What do you think about garden gnomes?  In the Time Magazine article “Art: Revelations in a Dank Garden,” Robert Hughs writes that, “From De Chirico’s piazzas to Steven Spielberg’s suburbs, our culture is intermittently fascinated by the noonday goblin—the sense that something is askew within the well lit, the ordinary, and that the closer you [. . . History of the Garden Gnome] ]]> What do you think about garden gnomes?  In the Time Magazine article “Art: Revelations in a Dank Garden,” Robert Hughs writes that, “From De Chirico’s piazzas to Steven Spielberg’s suburbs, our culture is intermittently fascinated by the noonday goblin—the sense that something is askew within the well lit, the ordinary, and that the closer you peer the odder it gets.” Is that what you think about garden gnomes? One gardener interviewed for this article thought that garden gnomes are supposed to scare people away. That couldn’t be further from the truth (but it may, indeed, scare some people away). Like any lawn ornament, it seems that some people love them, and some people hate them.

What is the Origin of the Garden Gnome?

In the book Gnome and Garden by Marcus Mennes, he writes that the origin of the word “gnome” may have come from the Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus who “referred to gnomes as earth spirits … In his theory, spirits personified the elements: gnomes (Earth), salamanders (Fire), sylphs (air), and nymphs (water).” Mennes further writes that the garden gnome may have become popular as a symbol of the earth spirit in gardens during the Renaissance and Baroque periods (when topiary and other garden art and garden fountains became popular).

How did these little guys make it into so many gardens around the world? It looks like we can thank the Germans. According to Adrian Morgan in the book Toads and Toadstools, garden gnomes “are one of the many customs imported to England from Germany (such as the Christmas Tree).” They are “placed as symbols of good luck and guardianship, and pose as protectors of the lawn or fish pond.”

Where do you place your garden gnome? Morgan writes that “In Britain the Chelsea Flower Show still insists on banning gnomes from its exhibitions, but in 1992 almost half the respondents to a questionnaire in a gardening magazine (Home and Garden) admitted to possessing these garden ornaments”.

Many may consider a garden gnome a thing of novelty. But now you know that it actually looks after you and your garden.

Want a garden gnome? You can find some at CreativeGardeningSupplies.com

by Shannon Mendez

Plant stands and pedestals not only protect patios and decks, they also attract attention to plants.

One easy way to make your own plant stand is to use cement bricks.

You’ll need 4 bricks for each layer. If you keep your cement pedestal fairly short, then you won’t need any type of adhesive.

To build a cement plant [. . . An Easy Way to Make a Plant Pedestal] ]]> Plant stands and pedestals not only protect patios and decks, they also attract attention to plants.

One easy way to make your own plant stand is to use cement bricks.

You’ll need 4 bricks for each layer. If you keep your cement pedestal fairly short, then you won’t need any type of adhesive.

To build a cement plant stand:

1. Use four bricks to form a square. (You’ll end up with an empty center.)

2. For another brick layer, place 4 more bricks on top of the first layer.

Repeat the layers for taller pedestals. You may want to use an adhesive or mortar for tall plant stands.

The brick plant stand pictured in this article was 40 cents per brick from Home Depot—yes, just $3.20 for a creative cement pedestal.  

Have fun thinking of more creative ways you can use bricks in your garden!

I often go out to the countryside to visit my mother. Her home is like a magnet; it draws you in from the street. Walking up to her porch, one cannot mistake how the air sparkles. Even the cares of the world, which have been weighing down your shoulders, seem to melt away [. . . How to Attract Fairies] ]]> By: Robin Daniels

I often go out to the countryside to visit my mother. Her home is like a magnet; it draws you in from the street. Walking up to her porch, one cannot mistake how the air sparkles. Even the cares of the world, which have been weighing down your shoulders, seem to melt away into the earth along the pathway like rainwater. I am not the only one drawn to mother’s house. Several years ago mother came upon an old, out-of-print fairy book at a library book sale. Within these pages she learned how to attract fairies. Since then, her home has been the refuge of human and fairy alike. The following suggestions will help you create a fairy-welcoming atmosphere in your home:

The most effective way to invite fairies to your home is to plant their favorite flowers. Fairies share the same habitat as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Flowers that attract these creatures will also attract fairies.Bluebells, foxglove, forget-me-nots, heather, hollyhocks, lilacs, lilies, marigolds, pansies, peonies, primrose, and roses are flowers beloved by the wee folk.

In addition to flowers, clover, ferns, and thyme are plants especially attractive to fairies. Oak trees hold special powers for fairies.

Since fairies are sensitive, it is best not to refer to them directly. They find the name “fairy” particularly offensive. If you must talk about them, you may use the terms: wee folk, good folk, or the gentry.

Fairies enjoy both well-manicured and wild areas in gardens. It is good idea to reserve a special corner in your garden for fairy use. Placing a special statue or a small fountain in such an area is much appreciated by the wee folk.

Leave out a food offering over night. Fairies especially love dairy products, bread, cakes, and cookies. Don’t despair if in the morning it doesn’t look like the meal has been eaten. Fairies are able to extract the essence of food without physically eating it. Food should be discarded after a day or two, since it will have little nutritional value left for the fairy. If an animal should approach the food don’t chase it away! Sometimes a shy fairy will assume the shape of an animal to accept its present.

Fairies love water. Fountains, bird baths, ponds, and streams will all attract fairies.

Abodes of various types are appreciated by fairies. Using rocks, caves can be made at the base of rose bushes. A bird-house can be easily adapted for fairy use by adding bright colors, dollhouse furniture, and glitter to the inside. Toadstools and mushrooms (real or fake) are also a favorite of the wee folk. Colored stones and crystals, especially in a water-filled bird-bath, will attract fairies.

Set aside a table top or a corner for an altar, where you can leave offerings for your fairy friends in a basket. Offerings may be food, flowers, herbs, pretty leaves, stones, or anything else you think your fairy might like.

Keep your home reasonably tidy, as fairies hate a mess.

Most important of all, you must cultivate a sense of reverence, wonder, and fun—as these are qualities necessary to befriend a fairy.

About the Author

About the Author:

This article was written by Robin Daniels. Robin is a mystic and contributes to Mystical Creatures http://www.mystical-creatures.com and Fantasy Gifts http://www.fantasy-gifts.net .

(ArticlesBase SC #213112)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – How to Attract Fairies

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By: Juliet S Sadler

Topiary the art of fashioning living plants into ornamental shapes is often a feature of the grand country houses and great estates, with their spectacular gardens containing magnificent sculptured hedges and geometric shaped trees and shrubs. Many of the old cottage gardens too have their living works of art. Peacocks and all [. . . The Art Of Fashion With Topiary] ]]> By: Juliet S Sadler

Topiary the art of fashioning living plants into ornamental shapes is often a feature of the grand country houses and great estates, with their spectacular gardens containing magnificent sculptured hedges and geometric shaped trees and shrubs. Many of the old cottage gardens too have their living works of art. Peacocks and all manner of animal creations rise above the packed, colourful borders to create a masterful picture. Topiary has been practised for more than 2000 years and can be traced back to the Greeks and Romans. It became fashionable in Europe in the late 16th Century when many of the grand palatial residences were built. Topiary is an art form that anyone with a pair of shears can create. The effect can be stunning; topiary can add character and individuality to any garden. Today’s topiaries have become popular garden features once again and take on a variety of shapes from formal to playful. Teddy bears, cats and many other forms now join the more traditional shapes.

The art of Topiary seeks to control the growth, to form from it the shapes we desire. Also to control the extent of growth annually in order to maintain those shapes once they have been achieved. The practise is to increase the surface density of the pieces – to promote a very even and close finish on the exterior and hopefully a strong and relatively rigid structure beneath.

With most species used for topiary and in most climatic zones, there are definite seasons of growth (spring and summer) and a dormant period (autumn/fall and winter). Aesthetically, the topiary pieces look best when trimmed to the tight lines of their allotted forms. This means that they look at their best just after they are clipped and before fresh new growth blurs the outlines of the shapes once more.

To maintain the creations at optimum sharpness of outline for the longest period is achieved by cutting the growth off at the end of the growing season. This is a popular technique used most often in large collections where maintenance must be kept to a minimum because of the shear number of pieces and the amount of work involved. In UK conditions most clipping work is tackled in late summer. Therefore this then gives the longest period of time – right round until the following May/June in which to view and enjoy the tightly clipped shapes.

When topiary is still in its formative stages, clipping is generally undertaken more than once each year to provide the best results. This may be particularly necessary where the species used is very vigorous in growth and continually blurs the outline, or when very finely detailed features need to be maintained. In these cases, trimming may be required every four to six weeks.

Beware of trimming in adverse weather conditions. Severely cold, frosty conditions would not be the appropriate time to trim. Some varieties such as Box (Buxus sepervirens) can be severely damaged if cut during icy periods. With this species it is traditional to trim after the last possibility of night radiation frost has passed – normally at the end of May/beginning of June. Any new growth made thereafter has time to harden sufficiently before cold conditions return in the winter.

Many gardeners are temped by good spring weather to trim in April. Unfortunately the plants are immediately prompted to produce fresh growth, which is often killed or severely damaged by hard late spring frosts during May. Clipping too late in the growing season also prompts the dangerous production of tender new shoots. Old box growth however, is of course relatively hardy.

Yew is generally clipped more than once a year for a tighter, more controlled effect. A trim of the first big flush of new growth can take place in July.

A second tidying cut to any new shoots produced is undertaken in September. With this species, if a single trim a year is made, then any time after the end of August will do, but preferably before the worst winter conditions begin. Early, rather than later clipping, should always be the aim.

Shrubby honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida) and Privet (Lgustrum aquifolium) species are such vigorous growers as to need repeated trimming during the growing season. While Beech (Fagus silvatica) and Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) require only a single trim from late August to stay neat. Their golden Autumn/Fall foliage should be retained through much of the winter to enhance their decorative effect.

Holly (Ilex aquifolium) and some other large leaved evergreens are often trimmed in late spring and perhaps again in late summer. These species often have very large leaves, which may look unsightly if trimmed using hedge clippers. They are often tackled more slowly, removing individual shoots with secateaurs.

Teddy Bear, Sitting Topiary Frame* 40 inch – $ 100.00

Never be too ambitious when embarking on topiary; an identifiable sphere, cone or small bird shape is better than an unidentifiable mass! Although topiary experts are often able to create simple forms without the aid of a frame, for novices a wire frame will give guidance for successful clippings. Today we are able to purchase frames of all manner of shapes and sizes. After choosing the desired shape, place the wire frame into the ground or container, over and around an existing shrub and clip around the frame using topiary shears. It is then a matter of clipping the new shoots that grow beyond the framework.

Creating topiary is not something that can be executed in neither a weekend nor a season; it may take up to 10 or 15 years to achieve its true potential. Moderately young evergreen shrubs that are naturally full, fairly fast growing and shear well produce the best topiaries. Other suitable trees and shrubs are: Bay (Laurus nobilis), Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Juniper (Juniperus), Thuja (Cupressus plicata) and Yew (Taxus baccata). One solution for those who loose patience with anything that takes time to fruition, is to purchase a container-grown specimen, grown and shaped to maturity by the nursery, though naturally they come at a price!

About the Author

Information on watering grass can be found at the Plants And Flowers site.

(ArticlesBase SC #784044)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – The Art Of Fashion With Topiary

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