themagnoliatreeblog

I am a sucker for whimsy in the garden, although I do like it to be a bit tasteful, and not just fill it with plastic gnomes and artificial flowers. George the dragon, in his mossy coat and blending into the background, contemplates life by the pond. He is mostly concealed under the pink geranium in summer and the giant mushroom gets swamped by heuchera and pulmonaria. 

The green man on the wall is concealed by crocosmia, (Lucifer) and the frog fountain is now home to acquatic mint as the fountain was always running dry and I had to turn the pump off.

Some hidden treasures in the garden won’t be revealed again until the plants go back to rest over winter. Summer is time for all the plants and beautiful colours of the flowers, but I still like to make sure the bees and other little pollinators are catered for, and some years ago I collected old ornaments and made totems for the garden. As they are made from several items glued together, they didn’t quite stand the test of time and were knocked over and in need of repairs. Finally I got around to restoring the bird bath totem, in the hope our feathered friends know where to get a drink or a quick shower. 

Bees get thirsty as well and I couldn’t forget them. They are always welcome guests for a cuppa, and have their own little cup and saucer with stones and floating leaves for them to rest on. 

The little, (very little) pond is home to some happy frogs, and there isn’t a time I go into the garden when I am not watched by heads popping out of water. I had a little segmented crocodile floating in the pond but sadly my neighbour’s dog ended that, when she chewed it, so I replaced it with a much larger crocodile head. It is being used by the frogs as a safe haven from any monstrous predators which lurk in the undergrowth.

It’s nice to be able to repurpose commercially produced ornaments, especially if they cheer up a garden and it’s inhabitants.

At night, the garden lights up with colourful LED solar lights. Wine, brandy and cordial bottles become stylish garden lights. Moths flutter around them without the danger of having their wings singed. At the end of autumn the plants die back, trees and shrubs uncloak themselves of leaves and the garden goes back to being a dull, dark corner until all the little bits of nonsense take over.