Sticks and Stones: Creativity for the Garden

Its been a gorgeous week, full of sunshine and sticky-hot temperatures.  I spent most of this past week working in my back-yard garden: thinning out plants, transplanting, weeding, edging, raking-up and general discarding of items.  It wasn't long before I had a heap of stuff ready for the garbage man: old branches, bags of weeds, a large enamel basin (an old curb-side rescue), a broken terracotta pot, among other things. 

It was on one of my trips past that garbage heap that I got to thinking.... maybe I could make something out of those old branches.....

I selected the longest and straightest of them.

Using very small finishing nails I created an "A" shaped  frame.

Then I made a second "A" frame, trying to keep it the same size as the first.

Using more sticks, nails and some wire I managed to make a 3-D tower of sorts.

Which I joined at the top with wire and decorated with some vines that I found.

The result?  A folksy whimsical trellis for my garden.

Below is a simplified version using only one "A" frame. 

That's the sticks... now for the stones....

Several years ago I inherited a collection of rocks from an elderly woman.  I mean it, when this woman passed away I was the recipient of a life time of rock collecting - not just from her travels but the travels of many of her friends and relatives.  In hind-sight one needs to be cautious in what one is willing to accept as an inheritance because, well, as you can imagine a rock collection is not nearly as convenient to use and store as say... you know... a diamond ring or a gold watch or even a canary. 

Anyhow, these rocks have been in my yard for years and I was pondering the situation, I don't have any real sentimental attachment to the rocks, yet they are not easy to dispose of either.  I guess you could say, I found myself between a rock and a hard place.  That is, until I noticed that enamel basin in the heap destined for the trash...hum I wonder...

Yes! 
The basin was large enough to hold nearly the entire collection.  Situating the basin below the garden hose allows them to get wet and rocks are always prettier when they are wet and shiny.

I placed an extra few stones along the extension of our down-spout which almost transforms this utilitarian area into an attractive feature.

Now that the work is done, it's time to find a tranquil spot in the corner of the garden to just sit and listen to the sounds and soak in the beauty of nature that is ours to enjoy.

Thank you for taking time today to visit My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Have a tranquil day,

Sandra