Balls

BY SKEETER Tina: I am going to dedicate this post to you girl...
I have decided it is time to start getting rid of things we no longer use. These bags have been in a storage closet for the past 12 years! What is inside you may ask?
His and hers bowling balls! Not used since we left Germany and no longer belong to a bowling league. We joined the league to have fun but we found that most bowlers took the game way more serious then us so we decided this sport was not for us. One can hardly bowl now unless on a league as they take up all the alley times. Bummer...
I found this Gazing Ball stand for only $7.00 and thought what a bargain! As soon as I picked it up, I knew what I was going to do with this stand.
My beautiful Gray toned ball was proudly sitting on top. I had a spot picked out for the ball in my Georgia Gardens and when ready to place it, I notice one weld had separated. I don't know if this was due to the weight of the ball or if I had purchased it like that but I knew it was not made for anything this heavy. So back to the store the stand went. They gladly gave me a store credit. I love the Christmas Tree Shops!
I came up with Plan B... I took an old broken Birdbath, put the Saints old ball in the middle and planted small cactus type plants around it.
I am now doing a double recycle with finding a use for an old birdbath and an old bowling ball!
Can you believe that when I got the bowling balls out the Saint said, "Lets go Bowling" After 12 years in the closet, I find a purpose for them and he wants to go bowling. Ha, I told him that it has been so long that I doubt either of us could keep the ball out of the gutter.
I put this creation on the porch since I have had luck with cactus type plants here in the past. Plus, I think it will make for some pretty good conversation while rocking away on the porch.
Later on, I found some rocks in my craft pile in the storage closet. I added them and think that this little garden is now complete. I have yet to snap a picture of the gray ball as it has also found a spot to call home. Well, for now as it may be moved in time. Do you like my BALLS, In the Garden...
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PS. I just wanted to share with you a list the Saint and I tackled just on Sunday...

The Saint:
Pressure Wash by grill.
Pressure Wash Stepping stones from house to patio.
Pressure Wash by back door area.
Pressure Wash Slabs on East and West sides of house by the Water Faucets.
Pressure Wash all birdbaths.
Pressure Wash Brick Entry to house.
Hose Spray House Siding and give extra care to the Sun-room windows.
Paint Patio Table.
Paint Iron on Bench.
Stain wood on Bench.
Stain a new trellis.
Clean Chairs by Shed.
Dig up a dead tree.
Plant two Bridal Wreath Saplings I dug up.
Attach Garden Hose to East Side of house faucet.

Skeeters List:
Weed, dig out dirt and Mulch by Lilies in Semi-Formal Garden.
Finish spreading Pine Straw in Butterfly Bush island.
Embed Bricks into ground for path to Bench site.
Dig out dead Hydrangea.
Remove old pine mulch and leaf debris on East Side of house.
Scatter old debris in the front woods area.
Clean all tools, both shovel's, garden rake, leaf rake, Hand tools, etc.
Clean all plant pots for storage and recycling.
This was what was on my list. I did countless other things in between this and that task.
I am proud to say the Saint did every thing that was put on his list! I am so proud of that man as he worked his rump off for me! I think the trick is to make him a list as Saturday, he seem to keep disappearing on me without a list to tackle. He was busy visiting with this one and that one in the neighborhood. I will remember to make him a list in the future. Hee hee....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Making the Gazing Balls (Disco Balls!) from Bowling Balls

From In the Garden

As promised in last week's garden resolution post I am determined to finish projects before starting new ones. One such project I recently finished (it was started-oh-about three years ago) is 'The Gazing Ball' project. Here is my wonderful display of my gazing balls in my new Non-Pool Garden. I arranged the two balls that I made (instructions follow); which are the black ball with auto safety glass and the gray ball with mirror pieces and added in the third ball (metal). I was excited to find a great way to display the balls in the garden. I used the chimney flue pieces (red tubes holding two of the balls) and the clay piece of a pipe I had salvaged (brown tall tube holding the stainless ball) as mounts. These pipes had been hanging around the garden for several years and it came to me that they'd be fantastic to use as stands for my gazing balls.


Now let's follow along so you too can make your own gazing balls.

From In the Garden

As regular readers know I have a lot of bowling balls in my garden and have posted about projects with them in the past. In fact, one of my very earliest posts on this blog still brings in a lot of traffic due to the bowling ball 'gazing balls' my good friend Geri made. Today's post is about my take on the gazing balls made from bowling balls.


Steps to making the balls:


Materials you will need if you wish to make your own are: a bowling ball, caulk, sanded grout, E-6000 glue, glass gems, broken glassware (I used a very thick mirror I broke into pieces as well as auto safety glass that was already broken) or crockware, or tiles, pebbles, (what you glue to the ball is limited only by your imagination!).


1. Fill the finger and thumb holes with caulk. Allow to dry and fill again if the caulk shrinks. Be sure it is completely dried prior to grouting the ball. Gluing is fine though if the caulk is not yet dried. 


2. Break your material into workable sizes: The first construction picture shows my broken mirror for my 'disco ball'. Here is the thing I did not expect that can cause major issues. Even though I placed the mirror in a double paper bag and hammered it evenly the mirror had more of a tendency to break into slivers and shards rather than into nice and convenient sized pieces I could easily glue onto the ball. I therefore used a screen to screen out the slivers and tried to break the mirror a little more evenly by breaking only specific pieces. This was not an easy task. If you have access to a glass cutter I would suggest using that instead of using a hammer to cut glass if you plan to make a glass ball. One more tip of note, however much you think you'll need to cover the ball-double it. Those bowling balls are actually quite big!

From In the Garden

3. Glue pieces onto the balls using the E-6000 glue. I have found this glue to be a perfect glue for outside projects. It dries clear and while it is messy to work with and has a strong smell (be sure to use only in a well ventilated house or garage or even outside) it holds the pieces very well in all weather. It took me a few days to glue all of the pieces onto both balls. I found applying the glue directly to the ball then placing my pieces on the ball made things go faster. I did not apply the glue to each individual piece. Work on small sections so the glue will not dry before you can set your pieces. Wait at least 24 hours before going on to the next step.

From In the Garden

4. Grout the ball. I used two different colored grouts (one gray and one black), but both colors were sanded grout. A large 20 pound bag costs about $15 at your local big box store. Grouting is messy work so I recommend you do this job outside. I used paper bags for cushioning but sat the ball on tin foil hoping the foil would not pull the grout out from between the cracks. Paper bags have a tendency to wick moisture away from the grout and will pull the grout out. I grouted both of my balls all at once. Wear disposable gloves to protect your hands. I allowed the grout to dry for a few hours before gently wiping it off from the glass. Be careful not to wipe too much grout off from the ball because it helps to support the glass you have glued onto the ball.


5. The last step I do to my balls and other grouted material I put in my garden (including my glass mosaics) is to coat the entire ball with a good grout sealer. In the case of the balls I used a high gloss sealer (it is the yellow bottle visible in the above picture). The high gloss gives the balls a finished look and brings out the best of the grout.


6. Now place in the garden!

From In the Garden

Now for my additional 'disco' ball. This is an old gazing ball I've had for a few years. I desired to bring it closer to the house so I could enjoy it from inside the house during these dreary winter days. I placed the ball on a stand on my porch right outside of my living room window where I can easily view it. This ball is sheltered on the porch from all elements-except the sun. And what does the sun do to this ball?

From In the Garden

The sun reflecting off from the glass creates a wild effect inside of the house on the ceiling that brings me so much pleasure. I can only liken the effect to that of disco balls in the 70s. Can you imagine the whole ceiling with these 'stars' on it? Delightful indeed....

in the garden....

Some Whimsy For the Garden and Summer Celebration

How about some alliums with the daylilies?

Or sunflowers with the sedum?

It is really something what you can make from a few neat utensils and farm implements just laying around....

in the garden....

There is a very important date coming up for those of us in Tennessee, especially those who have access to Jackson Tennessee. This Thursday, 9 July 2009 is the annual Summer Celebration extravaganza at the University of Tennessee's Agricultural Research Station, 605 Airways Blvd, Jackson TN 38301. You won't want to miss this wonderful event. An entry fee of $5 is all you have to pay in order to sit in on informative garden seminars, visit cool plant and garden vendors, and tour the wonderful gardens on this site. Do check out their website so you can plan your day. It is usually a long and most rewarding day 'in the garden'. P.S. There are air conditioned buildings:) Festivities start at 10 am. This is the one garden related event I make sure to not to miss each year. Have fun!

Redneck Beer Bottle Tree

Can you all stand any more pictures of bottle trees? I hope so because here is my newest one. When I changed some bottles on the backyard bottle tree I had a bunch of green beer bottles leftover. These bottles are such a pretty color (green) and were a 'gift' from a former cherished neighbor. I thought I'd find another spot for them in the garden. They are all the same so this bottle tree is a change from my eclectic backyard bottle tree.

Enter the Front Foundation Garden. Yup, right there for all to see. The house on the post is a custom made Amish handcrafted log cabin that I fell in love with and purchased from-of all places-a flea market. Boy do I know all the good flea markets.

The crepe myrtle trunks you see in the background is 'Biloxi', a wonderful, vigorous, cultivar for me. You might be able to enlarge this photo and see the super good variegation on the bark. This tree was planted as a twig five years ago.

This area was an awkward corner of my front porch and foundation bed but has been fun to design. In front of the Byer's is Euonymous japonica 'Microphylla' and 'Firepower' nandina for interest and color. You cannot beat the euonymous. I find this one looks just like boxwood, but is much shorter and stouter and easier. Very little pruning is required to keep it below the windows shown on the house. The trusty bowling balls are hiding in the background.

I added white LED lights to the inside of the bottles and house so that it would literally 'shine' at night. After all, that is when most rednecks do their beer drinking isn't it? You have a great weekend and remember, drink responsibly if you must drink. :)

in the garden....

Garden Art, from Bowling Balls

Okay, okay, probably everyone has heard enough about bowling balls from me, but I just can't seem to stop. If you don't like reading about them-stop right now.

My friend Geri is an excellent gardener and also likes crafts. She doesn't have any bowling balls lining her gardens or on poles suspended in the air, but she does have some bowling balls. Where are they you ask? Why in the garden of course! I just saw them yesterday and they are looking good!

I shared a few of my many bowling balls with her so she could make these beautiful treasures. In return, I insisted she let me post about them. They are so beautiful! The picture really does not do them justice. These bowling balls are covered with glass gems and absolutely sparkle! She made two, and Clare (her daughter) made two. It was one of their craft projects over a long weekend. Here are the directions Geri and Clare used to make their cool bowling ball art courtesy of Backyard Living, Lynne Hansen, Nov/Dec 07.

1. Fill finger holes with silicone caulk

2. Spread tile adhesive on the ball and add the accouterments to it. Leave about 1/2 inch of space between decorations for grout application. If you are going to set the ball on a stand, leave the bottom clear. Let dry for 24 hours.
3. Mix grout to the consistency of cake batter. Adding a grout additive instead of water will help it weather better.

4. Apply grout with a sponge, wiping off excess as you go along. Let dry.
5. I am planning seal mine, though the directions don't say to do so.

6. Now enjoy!

Today is my sister Dawn's birthday. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!! I won't say the age though I am still older even though we are the same age now.

in the garden....

Bowling Ball Garden

I originally posted this on September 24th, 2007. It was a very early post and since there are more readers now, along with the fact I have an early morning this morning, I thought I would revisit this garden, especially for Lola and those other readers who have not seen the bowling balls in the garden....

One thing I must cop to, this garden has been reworked since this picture was taken. I am trying to prepare it for the Master Gardener Tour in June. Lots of work to do. Some bowling balls were repositioned though still in the same linear manner, and an arbor was added. Another identical arbor is also scheduled for this garden. Will post on it soon.

I promised in my introduction I would talk about a bowling ball garden. This is mine! I had been collecting bowling balls for many years with little or no luck accumulating a lot at one time. I have finally found a source (albeit broken or cracked) for a great deal of bowling balls as you can see! Bowling balls work well as garden edgers because they are heavy, stay in place, do not rot and define a border in a big way. These bowling balls serve a functional purpose in that they help slow down run off from my driveway. Behind the picket fence backing the bowling balls are: Clematis on the picket fence, Rose of Sharon shrubs, and a few crepe myrtles; these are all backed by Thuja occidentalis 'Pyramidalis' with a few 'Emerald Green' mixed in (also known as Arborvitae). Behind the arborvitae are four red barberrys, a few privet and an Easter Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). During a good year (when we do not have a drought) this garden is filled with Impatiens balsamia, also known as jewelweed or touch me nots. Jewelweed is a native wildflower that helps to filter water and likes a moist habitat.

I have been told the sap in the joints or nodes of the jewelweed stems helps to alleviate poison ivy rash. This is very good to know if you are out in the woods and especially handy since jewelweed and poison ivy grow in the same habitat. Jewelweed normally forms a microclimate. No weeds will grow beneath it, and it rewards me with millions of orange flowers which the hummingbirds love. I truly hope it comes back wonderfully next year. Jewelweed sets seeds just like the shorter garden variety impatiens in that it forms a pod full of seeds. When the pod is ripe and is touched it explodes and often gives the un-initiated quite a start; as one of my gardening friends found out last year (Judie).

The blue looking evergreen tree next to my husband's garage is a Cupressus arizonica 'Carolina Sapphire'. I love this tree as it requires very little care and grows fast and is fragrant. Oftentimes these cypresses are sold in pots around Christmastime as a Christmas tree. They are very drought tolerant and I can honestly say I DID NOT water this tree at all this year.

I cannot let you go without telling you about my arborvitae. I did water these arborvitae about four times this summer. These evergreens started life in my garden in 2003 at about 3 feet tall and are now 8-10 feet tall. They have been in my garden four years. Sometimes arborvitae have problems with bagworms (never had them in this particular garden) and sometimes people don't like that the stems can come apart later later in life but they are wonderful screens, grow fast and are worth their weight in gold as a wildlife habitat. I have found when it is dark and very cold that these arborvitae will be filled with birds. It is amazing to walk by them at night and feel the flutter of small birds flying around because they were disturbed from their warm roosting position (the disturbance part was not intentional I can assure you). These trees like sun to part shade, and normal moisture. I am challenged in the sun part but have found part sun works just fine for these arborvitae.

Anyhow, one last note about my bowling ball garden. I have two hopes when people visit my garden and they are that people feel comfortable and that they smile. Bowling balls in the garden are whimsical and not typical but I can assure you, most people smile when they see them.

Let me know what you have in your garden that makes people smile. There is always something, even if it is a funny plant or view.

Have a good St. Patrick's Day-Make sure to wear GREEN!

This post has published with the comments. Sorry Skeeter! It may shock you to see it at first-but I think it is fine they are there. I hope you don't mind.

Skeeter was one of my very first commenters, and quite faithful. She kept me going happily for a long time and gave me lots of great advice. THANKS AGAIN!

in the garden....