree is one of the better looking ones that I have seen. Great job Ellen.
I have been saving bottles. Love the blue German wine bottles...or is it the German wine?? ;-)
Tina,
Have a fun trip! We'll see you when you get back!--Randy
Great looking bottle tree in a lovely setting. I looks so natural. Good job Ellen.
Have fun at the gardens, Tina.
Hi Anonymous, Skeeter, Dawn, Nina & Jean. Hope you all have a great day.
Very nice!
Good morning all! Getting ready to head south and I am ever so excited!
Thanks for all of your lovely comments on Ellen's bottle tree this morning.
Joy, I believe bottle trees came over with people from Africa? They believed that if the bottles were hung out that they would capture evil spirits floating around at night. Bottle trees seem to be a Southern thing but are slowly spreading. They are most fun and no evil spirits floating around here:)
Ms. Tina, you might want to add this link: http://www.felderrushing.net/HistoryofBottleTrees.htm
to your post. He knows all there is to know about bottle trees.
Hi Tina, I passed one this week in a garden in Stillman Valley. I should try to find it again and get a photo. Love fun stuff like this in the garden. Good job, Ellen, and what fun emptying those bottles;)
Marnie
This is one of the prettiest bottle trees I've seen. Of course, the blue is my favorite, but I also like the way Ellen has placed it in among the plants and under the large tree. Very eye-catching!
what a nice idea !!! Kathrin
They are very pretty, I'd like to make one. German wine huh Janet? I like German wine!
I wonder, Tina if I could make a green one. Well, I know I could but maybe they don't work as well to keep the evil spirits away and the blue is so very pretty. I'll read that link and find out. Just wondering because I have a bunch of green ones from some friends. Great post Tina, that one is a different shape than I've seen before.
Love this! Do you know what the base of it is made from?
Have fun in Jackson!
I am eager to hear all about your trip.
Donna
Pretty Ellen.
Have a safe and fun trip today Tina. Tell us all about it.
That is a really pretty one!
That's so beautiful! Bottle trees are unheard of in my part of the world and I think the first one I saw was the one in your post months ago. I find them fascinating. Of course, I've seen many more afterwards, on other blogs. Ellen's bottle tree complements the look of its immediate surroundings.
Tina,
I only have two blue bottles so far, I need to accumulate some more I think... Very cool!
thanks for telling me about Blotanical. That is very cool too!
Rosey
I have plans to get one, but haven't yet! I love them all! Have a great day~~gail
The bottle trees are fun and I get a kick out them when I spot one. Only have seen one in our area but am sure there are more. Just maybe behind houses as their hubby’s may not want them to be seen out front. lol The Saint is starting to like them though so one may get into my garden at some point...
We had a great time in Virginia! The weather was wonderful with no humidity and we were able to sleep with the windows open a few nights. Awesome for this melting gal. lol... Now back to a hot steamy summer in Georgia. Arggg, but had one inch of rain in the rain gauge so the garden does not need a drink from the hose. Yippee for that! Amazing how stuff piles up when you are gone from home for a few days. Takes many days to catch up from only being gone a few… lol…
Have fun in Jackson!
Very neat bottle tree! I bet you're having fun out there in Jackson. Much of my wife's family is from out in West TN and she has an Aunt there in Jackson. Maybe next year I'll get out there.
You're exactly right, her blue bottle tree does look like a big batchelor's button!
I like the shape of Ellen's bottle tree. I wonder how she made that style bottle tree...I'd love one like that in my garden.
Hi everyone, I'm back from Summer Celebration. The weather just couldn't have been better-for July that is! I'll try to find out from Ellen how the base of this bottle tree is made and let you all know.
Skeeter, Welcome back!
They are so interesting. I'd never really heard of bottle trees before either so it was interesting to read their origins and the reasons for creating them. If they capture evil spirits then I need one in my garden! I like how they reflect their creators personality too. You're right about this one looking like a bachelors button. It's very attractive.
The way the tree is photographed it almost looks like water shooting up and out of the birdbath in front. It's a fun effect. And blue glass always looks great on these trees.
This thing with bottletrees... must be werry American???
I have never seen them in Sweden ... hmm... maby I do one myself one day :O))))!
Yours looks stunning!
Linda
Thanks all for you nice comments. Ellen had the base of her bottle tree made from welded rebar and as a final step had it powder coated. Powder coating is a very doable thing for metal in the garden. I think it looks great and helps the metal to hold up.
I don't see many bottle trees around but I love this one and it shows that it doesn't have to look junky but can be a beautiful part of the landscape.
I've been saving blue wine bottles for a future bottle tree for my garden. Thanks for sharing a photo of Ellen's with us. It is a unique shape indeed. :)
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