The Tale of a Junk Garden .. part 2

    I can't believe that I'm writing two blogs in one week after a 4 month sabatical, but it's true.  I'm really tuned into my Garden Junk theme, so I thought I'd show you how I Winterize our plants .. Junk style.

     We have the good fortune to have a built-in atrium to keep our plants cozy (and alive) all Winter long.  Our home is built in a U shape with a garden area in the U. We have a fiberglass roof to filter in the sun and during the Winter we put up a rather ugly but useful wall across the part of the atrium that is exposed.   With so many plants crammed in to weather the cold, it looks like a tropical jungle with plants, on the ground, on raised objects (i.e. garden junk) and hanging from the low rafters.  The picture above is one portion of it.

  I've added chippy statues like that angel to keep "watch" over my plants.

  I put an old child's rocker to use, holding a blooming bougainvillea, while a rusty sifter houses some succulents.

  my favorite rusty, chippy birdcage doesn't house any birds but looks beautiful among the old ferns.

   I've used old urn shaped lamps for accents and chicken feeders and hibachi grills for succulent planters.

      A groovy midcentury swag lamp doesn't work but blends well with all the hanging plants.

  Another view of the swag lamp shows off our ferns and the old fountain that houses more junk style succulents.

   A dusty old water jug and a plaster cornucopia accompany more plants.

    A rusty child's metal chair holds a repurposed plastic shell salad bowl which now houses assorted succulents.

     With the help of this atrium, we've managed to keep annuals like potato vines and impatients and coleus alive for several years.

    I even let some of my succulents "put on the Ritz" as I married them with vintage silverplate dishes.

      With the warm weather we've had this past week, it's tempting to put my plants outside, but old man Winter came back last night with freezing temps so I'm so grateful to have this atrium to keep my plants alive and thriving.

 Happy Gardening (whenever!)

Betsy