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Thursday 9 April 2015

Accents in the Garden

It has been a while since I have posted ... and guilt guilt ... since I have visited my wonderful garden friends.
Things have gone awry here lately and I am trying to grab hold  of some nice garden thoughts to get me through it all.
The weather ? what can I say ... more snow .. albeit a light fall and of course freezing rain last night tapping on my window .. I feel badly for people that have to be on the roads with that going on.

So ... I thought I would post about having mirrors in the garden, a reflective mood ? pun fully intended.
I found an amazing one last year at my favorite store for oddities .. Home Sense .. squeeze their little cheeks till they are rosy red ! haha

There has been chatter that mirrors can confuse and be a danger to birds.
I would never want the slightest chance of that happening !
I had always intended to place mine to the ground as a surprise element in a little vignette setting and I think I have captured that in this space.
This was late summer and I am lucky that my Fire Island hosta are not shredded yet by the slug and snail mafia ... I have a plan for them this year !!
I wanted this area to be lush and green but to throw in some sparkle for a nice bit of eye candy too.
As you look closer you can start to see the reflection element  (let alone my weakness for brightly coloured blue marbles ? .. blue accents seem to be such a show stopper in gardens .. I think it is because it is such a great foil against green) .. my ceramic fish looks like he/she is blowing bubbles ?

Another little surprise is the metal lamp reflected from the opposite end of the dry stream.
Rather shyly hiding there ?
 Like a stripper with a feather boa ! snort giggle ...
So ... yes you can have mirrors in the garden without the birds dive bombing into them by mistake.
Good heavens ... that would have laid me flat if I felt responsible for them flying "drunk"!!
All kidding aside ... I love the mirror thing .. it makes you stop and really look, even inspire more ideas (if one's brain is in gear at the time hopefully ?)

14 comments:

Jennifer said...

I have always wanted to use a mirror somewhere in the garden, but I haven't found "the" spot just yet. The best use of a mirror I ever saw was in a dark garden alcove. You could only see the reflection which made it look as if the garden stretched on farther than it did in reality. I love the little dry stream bed you've created with the fish and mirror. I don't remember the marbles though. What a clever idea! They do look like bubbles.
On a different note- did you get snow on the Easter weekend too? So depressing!! It's freezing today, but at least it's raining.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Sorry things going awry hope it is not serious.
I am busy as usual. Working and working in the garden and babysitting. Never a dull moment.
I keep getting stupid crazy ideas that I want to put part of a boat in my garden as a "shipwreck" to add to the beach. I know that is nuts but I found one I love on craigslist. Do you have craigslist there? It is addicting. I need to quit looking on there and getting crazy ideas.
Hope your day goes well!!!!!

outlawgardener said...

I love mirrors in the garden and employ the same bird protection strategy with them as I use on the windows of my house: Neither ever gets washed. Really, why wash the windows on your house; they'll jut get dirty again. If you have curtains, you'll never know.
Your blue goldfish bubbles are cool as is your mirror. If any bird is so stupid as to fly full speed into that, maybe it should be thinned from the flock anyway.

rochefleuriegarden said...

I love the ceramic fish with bubbles (or perhaps it is eggs?).

Linda said...

Do you leave your mirror out all year Joy? I don't have any in my garden but have read lots of posts about them. I think I'll have to look around the thrift stores and see what I can find. I know one blogging friend covers hers over during the bird mating season so the birds don't get mad at themselves for being in their own territory.

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

You have the most amazing garden, Joy. Years and years of hard work and lots of love have gone into it. It was nice to hear from you today; I can't thank you enough for stopping by my blog and leaving your lovely comment. Time passes, wounds heal and life goes on. I mentally write you an email every week. Sooner or later I'll get one out to you :) I hope you are all doing well!

NanaDiana said...

Ummm...say, Joy! How do YOU know so much about strippers? Is there something you would like to share with us? lol

Love your little mirror idea-cute..and so is the fish blowing bubbles. I LOVE blue marbles, too. lol Any marbles really. I have mine from when I was a kid. My mother kept them...they might have been my brothers but I claimed them anyway.

Hope your upcoming days are better ones and hope you have not run into problems with your building project. xo Diana

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Very lovely, Joy! I especially like the blue marbles. I have been using glass more in the garden as well--putting it in the bottom of my fountains for a bit of sparkle.
Think spring!!! :)

Barry said...

Joy:
Mirrors are especially important when you have a teeny, tiny garden as they create the perception that your property is even larger. Mine too is at ground level as I have borne witness to what can happen when they are placed at higher elevations. When I lived in Toronto I volunteered for a group who went around the downtown skyscrapers picking up those that had met their demise! Alas.....

I have a Buddhist boy who is sprawled on his tummy that is camoflauged with Corydalis and various ferns by mid summer, making it look like he is playing hide and seek! I love the blue marbles with the ceramic fish in your garden..... all for one and one [two] for blue!

Fingers crossed its going to warm up sooner rather than later!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Jennifer girl !
I love the use in a dark alcove area .. that would really work well !My ittle dry stream bed makes me smile a lot .. I added the marbles later in the season .. that blue just does it for me .. haha .. yes we had snow then .. but now with the rain most of it is gone thank heavens .. onward Spring !

Cindee girl thank you : )
You are so busy I have no idea how you do it !
Hey ... that would be an awesome idea!! ... a shipwreck with special plants and seas type objects and shells .. if anyone could do it you are the person who would and it would be gorgeous .. the little princess would love it too!

Dear Mr. TOG
You have made me laugh so much !
I love your strategy it is very logical indeed ? LOL
OMG ... yes I guess you could say a thinning of the flock from such a bird would be a necessity in that case ? haha

Hello Alain and yes I guess you could say they might be eggs as well !

Hello Linda girl .. I actually take the mirror and put it on the deck for winter along with my ceramic owl .. yes! a mirror in your garden would be perfect ... good for your friend with that precaution !

Martha girl thank you so much : )
I swear I write an email to you in my brain that often too .. we just have a hard time getting it actually done but it will happen eventually!

Diana girl you are very naughty .. I won't mention the pole I have in the rec room then ?
I wish I had saved my marbles from when I was a kid or even my son's marbles .. but thank heavens for the Dollar Store !!
Thank you girl .. I need all the good wishes possible : )

Ms S girl hello there and thank you so much! I love coloured glass in the garden .. especially blue .. it really brightens the area up and shows off the plants so well !
Fingers crossed : )

Sweetie yes I remember seeing your mirror which was placed wonderfully and that too cute little Buddha boy laying on his tummy .. now that is a sweet vignette!
YES ! I think the weather is finally turning .. I intend to go out tomorrow and survey the damage .. do a little work would be nice too!

Marguerite said...

This weather is enough to drive one utterly crazy. It's beginning to warm here but at this rate the snow won't melt until June. I LOVE that little fish. Didn't know you had a dry creek bed and that fish just finishes it perfectly, especially the added touch of blue bubbles. You're a darn creative lady. This is a gorgeous spot.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Marguerite girl thank you so much!
Yes this weather is driving all of us a bit nutty but it seems to be moving forward .. I am sorry yours is such a mess down east .. bad year indeed!
I just read about your flower bed post .. it has beautiful elements, those iris are gorgeous ! it will be wonderful this year I am sure : )

Casa Mariposa said...

I love the mirror! I think the whole vignette is fabulous. :o) I used to live in Watertown, NY not far from where you are now. Winter lasts for so damn long there. I think the birds are safe but maybe it will scare the slugs into retreating instead of attacking.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello there Tammy girl !
I just finished reading your post on the frozen bulb incident .. I really know what that is about .. been there DID that and what a HUGE disappointment after being so happy the previous Fall.
Life goes on however and we have to keep up with it.
YES!!! winter lasts so damn long here it is hard to get this bear out of my cave ... GROWL !!! LOL
Better days ahead girl !