Designer adds crafty touches to enhance garden space
The season of outdoor living is upon us, and what a thrill it is to be back in the garden again. That garden can be located almost anywhere, from the largest plot of land to the smallest apartment balcony.
Creating an outdoor oasis is one of my favorite projects. It’s an ongoing project, too, as I change my mind annually on what I want to plant and where stuff should be. No matter what the overall plan, I find that it’s very satisfying to find or make one or two crafty items to personalize the scene.
Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell would agree. She is an award-winning fine artist and has written more than 20 practical craft books, including The Decorated
Garden, which is featured here.
She chooses simple materials that match the natural landscape and weather well. Varying widths of galvanized wire — aluminum, copper or plastic-coated — are woven and shaped into a wire shelf for the garden wall, a wire egg basket and flowerpot holders. A garden chandelier twinkles with colorful beads and copper leaves strung on wire.
Garden-row markers come in all shapes and sizes. Deborah has devised a style of marker, shown here, using lengths of galvanized wire that are twisted together and shaped to hold a name sign. The sign is traced and cut from a piece of aluminum. Using a sewer’s tracing wheel, a bumpy line is pressed along the edge of the metal for decoration. The sign is attached to the wire oval by bending the tabs to grip the wire.
Schneebeli-Morrell utilizes willow or hazel rods to create plant frames and basket handles. Fresh willow is the easiest to use, but if the willow branches have dried out, they can be revived by soaking overnight in a bathtub of water.
Wigwams, like the one shown here, are fun to make and are one of the most practical structures for fast-growing climbing plants. Twelve rods are pushed into soft earth to make the circular base for the wigwam. To make the bands, take two pieces of willow, and insert them horizontally 14 inches up from the ground; then weave the willow strips together around the upright rods, crossing them just before they cross each new rod. Continue weaving in this manner until the first band is complete. Move up to the next section, and pull together the uprights as you work to make the wigwam shape. Wrap the top rods together with wire and a single strip of willow. To prolong the life of the wigwam, you can spray it with a goodquality exterior wood paint.
You’ll find many more ideas, including an enchanting birdbath decorated with a mosaic of broken pieces of blue and white china, a galvanized-tub rock garden that can be plunked down anywhere, glass-jar lanterns and alphabet pebbles. The more adventurous can build a bentwood gate. And how about a lady scarecrow?
The step-by-step instructions for each project are clearly illustrated with photographs. Learn a new craft yourself, or delight a friend with a garden gift. Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. Follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ debbie_travis, or visit her website, www. debbietravis.com.