Peace
of Heaven
Secret
Garden
Every home needs a special, quiet spot: that place where
you go at the end of the day to escape from the busyness of work and the hecticness
of daily life. Karen and her fiancé, Greg, knew that their home in Meriden
was craving such a spot. So, they set out to create a charming garden grotto.
For
the Birds
When her interest in gardening first began, Karen thought
that bird feeders would be the perfect next addition to her yard. It only seemed
right that the plants and bushes would be filled with the sounds of sweet, little
chirps. Unfortunately, the birds made such a mess, leaving seed all over Karen's
white stones. She decided to stick to plants and leave the bird-watching to her
neighbor, Mary. So, the feeders and seed were transported next door, while the
"bird garden" became the perfect setting for Karen and Greg's new grotto.
A decorative birdhouse replaced the feeders and plants and flowers filled the
area, but it wasn't long before Karen knew that some extra flair was needed for
the little getaway.
Two
of Everything
Karen and Greg certainly had no lack of "flair"
to add to their grotto. Whenever a couple meets later in life, it is inevitable
that they will end up with a house filled with doubles of many things. Such was
the case with Karen and Greg, who found that their new home had two of everything
from dinnerware sets to vacuums to bath mats. Being the eclectic couple that they
are, they even found themselves with two artsy garden chairs, each of which was
equally wonderful, but also lacking a table at which it could be placed. So, in
the mind of an artist, the only logical solution was to make a table to complete
the set. Once this creation started to take shape, Karen knew that this had been
the missing piece of pizzazz that was just what the garden grotto needed.
Mosaic
to the Rescue
Working with a small budget but a large stash of creativity,
Karen found herself heading back to her new-found love of mosaic-making. Smashing
plates and gathering all sorts of materials, Karen began to work on the mosaic
that would eventually become an artistic tabletop. Corks became the framework
for the mosaic masterpiece. After much searching, Karen found a table base at
a local restaurant supply store for only $25. Once spray-painted, it matched the
chairs perfectly.
Now
complete, it's clear that the mosaic table has finished off the garden grotto
just perfectly. With one glance at the tabletop, it is obvious that the piece
feels quite at home. Written in mosaic tiles is a saying chosen by Greg, which
echoes the purpose and feeling of the garden to a tee. It reads "Peace of
Heaven," which is exactly what this little getaway has become.
GARDEN
ARCHIVES
June
2005 Garden Page
Winter
2005 Garden Page
November
2004 Garden Page
October
2004 Garden Page
September
2004 Garden Page
August
2004 Garden Page
July
2004 Garden Page
