Curious About How To Add Unique Garden Art
To Your Outdoor Environment?

Well, you've come to the right place. Not only am I an avid gardener, but I'm someone who also believes that my garden is a place that can be enhanced by adding decorative and interesting items.

I really try to have a garden that reflects my individuality. Not only through the flowers and plants I’ve chosen, but also through the decorative items I’ve incorporated into my garden’s theme. Each unique garden art accessory adds more visual interest and sometimes, a bit of whimsy, too.

For instance ... would you like to learn how to make a HYPERTUFA or CONCRETE leaf like the one pictured here?

Then click this link to learn all about the ins and outs to a successful project:
Leaf Casting Overview & Instructions

 

Or, how about this great project, a HYPERTUFA planting trough? Even children can tackle this one (with adult supervison, of course!).

The traditional shape for a trough is a rectangle, however you can see that a round planter is also very attractive. Learn all you need to know right here: Easy Hypertufa Trough Project

Artistic Gardeners: I'm So Glad Spring Is Here!

Yes, I sure am happy that the cold weather is behind us! (I live in middle Tennessee.) I know many of you in more northerly states or countries are still chilly, but hang in there ... there is warmer weather coming your way :-)

I've been able to start cleaning up my garden beds. Pulling weeds, trimming back dead stuff ... you know the routine! It really feels great to get my hands dirty, too. I admit I often forego the garden gloves ... there's something about working with my bare hands. I'll often even do a bit of digging with my bare hands, like when I'm transplanting small plants. (Maybe I'm too lazy to run back into the house to get the gloves!) Are you like this, too?

Hey, speaking of dirt ... I recently learned that it's not just people who love to work in the dirt.

Let me share a little chuckle with you, if I may ...

Did you know that here in Tennessee is a remarkable place called "The Elephant Sanctuary"?  If you're not aware of this unique place, then I’d like to share a little bit about the Sanctuary and their “Girls” … old, sick (and unfortunately often abused) African and Asian elephants that have been freed from their captivity in zoos and circuses. The Girls get to live out the rest of their sweet lives freely roaming the hills of Tennessee in their special 2,700 acre habitat.

Elephants roaming freely in Tennessee! Go figure! Here I am, living in what is known as “Music City”, the heart of the country music industry, yet there is an elephant sanctuary – the only one of its kind in the WORLD – just an hour's drive away from me.

Here's a video that the Sanctuary has posted on the web, and it's TOO CUTE to not share with those of you visiting my site. After all ... you are avid gardeners too, right?

Well then fellow gardeners, let me introduce you to TARRA. Take a quick break and watch this one minute video. I guarantee it’ll put a smile on your face (plus it’s proof of how smart these creatures are!).

See what happened when Tarra got ahold of Scott’s shovel … (turn up your sound)

I could sure use Tarra's help in my garden this year :-)
(I wonder how much she charges for yard work??)

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, founded in 1995, is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. It operates on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee - 85 miles southwest of Nashville.

The Elephant Sanctuary exists for two reasons:
     To provide a haven for old, sick or needy elephants in a setting of green
     pastures, old-growth forests, spring-fed ponds and a heated barn for cold
     winter nights; and
     To provide education about the crisis facing these social, sensitive,
     passionately intense, playful, complex, exceedingly intelligent and
     endangered creatures.

To learn more, please visit: The Elephant Sanctuary

SKIN CANCER ALERT -- You Need To Be Protected
Fellow Gardeners! PLEASE Protect Your Skin
If You Are Outside In the Sun!!

I am a very private person by nature, however feel it necessary to share with all my friends who come and visit my website that I was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2007. I'm OK now ... but the point I want to make is that we love to be outside in our gardens; we love to do outdoor projects; and I'll bet most of you are like me ... I neglected to wear sun-screen or even a wide brimmed hat when I was out in the sun.

I was lucky. I found out about it early enough and had it removed (not a fun thing to go through). To learn more about skin cancer and how you can effectively protect yourself, please click here: Prevent Skin Cancer

How about something a little different to really change the appearance of plain terra cotta garden pots?

I embellished this pot with a special paste-type compound ... that's how I added the leaves and linear accents. Then I finished it with my easy Daub Painting Technique.

To learn how you can create raised
3-dimensional embellishments to your clay pots like the one pictured here, click this link: 3-D Decorative Paint Technique

Some of my garden art decorations I've made myself, and others I've found at yard sales, consignment shops or stores, but I've always got my eyes open for the next great piece to add to my garden.

This is a cute little terra cotta pot dog that a friend made for her garden. It's put together with rebar (or a wooden frame), lots of super strong glue and plain clay garden pots. Cute, isn't it? Learn how to make it here: Clay Pot Dog Project.

Or, how about making this really neat pot person? Make it child sized, or adult sized! Here are my detailed pictorial instructions: Make a Terra Cotta Pot-Person. The how-to article is clearly explained, lists all the materials you'll need and walks you through the whole project.

I love sharing ways to be creative and make our gardens look fabulous. If you're like me, you don't always have the funds available in your budget to purchase everything you'd like to have in life, let alone the extras you'd like to decorate your garden with.

Now, most of us are at least a tad-bit more creatively capable than being "all thumbs" and we do have a little extra time available. Putting those two things together, and a few dollars spent on supplies, we CAN have a fabulously unique garden by doing-it-ourselves. :-)

You'll find easy to follow projects and techniques on my website. You don’t have to be a great artist – I’m not! If I can do it, so can you!

I know you'll find inspiration for ways you can add more of your personal style to your garden and outdoor living space through the projects on these pages. I've done my best to make sure everything is thoroughly explained. These are garden art projects that just about anyone can do and be successful completing.

So ... remember what I told you?
If I can do it – I'm not an artist – then you can too!

To easily view ALL the projects and how-tos I've got to share with you, please go to my Site Map and take a look. You might just find a few things that catch your eye.
Your garden will thank you! Site Map

Please keep coming back — I'm adding more projects
all the time :-)