SITBY – Stuff In The Back Yard

Over the time we’ve lived in our home we’ve added a lot to the back yard.

Some is big and structural (that I’ve detailed previously), but other parts are smaller additions. Here are a few things to see when strolling though the back yard.

When we had the deck made, we gave the builder an idea of what we wanted (multi-level, built-in tree, rail-less, built-in benches, pushing into the hillside, etc) and he did the rest. The result was fabulous and we immediately loved it. Now that we’ve grown into it, it’s just a deck, but we like it. The features that really stand out are the peeling bark maple tree built-in, the fountain that’s built-in, and the garden box Suzy uses for her herb farming. We’ve spent a lot of time on the deck and really appreciate these features.

Next to the deck, sometimes on it, sometimes near it, we’ve stashed little bits and pieces of yard art. Nothing snooty or high brow, we tend to like the “fun” sort of things, but we have a lot of them. In no particular order, let’s take a look at a few.

Rain gauge

The latest addition to the back yard is a rain gauge … sitting next to a little metal mouse on a stone.

Dry streambed

While more a landscaping feature than “yard art”, we talk about it a lot, Suzanne tends it, and we like that it’s part of the yard. The dry streambed is a nice feature.

Bench and Lanterns

The easy story here is that this is a just a nice place under a few maples for a bench. Those who can spot the memorial stone and flower urn in the foreground won’t be surprised to hear that a beloved pet is buried close at hand.

Moon Bunny

This was a little something Suzanne saw in a catalog and asked for. He’s got a great shape and just feels like he’ll bring us good luck!

Birdhouses

I’ve talked about these previously so I’m not going to spend a lot of time here … either describing the bird houses or justifying my picture into the sun.

The Rabbit

He’s a new addition and, yes, this is the best picture I have of him. Or, look at an earlier post for better. He’s tucked away behind some lupins next to an ironwork trellis. You’ll see his contrasting companion later in this post … a white owl. Just like in real life, they’re found in separate parts of the yard (at least when the rabbits can help it!)

The Beaver

Nope, not talking about a member of the Cleaver family. This is an oxidized metal beaver we bought while up at Whistler, B.C. It just struck us both, the price was right, and we thought it would go well with all the other stuff we have. So, into a bag it went and then the long drive home, and now it sits near the fountain overseeing our activities.

The Chimes

These were a gift from our sister-in-law, Julie. They’re wonderful and designed to be like an inverted bell. There’s no clapper … they will ring when they strike each other. Which they do when either the wind causes two or more to strike one another, or when the rain fills one of the “bells” and, after the weight of water causes the stem to bend and allow the water to fall out, it will spring back to collide with the others. Very nice chimes. Not too “busy” making noise but fun to hear when they do.

Sundial

The sundial came into our lives in two parts: first the dial itself, and then the pedestal. At first we’d set the sundial on a large, flat stone in the yard, but soon found that the wind or a cat could easily knock if over. And, because sundials have to be calibrated with “north”, it was a pain to have to reset. So we got the pedestal.

To keep the pedestal upright and pointing north, I filled a bag with sand and placed that into the base of the column. Then, for good measure, drilled a couple holes through a piece of granite we had sitting around from when we re-did our kitchen counters and bolted that to the base. That oughta hold it!

Squirrel with Nut

Another Canadian piece! Suzanne saw this sculpture and loved it immediately. It certainly adds a measure of “whimsy” to the yard! We both like him so he’s up front and center! “Squirrel with Nut” … love it!

Colored Glass
 
Over a couple trips to the Best of the Northwest Art Fair we picked up a few bits of colored glass; a bunch of flowers and a few “twists”. They add a nice bit of vibrancy to the corner they’re in and are fun to see year round. The sharp-of-eye will note the empty rebar stake in the ground. That’s where a green “twist” sat until broke it with a shovel as I was transplanting a wayward clump of grass. Very sad and still on my work bench … CA glue didn’t weather well and it fell apart again. Now time to try epoxy.

Citrus and Weird Plants

The picture is at a bit of an odd angle but there are four potted plants here. Two are in tall, pottery planters: the citrus; and two are in shorter plastic pots: the weird plants (or “sticks” as Suzy calls them).

The citrus are great but great only in the sense that someone with a lot of hope could say great. We’ve had them for a few years and one year we even got lemons from them! Most other years the citrus plants range from giving us lots of flowers and a wonderful scent, to being in the throes of dying in a quite dramatic fashion.

The weird plants are just that, weird. Suzanne got these in February from the Flower and Garden show and they looked like thick, sticks. They’re some sort of exotic, tropical plant she was told to pop into soil and expect to see bud out and “do something” in a few weeks. Well, it’s been months and the best we have is a tiny bit of strange growth just now coming out the ends of the sticks. Stay tuned.

Fish

We seem to have gathered a bunch of fish in our yard. We’re not anglers, nor do we have tropical fish or anything like that. Still, we have a lot of fish outside. Earlier I’d pointed out some fish we put adjacent to the front driveway and now we have a similar school keeping busy in the back. And where else would you expect to find oxidizing metal fish than next to the dry streambed!

I think our sister-in-law Olivia gave these to us. She bought them at the Best of the Northwest Art show and had the artist send them to us. They look great. I especially like seeing them next to the variegated spiky plants that look a bit like something you’d see underwater.

Herb Garden

When the deck was built we specifically asked for a built-in planter box. I wasn’t sure what we’d do with it but assumed some sort of eye-catching flower. Well, we have herbs and I really enjoy this feature. Suzanne does a lot of cooking and baking, and with rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, curry, oregano, and parsley all “in the house”, I get taste-a-licious meals on a regular basis. Yum!

Three Fat Birds

We originally had these in the house at the base of our ficus tree. Well, the ficus (which looked sickly for a very long time) finally went and the birds found a new home under the Serbian spruce in the back yard.

I think we got these from a nursery somewhere in the area and Suz liked them enough to give them a home. Now they’re in back with the other yard art.

The Rooster

The rooster was one of the first metal pieces that we got; we picked him up from Covington Nursery. He stands tall behind the Serbian spruce (you can see our two blue berry plants behind him) and we had to weigh his feet  down with a big rock to keep him upright. Still, there he is, keeping a watch over the north side of the yard.

The Owl

This owl came into our lives just because we liked it. He’s a big fella and watches over the fountain from a perch next to our “unicorn plant”. Can’t miss him!

The Goony Bird

Not sure many people will side with me but Suzy does: this was a birthday gift to her one year! And I know Suzy will side with me as this was a gift of her choosing. A number of these were outside a small art gallery by her work in downtown Seattle. This was made by an artist in Mexico and we decided to give it a home as the store\gallery was going out of buisness and we got him at a good price. I’ve seen more of these since we got him but none are as big. The bird will pivot at a small beam above the legs and the body is a heavy stone that keeps him upright. Fun to see him bobbing when the wind picks up!

 

Well, that’s the yard most of the stuff in it. We’re bound to get more, say good-bye to old friends, or find new places for them. But, it makes our yard a fun place to spend a little time.