I have plenty but most I don't even have photos of - as soon as I'm able to get on my feet I'll try to remember to grab the camera!

The first piece of "art" I ever owned - originally in my gardens in Maine but I hauled this all the way to Virginia when I moved! I call it a "cat" but the concrete artist, Bo Atkinson, calls them "Roos"?

It used to be in our front gardens, pictured here in the fall of 2000, but the shrubs around it grew so fast that it was disappearing - you can barely see it in the background.

About 5 years ago moved it down the driveway where I was developing new shade gardens in this area, now in a spot where it could easily be seen. I can't find a recent photo but in 2009 the plants were finally starting to fill in around it. I've since planted Hosta 'Spilt Milk' in front of the cat.

So Becky wanted to see some photos of my frogs. This was my first venture into collecting garden art. My original plan was to construct a water feature in this area of the gardens so I decided frogs would be appropriate art for this area. Every year I'd try to pick up at least one and then started adding garden art to my Christmas Wish List and received a few more!




I've got MORE but either I don't have pictures or I just can't find them - I REALLY need to get my photos better organized.

In no particular order, here's a few more pieces in the gardens.







I think there are more photos but it's taking me forever to find them! I'll be back!

I see the cat and the roo

We crossed - you last photo's are beautiful!

Thanks Vicki, I told Chris in the other thread that I'd really like to put together a video for a virtual tour. Hey, you're not that far away! If you make the drive I'll give you a personal tour.

All great pieces of art! Yes, I'd love to see a video tour of your gardens. How much area do you garden on?

Debbie, oldest dd lives in eastern PA so when we visit, we go through VA - I just might take you up on that. I would LOVE to see your gardens and art in person. Thank you for inviting me

"Eastern PA" = does that mean you go up I-81? We're only 5 miles from the exit!

Chris, I'm not sure the total area of our gardens, all I know is it keeps expanding every year and I've got to STOP! It's already more than I can maintain and Rick has back problems which are getting worse and he's no longer able to help me other than mowing what "lawn" we have.

This is an old aerial view, maybe 10 years old, a "map" I post at our Open Houses every year. Amazing seeing this photo because now I'm not sure how much of the house you could actually see if it was taken today. When my daughter visited a few years ago it had been 5 years since her last visit and she couldn't believe how much everything had grown around the house. As she walked out on to our deck she said it looked like we were living a tree house!

Yep - I-81

Not seeing your link for your aerial map??

Sorry, a little bit of excitement going on here and I hit Send before I grabbed the pic! Our refrigerator went out last night and DH was fooling with it trying to figure out what was wrong. We found the "culprit" - our cat managed to sneak inside yesterday with what we thought was a mouse. We were wrong, it was a wood rat and we just found him "fried" on the cord behind the refrigerator - ew!!!!! NOW here's the aerial pic....

Love, love, love all your garden art objects. I also love all the plants you have growing big and healthy! Since the drought, I've come to appreciate others' gardens in a bit cooler climate. Beautiful garden.

Oh Debbie, this is beautiful! Looking forward to seeing it "someday"

Icko on the wood rat - Hope you're able to re-wire? and get the fridge running. Ours went out last last Easter, oh yeah, with a house full of people

Yup, we're "cooking with gas" so to speak - rewiring took less than 10 min and we're up and running! That darned cat!

Vicki, I'm hoping to put together a "tour" of the gardens for the Shade Gardening forum since most of our gardening is done in the shade. I'll let you know when I get it done.

Sandi, it didn't used to be that "cool" for gardening. Twelve plus years of planting trees has finally provided enough shade to drop the ambient temperature in the area surrounding the house by probably 10 degrees and now we finally have shade to park the cars in the driveway! There were many, many years that I wouldn't think of planting during the summer but now it's actually possible as long as you get out there early in the morning and then water, water, water.

Same here, early early early and water water water - which is why we're up so early, eh?

My mouth is hanging open! Debbie, your art is great...love it all...frogs, bugs, the garden man in the chair!

But what has my mouth really in this position is the size of your property. Phoenix dwellers rarely have this kind of property and when we do, to have a garden that's lush like yours would take all day to keep it going. The sun is not our friend in the summer. Our fall through spring is a better time for growing.

I first fell in love with hostas in 2000. in Wisconsin. I smuggled one back to Phoenix...it died. I'd like to see your shade garden tour when you share it

Thanks for posting your garden art!

Debbie, I actually wanted to take down a couple of trees a few years ago. I had all tropicals and the trees were shading everything. Luckily, we didn't get around to it. Now I appreciate my shady backyard in the summer, but oh those oak leaves, acorns, tassels, and inch worms the rest of the year are awful.

Debbie: Wow, your gardens and garden art are amazing ... really wonderful photo's! I don't know about the "Roo" but I definitely see "Cat" ... maybe because I'm a cat person and I love that statue!

Love that first photo showing the autumn colors of your garden too ... we don't often see color like that down this far south!

Becky and Vicki, I saw the request for not more than two photos, side by side, and 'fixed' it this morning.

...the garden man in the chair!

Actually, that would be a "lady"! I think someone on DG posted a link for these in 2009 and it was one of the first projects I worked on in 2010. I found the chair at the local dumpsters in the fall and I knew it would be perfect for my 'Clay Pot Lady'. I named her "Virginia" and she sits in the new garden I created to "Welcome" our visitors. I used an old iron gate that had a history, used to be in front of the old house at the nursery when Rick started the business, added a post for a birdhouse and found a cool metal crow to spy on my Lady! Since I'm known for my "topless" hat I used an old straw hat I had, cut the top off and planted Sedums in it. I guess you could call her my "Blue Haired Lady"!


Unfortunately she's sagging a little year, she weighs so much that the chair is starting to lean and I've got a little maintenance to do.

Oops, found another one of her that was taken right after I planted the area.

Good Morning Debbie!

LOVE the photo and thank you SO MUCH for changing your photos!

vic

Good morning Vicki - not a problem, I didn't even think about anyone with a smaller screen.

I'm looking for more photos and found another of my Lady and added it. Honestly, I've got to get these photos better organized! Since I showed you my "first" find from the dumpsters I'm looking for photos of what I found the following spring! I'll keep looking....