Creative, repurposed garden art

Our 99-year-old windows are being replaced today. Much as I love the original look, I live with the downside all winter as I sit at my office keyboard with the window view – wearing mittens.

It is hard to type wearing mittens.

Mr TG just came to ask, “Do you want to keep the weights?” He laughed and showed me the rusty hunks of metal. They each weigh a ton. We’ll have 12.

“Weights?” I said. “Wait! I have a cunning plan.” And I showed him these pictures.

These are from the 2014 Garden Bloggers Fling in Portland in the garden of the Kennedy School McMenamins restaurant and inn. And the weights used to create these spiky installations turned up when they replaced the windows. An idea worth filing away and stealing, four years later.

We had no idea what these things were, until they were explained to us. 
Not sure if these were old window parts. But they do make great garden art.

What will I make of mine? You’ll have to drop in later to see. Hopefully, they will be worth the… wait.

Our weights are considerably smaller. And given that the house will turn 100 in 2019, they’re probably older than 99.

What would you do with them?

5 comments

  1. Wow, that was a bit of a headache, a worlds colliding moment at the start. I knew I was reading your blog, from Toronto, and yet there was a photo from the KS, just five blocks away from me! Then it all came flooding back. Why you would have that photo, the Fling! Can’t wait to see what you do with your weights. And see you at the Fling…

  2. 99+ years old and beautiful,a definite save!
    Looks like the weights dangle from rope? In that case, perhaps a garden mobile type of art sculpture? Or, how about putting them out in a display case and asking for artists’ ( maybe including high schoolers/colleges?) renderings of how they can be used? Great way to start a conversation about conservation, art, and botanical gardens.

  3. I think some type of garden sculpture would be the way to go. Those where impressive in that Portland Garden.

You might also like