Thursday, July 31, 2008

Whimsy in the Garden-Design Workshop

I love whimsy in my garden. Some might call it the 'redneck' or 'tacky' factor in my garden, but all will without a doubt get a kick out of the little touches. There is nothing more pleasant than someone laughing in a garden, even if it is at themselves because I have fooled them in some small way such as what happened with the yucca tulips. The following pictures show a bit of whimsy and all have stories associated with them in one way or another; which makes the whimsy even more whimsical!

My mother got me a bunch of these ceramic signs to place in my garden. I strategically placed this one next to my front door as a hint. Though no one has gotten the hint yet!
Bottle trees are the funnest. Here is a close up of mine. It is in a visible location from the house and I love looking at it all times of the day. A few folks think bottle trees are the best-no watering required!


This sign was found for a mere $10 at the Nashville Flea Market. Mr. Fix-it kindly mounted it above his garage door. I love the color and the wording and the history it must have behind it. I have been to New Orleans a few times and Bourbon Street in particular. All trips have been special and I have good memories of Bourbon Street, so its wording is ideal in my garden. This sign is also visible from the house.

And even I will admit this could be construed as a bit rednecky, right up there with toliets in the yard-shhhh-you didn't hear me say that! My goldfish pond is doing well though I did lose five huge goldfish to an unknown predator, I still have two left.
Lastly, I will leave you with some bowling whimsy. And no! I never owned a bowling alley but used to be an EXCELLENT bowler as a teenager. I still love to bowl, but that is not why bowling gear is in my garden. I like the bowling balls, shoes and pins because they wear well and fit in well with my garden-and they are colorful! Here you see three green bowling balls suspended. They have withstood all sorts of weather for about one year and look great.

Here is my bowling ball garden. These bowling balls serve a functional purpose more than just a decorative purpose, though the decoration of the great color is what I love. They actually line this garden and help slow down water run off into this little rain garden and further down the slope to a natural stream on my neighbor's property. A local bowling alley kindly gave me these balls. Sure helps the landfills, don't you think? All I had to do was haul them off.



















I found this bowling pin fella at a flea market. I like him mainly because he ties in with my bowling balls and the bowling shoes. The bowling shoes were given to me by the same local bowling alley. I have filled the three pairs with different types of sedum.

There is more whimsy in my garden, but this is taste and probably about all I want to show right now. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks to Gardening Gone Wild for coming up with these design workshops. They really make me think and help give a direction for a monthly post. I also must add in a link and thanks to Aunt Debbi/Kurt's Mom in Texas for encouraging bloggers to share some whimsy in their gardens.

in the garden....smiling but not bowling-yet.

35 comments:

  1. I love the bowling balls! Everytime I see a picture of them in your garden it makes me want some. Next time I go to the Big Town I might have to stop at the bowling alley and see how they get rid of their old ones.

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  2. I like your bottle tree. We find old bottles in our yard sometime (buried from a time gone by). Maybe I will soon have a bottle tree. I love the bowling balls as well. Very colorful!

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  3. I like the bowling bowls, the green ones suspended on rebar are really cool. (I guessed on the rebar) I've noticed your whimsy involves recycling too, which is great. Oh, the "Don't just stand there...Weed" sign is priceless! :)

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  4. Good morning all!

    Jillybean, Yes do stop by the bowling alley. Unique is good and probably no ONE else in the big city will have bowling balls in their garden.

    Cindy, Bottle trees are real easy. There is a great history behind them and they are fairly popular. I suspect they will go mainstream one day. I had an old cedar tree that was multi-trunked that worked well for mine but you can use just about anything. Do save those buried bottles. They belong with the land but displayed nicely.:)

    PG, The bowling balls are actually on stands made for displaying gazing balls. I bought the whole batch at a Pet Food Center for $2 a piece. My friends have them gracing their gardens now. They were a great buy and the balls stand up nicely. I am a BIG recycler (means collecting and clutter). Gotta thin it out sometimes. Yes, if you ever come to TN and come here and see the sign-do weed for me! When folks see all the flowers they are impressed then get it when I say to weed (via the sign). But so far everyone says they would never know what is a weed or flower but I bet you would know-no problem. Your mother's blog is nice too. You two have a lot in common and similar blogging styles.

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  5. Hey Tina, I just now found this to add to my game. Thanks and love the don't just stand there weed sign.

    Deb.

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  6. All gardens should contain a touch of whimsy and magic ...

    I really enjoyed your blooms, but especially enjoyed your veggie garden. My veggies and herbs went in 2 weeks late, they were slow at first, then we got hit with high humidity and rain and the exploded.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog ...

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  7. A bottle tree!!???? I'm still chuckling. Thanks.

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  8. Aunt Debbi/Kurts Mom, Thanks! So far no one has taken me up on it though-drat!

    Ohio Mom, Loved your pics of your veggies too. I put my veggie garden in late but it is coming into its own. I post on it on the 16th of each month. I am having trouble getting bunches of tomatoes though:( Lovely blog you have and I think it neat you and PG talk daily.

    Karen, Welcome and thanks! This is the best tree-no water required and year round interest. Not to mention the bottles catching all the evil spirits floating around at night. Chuckles are always great!

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  9. Tina,

    This may be the biggest bowling ball collection ever! I would be itching to turn them into mosaic marvels! But I like them as bowling balls, too!

    I've seen bed frames in the garden,
    planted chairs and now a bathtub! Too funny and I bet the water sound is very pleasant!

    Gail

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  10. Gail-thanks! I do have a bunch of bowling balls-bed frames too. What gardener doesn't have a garden 'bed' in their garden? I thought it a prerequisite to good gardening?:) I have one or two-can't disclose all at time now can I? When you come visit you can see it all up close and personal? We are finalized for dinner? The bread company? You, me, Geri and DP? 4ish? Where is the bread company? Is it just up from Page Road on West End I guess it is? On the left? Not sure. Thanks!

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  11. I like your bowling balls. They have gotten trendy around here and are very hard to find.

    I've seen lots of shoes with sedums. I want to try that too.
    Marnie

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  12. I didn't know you had the bb theme! I like the whimsey, but jack of all trades limits me! Maybe a bean boot or two.

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  13. The green bowling balls are really classy & the repetition leads the eye through the garden. I also really like the bowling shoe planters. Bowling shoes have a certain cachet & they're much more fun than old boots. Your whole bowling theme is very fun. Are those real ducks in your pond?

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  14. Hi Marnie, Glad to hear bowling balls are getting some attention. They really can work in the garden. Maybe not as many as I have but it creates a theme and presence I like. Shoes are so easy.

    Jack of all trades would be happy with whatever you do I am sure. Bowling balls are kind of cool. They just developed but it takes forever to find them.

    MMD, Thanks so much for such a good garden design complement! The bowling balls definitely lead the eye and tell you something is going on. The ducks are mallard decoys. I wish they were real! I purchased a whole bunch for mere dollars. I have about 10 more anchored onto my potting bench. They do so well in the garden. Plastic of course.

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  15. Love whimsy!!! Always makes one smile. Love the little bowling pin guy. That bathtub sure would be stunning if you did mosaic on it. Talk Gerri into helping you with it, maybe even get Gail there to help out.

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  16. Oh, I like the idea of mosaic on the tub too Tina! You are always looking for something to do with all your “spare” (bowling pun) time so go for it! Even though the Saint has his opinions on your bowling balls, they are starting to get my fancy! Our old ones may get into the garden some day! LoL. I really do like the ones on the poles and recall them fooling me as gazing balls! I like whimsy in a garden, it is fun to smile! I would have more whimsy but the Saint calls what I have Redneck enough. I tell him, we live in GA and I am from TN so I come by it honestly! LoL….

    A sprinkle rain fell a while ago and I have been hearing thunder off in the distance for a while but now getting closer… Another Steamy Hot Humid day here in the Deep South! Perfect for pop up storms… More to come on that this weekend…

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  17. HELLO EVERYONE.
    Tina I like you BB theme. The shoes are real cute, perfect for sedum. The ones on stands gives the illusions of floating. I think that's a nice feature. I still need to find some.

    So much rain as of late that I have big white mushrooms growing in the yard. Water still in ditches. This will continue till hurricane season is over. Makes for a wet ground. So slows work somewhat. Still lots to do in house.

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  18. The bowling balls are inspired--aren't they heavier than gazing globes? Did you have any trouble suspending them? I love the look of your walkway lined with the balls--it's both whimsical and pretty.

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  19. Mom, I will put the idea of a mosaic tub on my list-right after the table mosaic and bowling ball mosaic. Maybe when you come and visit I can put you to work too! It would be nice indeed. Especially with some blue and yellow tiles.

    Skeeter, I'll get the tiles ready for the next time you visit too! Bowling balls are ok and I think by your boat house would be a good spot for one or two-maybe sneak them in like Dawn has to do.

    Lola, Isn't it funny when we don't get rain we wish for rain? Sigh. We are getting rain here too. Mosquitos and long grass and WEEDS galore thanks to the rain. But hopefully a lower water bill this month. I've got lots to do in my house too. My neighbor just had Lowes install some carpeting. It looks so good! But we are going to do ours room by room and on our own. So I have to clean and finish painting. ttyl

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  20. Cosmo, We were posting about the same time. This has been happening alot lately. The bowling balls are heavy. The prongs they are on are decorative metal with two spikes at the bottom. I am so surprised they have held up all this time-for over one year now. So it is working-thankfully. When you look at them in the garden it does not seem so pronounced that they are 'floating', but I guess they are. Whimsical and pretty indeed! That is a good description but I would never expect someone to call bowling balls pretty-love it so I have to smile. You are too funny.

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  21. I LOVE the bowling ball garden. HAHA! So colorful! and I would love if the bowling pin fella lived in my garden. he is sooo cute!!! haha.And great use of the bowling shoes!

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  22. I love bottle trees. I collected pretty blue, amber and green ones for a while. I even found a few in the vaseline yelloo color and turquoise. What happned? My tree that I was going to put them on, fell down. LOL...now that was one thing I didn't think of when I started planning my tree.

    I love your little pin man. I think whimsy in the garden is a good thing. It makes us laugh and it sure does make others laugh..whether with me or at me, I am never quite sure. Haha

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  23. DP, So glad you got a good-very good-laugh! We are on for dinner? All set?

    Eve, Silly old tree! What was wrong with it that it did not know you wanted to decorate it? My tree is an old cedar I cut down then mounted in cement. You might try it that way-no falling down with plenty of cement. Your bottles sound great! You surely need a bottle tree being in the deep south like you are. btw, I think they laugh at me, themselves and the garden but it is ok. Laughing is cathargic and good.

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  24. I LOVE it! Too cute. The bowling theme is fab-u-lous!

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  25. Hi Tina --your bowling balls are very cool! Your yard has such a welcoming flare about it --like energetic and come on in to see me:) The days are staying busy here but that's okay --boy 1 had cross country, I visited with my neighbor --and my least favorite thing --weed trimmed- ACK!!! Oh, and we surely did swim --my favorite part. Sidekick has an appt. tomorrow --not sure what else we'll be doing but it's Friday --yeah!!! And, I think your bathtub would look great with sparkly stuff on it:) I did the flower test finally --said canna --hope I spelled that right. Off to wash the kiddos and get them into bed. Nighty-night y'all!

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  26. Years ago the bowling ball accents in California artist Marcia Donohue's garden were featured on the Victory Garden TV show, but your whimsy has topped hers! What a fun garden you have, Tina - no wonder you were asked to be on the garden tour.

    You've probably noticed that Pam/Digging has a bottle tree and so does Craig from Ellis Hollow and Lucinda Hutson the author. They sure look good in your gardens!

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  27. Hi Annie, Thanks for the best compliment. I want my garden to be fun and to be me-different. I did not know Pam/Digging has a bottle tree and have never heard of Craig but will go check them out right away. Lucinda Hutson must have a website and I will check if there is not a link at your place. Thanks!

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  28. Oh, Tina, you're weren't kidding - you certainly do surround yourself with whimsy in your garden. What fun you have! I love the idea of the "tacky factor," too; that would have been an awesome title for a post.

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  29. Nan, I am so honored you have visited my tacky factor garden:) I love it all and since it is pretty large, hopefully it doesn't overwhelm so much. So many smile, whether at me, or with me it matters not, smiles are nice. Just don't let some of my neighbors get started (the ones who peek);~0

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  30. Hi, Tina. I love how you've brought your sense of humor to life in your garden. And yes, I particularly enjoy bottle trees, so it was fun to see yours.

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  31. Thank you Pam and welcome! I love bottle trees and seeing the wide variety. Quite a few of my friends have one too. Yours is super great!

    Mom and Dawn-You must check out Pam's blue bottle tree! It is great.

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  32. Hi,
    We should be neighbors we could share all our "treasures"(-: I love all your whimsey!! Its so fun to see other people enjoy it too. I am a redneck and proud of it(-:

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  33. Cindee, We could surely be neighbors! Lots of the same whimsy in our gardens. I especially loved your bathtub and wish mine could look half as good as yours. Thanks for dropping by.

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  34. Your garden makes me smile! That's a great idea to line the garden with bowling balls.

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  35. Thank you Rose! I think it is a fun garden and love to see smiles.

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