I’m a big fan of certain things in the garden… stone, concrete, metal and wood. I think it’s because even while some of these things are not organic in their mentioned forms, (though some are), they all do represent natural entities… earth, fire, water – and come from the earth in some way. And they are all subject to the rigors of Mother Nature, no matter how strong or hard they once were. There is something really visceral about being reminded of the amazing strength of the forces of nature, and how strong is the circle of life. Yea, I get it, metal, stone and concrete? Not so much on the alive part. But they represent what happens to everything on this earth… It is born of need or want, it serves it’s life, and then it decays and eventually passes on to other places and things. Those are the things a garden remind us of over and over again… The need to understand the how and the why of the world is right here in front of us. Birth, beauty, suffering, resilience, joy, meaning, death. They are all right here in nature. And they all teach us something that is relevant to what is going on in our lives.

As my teenage daughter would say, “Wow. Little off the deep end Mom.” Ok, ok. So to my point. The gardens that inspire me the most are ones that contain these elements. Have you ever walked through a garden full of rusty metal garden decor, maybe a touch of deep green moss and an old decaying log and not wanted to stay, or take photos, or remember that scene? I betcha haven’t. So here is a our little virtual tour of what has inspired us this week. BTW, at the end, look for the recipe we found on how to create rust on items you might want to use as rusty garden decor! (But aren’t quite to the “rusty” stage yet!) Garden sign above, from ‘A Rustic Garden‘.

These rusted metal garden spheres from ‘The Oresome Garden‘ are large enough to catch your attention in the garden. It seems like either this kind of decor needs to hide quietly, to be discovered in secret under some leafy bower, or to make a big impact. Love these. We recently saw similar ones made from wine barrels rings!

 

Steve took this photo of a rusted leafy plant during a local walk here recently… Make sure you remember to look around your neighborhoods and local gardens for inspiring scenes every day!

 

This bird bath made of  rusted old machinery parts was found at Dragonfly Farm by Denise from ‘Spittin Toad‘. Her son used this as inspiration to make a gift like this for his grandparents… I love the idea of passing on garden values to kids, and then sharing it with other generations!

 

From ‘Hidden Hills Garden‘, these rusted metal funnels are a reminder to every gardener who wants to learn about repurposing that you don’t have to get fancy or complicated… Simple idea, vintage result.

 

From ‘Workshop 11 Design‘ via ‘Houzz’, this address sign/ mailbox is ever so cool. It’s not just me either! Visit the page and see ow many people are asking for ordering info! Rusty things are not just for vintage style! Remember, Frank Lloyd Wright felt that modern style and nature were as one.

 

This rusted cactus comes to us from ‘The Outlaw Gardener‘ of the garden of Cleo Raulerson in Bellevue, Washington. (We know this area well!) You should definitely click through and see all the photos of her gardens… amazing Pac NW gardening!

 

These next two photos were a result of a simple neighborhood walk by ‘Rhone Street Gardens‘ in Brooklyn. Yep, Brooklyn. We love the diversity and creativity we find in city gardens.

 

Sandi at ‘The Dirt‘, a master gardening blog in Minnesota, shared this Father’s Day gift of flowers! Thanks Sandi, for also sharing the artists’ contact info. We love featuring local artists, even if they aren’t local to us! Paul’s Metal Petals.

 

Want a rusted metal accent in  your garden that is practical too? These steel edgings from ‘Skemah‘ are unique, pre-rusted and look great!

 

This metal sculpture from ‘Bellewood Gardens‘ in Pennsylvania is an example of how elegant something can look that is technically decaying! This is a more formal garden, and this piece is right at home.

 

Finally, like I promised, a recipe for creating rust when your patience doesn’t keep up with your intentions! ‘Lucy Designs’ shows us an easy way to give metal pieces a rusty patina using just salt, vinegar and peroxide.