Estate Sale and Garage Sale Garden Whimsies

I love to add found objects to my garden.  I hunt garage sales and estate sales whenever I can afford it!  Here are a few things I have added to my garden over this last few years.  Some new, some broken and re-purposed.

I found a bunch of these Mexican Tiles at a sale one day.

I placed them in the corners of some old adobe pavers I have used for a pathway.  The Geranium Madarense seedlings sprouted after I put these down. This plant comes up all over my garden; I dig them up and plant on the back bank.  See some of my older posts to view the beautiful blooms.

Quail planter with blue rock "egg".  This was a new planter I purchased after finding this rock one day while digging in the herb garden. I planted it with a Scilla violacea, which makes it look like feathers, I think.  People always look twice when walking by this.

Recycled Fairy in a copper bird bath, found at a local thrift store; she has a  broken wing, but that is okay with me.  I have seen Dragon flies resting on here wing. 

On the adobe wall, notice the turtle candle holder; another estate sale find.

Duranta repens growing in a pot under the copper birdbath.  The snail was found at an estate sale for a dollar.  The Duranta attracts butterflies to this area, it has such a beautiful cascading bloom. This area is what I call my fairy garden.

Fairy with Squirrel statue was found at Buena Creek Gardens in Vista California.

I keep this Fairy filled with water for the lizards to drink from, it is very shallow and is perfect for them; another Buena Creek Garden find.

Old German planter found for a few dollars.  Looks pretty with the succulent now in bloom.

Euphorbia in the old fish planter, found at a garage sale for 50 cents.

I found two of these clay urns at a thrift store; I think I paid $14.00 for the two.  These are on my Mexican patio on either side of the glass doors.  I "stained" the concrete on this patio with craft paint.  It will wear off I know, but works for now and for a lot less money.

This Rooster tile plaque is made from Portuguese tiles that were badly cracked.  Glued to a wood board they now make a wonderful addition to the wall on my Mexican patio.

Cast concrete turtle needed something, so I took an old Portmeirion Plate that I had broken and just could not throw away.  I broke it into smaller pieces and glued to the shell, grouted and stained a green color.  It makes for a nice new shell for my garden friend.

I found this Epi at an estate sale, I purchased it for $1.00!  Added some good compost and it is thriving.  I can't wait to see what bloom it will have.  It also has a rat tail cactus (aporocactus flagelliformis) growing with it.

Japanese cast iron bell; hung at my front door entrance. I added the copper wire and old glass beads so it would hang lower.

One of the best deals I found this summer was this old metal bell with the heart.  I paid $2.00 for it!

I have had this fish for years and found some old Japanese iron bells at an estate sale; used some copper wire and a piece of wood, old glass beads to make this.

Recycled clay pots with Rosemary marker. The marker originally had a metal stake which rusted over the years and broke off.  I used some copper wire and fashioned this hanger which now  hangs over my Rosemary bush.   The plant is over 3 feet tall so this is a perfect marker for it since a ground marker would be lost underneath.

My neighbor gave me this Staghorn Fern in the spring.  It really looked like it was dead.  I kept it watered and in the shade here next to the Fairy garden.  I gave it some banana peels each week and it is now thriving.  I have had the old cast iron fish candle holder sitting on the back wall, for years.  I like the way this area looks, it always feels cool.  Today the temperature is 103 and this area is a nice shady spot in my garden. 

And finally, my last picture is of an old concrete fountain base I found in Tijuana years ago.  It has held this Rosary Vine for the last 7 years.  This plant was a gift from my husband to me on Valentine's Day in 1977.  I think I have only replanted it once.  It thrives in this shady area adjacent to my Fairy Garden.