Gardens and garden art are such a personal expression of creativity!  One could argue that the plants themselves are works of art and why should we try to “guild the lily”, and others embrace the use of garden art wholeheartedly, to create a garden oasis of beauty and memories.  Some of us aspire to all of the above! I am going to share some of our projects with you and give you some ideas for easy projects using inexpensive or found items to embellish your garden.

A few years ago the “repurposing” and “trash to treasure” trend became very popular as the DIY (Do It Yourself) crowd became active.  Those of us who had always embraced antique and vintage items and used them in our home were glad to be on-trend.  I want to share a few of the projects that have given us great satisfaction and enjoyment.  Not only has hoarding old junk been productive, but we can claim to be environmentally friendly as we repurpose things that would surely have been sent to the landfill.

My favorite find and upcycled project is an old iron bed frame that my husband and grandson made into a garden bench.  The piece cost $20 at a garage sale, and we spent a few bucks purchasing an 8 X 12 redwood board and some big lag bolts to fasten it to the bed legs.  They cut the side rails short, attached the legs to the front of the board, and were finished in no time at all. The grandkids loved building things with Gramps and working in the garden with Grandma Kathy, so we cherish the memories of those fun times whenever we see the little bench that graces a corner of our garden.  Over the years we added slate paving stones and creeping thyme (Thymus praecox) in on the ground in front of the bench to make it a more pleasant place in which to sit. It is a hardy groundcover but does attract bees, so allergies must be considered.  

photos by Kathy Craig

Our second favorite object is a potting shelf that was made from an old French door that came from my parents' neighbor's home. The door was replaced with a more substantial one, and it was going to be disposed of. I just couldn't say goodbye to that old door that I had slammed so many times while running in and out with my best friends next door.  I designed the shelf/bench with found objects: we had an old Early American coffee table that had gotten singed in a fire that was made of solid maple, so that was just the right size for a work surface.  Then we scrounged some tongue and groove boards to make upper and lower shelves for storage.  One of the panes of glass was broken in this old door, so we covered that with chicken wire to give it a “farm” look, and to have a place to hang hooks for tools.  The table legs were purchased new at the hardware store (they were unfinished newel posts) for around $20 each.  We added a few more touches: decorative shelf brackets, varnished the raw wood pieces, and painted the rest of it white.  Whenever I use the shelves to display plants, pots, or do actual re-potting of plants, it makes me happy to see that old door and coffee table being useful and pretty!  It replaces a plastic outdoor storage cabinet that had no decorative appeal at all, and since plastic breaks down in the sunlight, wood was a better choice. 

Other small projects we have enjoyed working on have been: mounting a birdhouse on an old turned stair post for visual interest, when our mirror ball column broke, I decided to sink the upper column into the soil and use the broken part to look like a ruin with flowers growing around it. I chose Heronsbill (Erodium corsicum) and Sky Blue Lobelia (Lobelia erinus) to enhance that little spot. 

Another idea: We have an abundance of shells, so I made a shell mirror with the grandkids by gluing shells around the edges of an old mirror.  The kids arranged the shells as they wanted them and I applied the stinky glue because they told me it causes cancer and their mom didn't allow them to use that kind of glue.  Yes, the vapor is harmful.  We were outside in the fresh air.  (Nice to have such smart grandkids with good safety awareness!) Since hanging it on our fence a few visitors have commented on the whimsy of having what looks like a “portal” through the fence.  

Another kid-friendly project was making stepping stone mosaics.  It makes a great Mother's day project, and kids are so proud to create something that will be in the garden every time they visit. I purchased the kit at a local craft store, which included cement which had to be mixed with water, a mold for the stepping stone, some glass pebbles, and directions.  We had a beautiful blue and white plate that had been my grandmother's but it had cracked, so we broke it into smaller pieces, bought a yellow/gold plate at a thrift store, smashed that, (Kids weren't involved in that part.  I placed the plate in a heavy canvas bag and hit it with a hammer.  I suggest wearing safety goggles and long sleeves for this activity) and placed the wet cement in the mold and pressed the pieces into it in a pleasing pattern.  (The wet material is cement, the finished product is concrete).  It solidified quickly and came out of the mold easily, and has graced our garden for years now. We made several more stepping stones with glass pebbles and stained glass pieces.

Whatever you do to decorate your garden, I hope these ideas have been interesting and inspiring, and that you will look at those found or saved objects with new eyes to create something intriguing for yourself or others.

I have had a Joseph's Coat climbing rose at my house for over 25 years.  Last year it began looking worn out as if it were on its last legs.  I cut the trunk back almost to the ground and held my breath.  Since I hadn't seen any graft lines, I was hoping that the rose was growing on its own roots and would send up a new cane.

Luckily that is what did happen, and all was right in my gardening world.  Then one day I saw this damage on the leaves and petals.  Now the leaf damage was nothing new.  I knew leaf-cutter bees were the culprits and had made peace with them over the years knowing the damage wouldn't harm the plant.  But I had never seen petal damage before.

I decided to hit the books and see what I could find.  The family of insects that contain leaf-cutter bees is Megachilidae.  Some bee books mention only the genus Megachile as containing leaf-cutter bees.  However, in Field Guide to the Common Bees of California, Gretchen LeBuhn calls the Megachile genus, large leaf-cutter bees, and the genus Osmia, small leaf-cutter bees.  Of note Osmia is also the genus that contains mason bees.  She also mentions several species in the Ashmeadiella genus as being leaf-cutters.

Most leaf-cutter bees tend to appropriate existing long cylindrical spaces as sites for their nests: old beetle tunnels, wall crevices, and large hollow canes or stems.  They then wall these areas off into separate chambers by lining and capping them with leaf or petal material.  The cylindrical cuts you see on leaves is for lining the walls while the circular cut-outs are for capping each segment.  The bee lays an egg in each chamber and places a pollen ball there for the larva to feed on once it has hatched.

Petal damage. photos by Karen Metz

Leaf-cutter bees are excellent pollinators.  They carry pollen in a collection of stiff hairs on their abdomens.  Most other bees carry pollen in special hairs on their hind-legs.

Now with all the damage, I saw on the leaves, I was surprised I had never seen a leaf-cutter bee at work.  But Professor LeBuhn may have provided an explanation.  She noted that it only takes 2-3 seconds for a bee in the Megachile genus to make her cut.  Also, before her job is complete, she has already begun to beat her wings so that she is already flying by the time the cut-out is finished.

Still, at the end of the day, there is still that very visible plant damage to contend with.  I decided to focus on the advice given in California Bees and Blooms which was co-authored by Professor Robin Thorp. “Consider it a good sign that your garden is providing necessary materials for important pollinators nesting nearby.”

Over the years I had gotten used to the leaf damage.  But it was the petal damage this year that really gave me pause.  How could I mentally re-frame the shape of the damaged rose blossom?  I realized that if this shape was on a new variety of dahlia or passionflower, I would think it was very exotic and embrace it.  So, I've decided to embrace it on my rose as well.

photo by David Bellamy

Summer is here and your flowers, vegetables, and weeds are really taking off. It is also the hottest time of year and you may wish to work outside after the sunsets. Now you've got to contend with blood-thirsty summer mosquitos. You may wish you had planted citronella around your garden to help, but does it?

Citronella Grass (Photo: WellspringGardens, Etsy.com)

There are two plants called Citronella. They are Citronella Grass (Cymbopogon nardus or C. winterianus) and Citronella Geranium (Pelargonium 'Citronella'). Citronella Grass, sometimes called Mosquito Grass, is a clump-forming perennial grass, grown as an annual in some colder zones. The oil of these plants can be used as a mosquito or insect repellent and is also used in some soaps and candles. It also has herbal uses and is touted to help with treating lice, intestinal worms, as well as for treating fever or migraines. Think twice about planting this if you have limited garden space since it gets 5-6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. Also, just growing it may not repel one “Skeetter”, since the oil in the plant has the repellent properties, and it must be extracted to use. It sometimes called Lemon Grass, and although the two kinds of grass are closely related and look similar, they are two different plants, and only Cymbopogon nardus has the citronella oil.

Although the oil from Citronella grass has been shown to be effective as an ingredient in insect repellent, there are also studies that show no significant improvement. The European Union (EU) has banned Citronella as an insecticide.

Citronella is a natural and organic product and is generally considered safe when used in small amounts on your skin. However, some people have allergic reactions to it. Check with your medical professional before experimenting with it, especially if considering ingesting it or breathing in vapors using the oil. Also, try searching Internet for “is Citronella safe for human use?”

Blooming Citronella Geranium, (Photo: www. Gardenmyths.com/…)

So, you think you'll grow the geranium variety? The citronella geranium has lacy green leaves and purple, pink or white colored blooms. If you just barely brush is as you walk by and you will get a blast of citrus/ floral fragrance. But while they are pretty and pleasantly scented, studies have shown them ineffective in repelling mosquitos. However, having them in your garden may help to cover up the smell of your spray-on insect repellent, so they may still help indirectly to battle the bugs.

Lastly, do Citronella Candles keep mosquitoes away? This is a myth. The amount of oil in candles is extremely small and citronella candles don't work any better than regular candles – neither works well.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/citronella-grass/what-is-citronella-grass.htm

https://www.gardenmyths.com/citronella-plant-keeps-mosquitoes-away/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/692558506/citronella-grass-cymbopogon-nardus-live