Terracotta Art in the Garden
It’s the last Monday of the month which means it time for another Int’l Bloggers Club Challenge, where a group of international friends get together and share what happening in their little corner of the world. Last month we shared some of our epic fails and this month we’re moving outdoors. It’s Spring for my friends in the Northern Hemisphere right now so they’re getting their gardens ready for Summer. Down here in the South the days are getting shorter and the jewel colored leaves have started their last dance on the cool Autumn breeze. There’s a terracotta shimmer on the horizon when the light drains away at the end of the day.
To be honest, I’m not a big fan of Autumn. I tend to get a little melancholy. I want to hold onto that precious light for as long as possible but it always fades away quicker than the day before. Does Autumn do the same to you? One of the things that helps me shrug off my cloak of sadness is pottering around outdoors. So, it’s no surprise that I loved the topic for this month’s challenge. It was just the “pick me up” I needed. For the outdoors challenge I wanted to create something for the garden that combined the earthy, russet tones of Autumn with the beautiful vibrant greens of Spring.
Creating Some TerraCotta Art For The Garden
We had an old frame lying around in the garage that had been gathering some serious dust for a while. After a quick clean, a coat of rusty metal spray paint and distressing she was the perfect starting point for the challenge.
We also had a whole bunch of terracotta pots that we use to make tree planters and vine wire rope. That’s the stuff that florists use to make rustic bouquets and stuff. Using a glue gun I wound the rope around the pots, starting at the bottom and working my way up to the top.
Before gluing the last bit I made two loops in the wire on either side of the terracotta pots.
By threading an extra piece of vine wire through the loops, I can hang the terracotta pots inside the frame. All I needed to do was add some hooks.
So that’s Autumn covered 😉 Now for a bit of vibrant, glorious Spring.
Bring Spring Back in Autumn
One of my favorite plants in the garden is our indigenous Crassula lycopodioides or shoe lace bush (skoenveterbos in Afrikaans). She’s water wise and she’s got the most beautiful, weirdly shaped leaves.
She never complains. In fact, the more you ignore her, the better she grows. And she doesn’t mind if you yank off a piece of her to plant somewhere else either. Which is exactly what I did, after saying sorry first of course. Plants have feelings too 😉
Isn’t she just gorgeous? And that color!!! So fresh and Spring-like. We hung the framed terracotta pots on the wall outside and I think it looks lovely.
I love the pops of green and knowing how quickly the shoe lace bush grows, it won’t be long before there’ll be an explosion of Spring inside that frame.
The framed terracotta pots are a great reminder that all seasons come and go.
I had loads of fun chasing away the Autumn blues with this month’s challenge. It was a great way to appreciate nature and the outdoors all year round.
Plant seeds of kindness and harvest the garden of love.P.S. Don’t forget to click through on the links below to see what outdoor awesomeness the other ladies in the Int’l Bloggers Club have come up with.
I’m curious about the hanger above the framed plant pots? What is it and how do I find it and/or did you make it? BTW, I love the framed potted plants!
Thanks so much Rhonda, the hanger is an old rusty metal bed frame that we found at a scrapyard.
This is a really striking project so different and I love the tone of the wood. Love it, and pinning.
Thanks so much Leanna, glad you like it 😀
Adorable Michelle! I missed this creation some how. I love the little pots wrapped in vine wire, and I just happen to have some. The pop of green looks great with the color of the frame. Super cute!
Thank you Linda and please don’t stress. There’s so much happening on the internet at the moment, how on earth do we keep up 😀
What a lovely project!!
I do like every season for each of their differences! To me the fall means I can pull out my boots and sweaters, which is always fun for me!
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I hear you Jodie, maybe I need to go shop for some boots 😉
This is so beautiful! You are so innovative and creative. I love the idea of hanging pots in a frame. You did such a great job combining Spring and Autumn colors. And that plant really does have some crazy leaves. 🙂
Thanks so much Gina, she’s a super little plant and so rewarding 😀
Yeah, I love the IBC and to see what all of you get up to! This is so cool, and I’m going to be doing something similar in the house soon. Will you leave this up all year round? Will it survive the winter or will you replant again in spring? Fill me in! I’m nosy like that! I’m with you, spring is my favorite, then summer. Fall is melancholy for me and winter is hibernation time!
LOL Nikki, I’m just like you, Winter is definitely hibernation time 😀 Thanks for your lovely comment too. The little framed terracotta pots will stay outside all year around. She’s very hardy so she should survive the Winter better than I will 😉
How easy you make that look Michelle! I love the shoelace bush! To my knowledge, we don’t have that over here (Alabama) & I’ve never heard of the wire vine rope either. I like the finished vignette with the plant pots. Very striking looking! Believe it or not, Fall & especially Winter are my fave seasons. We are all different. Lovely photo at top too!
Thanks so much for your lovely words Florence and it’s a good thing we’re all different, it bring balance to the world. The little shoe lace bush is a beauty, I wonder if specialist nurseries would carry it in the States? It’s pretty common here in South Africa and Namibia.
I LOVE these framed terra-cotta plants! I pinned this to add to my husband’s honey do list ?
Oh I like the sound of that “honey do” list Jess. I might just start one for the hubs too 😉
Michelle, these framed terra cotta are amazing!! I would love to replicate this project, it looks awesome! I like those plants. I’m sorry that fall is melancholy for you but glad that being outdoors is a good remedy for that. 🙂 Happy Outdoors to you dear friend!!
Aaaww Keri, thank you so much. Happy Spring to you 😉
Oh wow, I just love this. It makes such a beautiful statement. I’d love to try and make something similar. That blogger group sounds like a blast! Any way I can join too? xo
Thanks so much Carolann. The IBC is loads of fun and at some stage we’d love to add a few more countries to the mix
Michelle,
What a great project!! Love it!! I am a Fall/ Winter person to be honest. The Summer is too hot for me so I spend most of my time in the house in the air conditioning…….
Thanks so much for stopping by once again and thanks for your kind words!!
Hugs,
Debbie
Always a pleasure Debbie. I love getting a glimpse of your world
Great idea! Such an installation will perfectly decorate any garden and it is also a wonderful gift. Thanks for the idea!
Thank you so much Laureen 😀
What a great idea of rope around the pot, they look awesome and the mommy plant looks so lovely and different because of its leaves. Plants in the small pots look so cute.
Thanks so much Sadhna, the shoe lace bush really is such a rewarding plant and so striking
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous and no, you’re not the only one to get melancholy once Fall comes around. It hits me hard. That shoe lace bush is really incredible looking and it all fits so perfectly together, Michelle. Little with a big impact 😀
Oh yay, Angie, thank you so much. I’m really glad you like them and that I’m not the only one that gets all sad in Autumn. Wishing you a very happy Spring up there in the North
I’m in the melancholy club also although relief from the heat is welcome. Well, Michelle, this is absolutely a fantastic piece of artwork, living art and very appropriate for Earth Day.
Yeah, I feel the same way Debra and you’re right the cooler weather is a big relief. Hope you have a lovely Spring my friend and happy Earth Day to you too.
I feel exactly the same Michelle, every fall reminds me of the myth of Proserpina and Ceres and their sadness, but I still struggle to find something that helps me to get the blues out. You have a beautiful garden and that art frame will be a lovely addition to it.
Oh you’re so right Pili. I feel just like Ceres, losing her daughter like that. I’m glad it’s Spring right now for you though. I’ll be following all your posts so I can catch a glimpse of Spring gorgeousness
Michelle, I love your garden art!!! A great mix of rustic and freshness with the frame, pots and lovely plants!?
Thank you so very much Michelle 😉
Oh Michelle I melted from that first gorgeous photo up on top. You see I am a fall person and am happiest when Autumn arrives. Your beautiful wall art combines the best of Autumn and Spring. Those lovely greens of the plant evoke a fresh air and the rustic beauty of the pots combined with the frame make it a great combination. My kind of Art Michelle!
Awww Mary, thank you. Please teach me how to appreciate Fall as much as you do.
Michelle,
I love your Garden Art! I especially like the metal frame and the plants you chose for the terra cotta pots are perfect with their bright green tendrils ! You have put some ideas into my head with this to do in my yard! Thanks!
Thank you so much Jeanee 😀 I’m so glad it sparked off some ideas
Michelle, I totally hear you about feelings of melancholy during the Fall. I’m a summer girl all the way and I too feel such sadness as the light turns to dark and the lush green and colorful flowers die. I love your framed terracotta pot wall art. What makes them so extra special is the colors you used for the frame and pots. So pretty! Swooning over the bits of that wrought iron piece it is hanging from. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shoelace bush before and looks like something I could even grow with my brown thumb.
You and me both Marie. Spring and Summer make me happy when everything is alive and bursting with potential. The shoe lace bush loves people with brown thumbs the most, because they don’t mess with her 😉 I’m not sure if you can find them in the States, but if you do she’ll just do her own little thing as long as she’s got lots of light.
I know what you mean when you say you get melancholic in Autumn….same here! Your project is very very sweet and yes, indeed Autumn like but still with some freshness of summer because of the lovely plant you put inside the pots! I also love how cleverly you wrapped the rope around the pots to hang them up! Sweet!
I’m glad I’m not the only one Katrin 😀 Autumn always feels so sad