You'll Poke Your Eye Out!

 Winter is finally here, which really means that there isn't nearly as much fun to be had outside in the garden. There are still a few things I am working on, here and there... but even basic things like making new paths out of woodchips have halted because everything is suddenly frozen solid.

Recently we started experimenting with polymer clay. I wish folks would just call it malleable plastic... because there's not much clay-like about it. But rather than say disparaging things, let's just say: I'm having a good time playing with the material. 

 

Over the past few years, we have started using rebar as support structures for plants that might otherwise snap wooden stakes. A few years ago, I saw a dahlia grower advocating their use. As long as the rebar isn't hammered into the soil, it is a fantastic support mechanism. Woe betide anyone who hammers these steel rods into clay soil though. You may as well just sell the property, because that is never coming out. Ask me how I know. Ask me about being over zealous with my small sledgehammer one wet spring day.

 

 

After installing the first round of rebar stakes, I found myself suddenly aware of the danger they present. The rough cut ends, even when not sharp, are still just right to poke someone in the face while bending over to attend to plants in the garden. 

I have seen some gardeners who use small upturned clay pots to cover the sharp business end of the rebar. I thought that little terracotta pots would be a nice theme throughout the garden. That idea smacked into the wall of reality when I went to the local garden store and experienced sticker shock. As a former potter of many years, there was no way on earth I was going to pay prices like that, for machine made pots. Nope. I needed another solution.

 

Enter the fun times with polymer clay. We started wrapping polymer clay around a foil core to that they could be popped right over the rebar stakes. Now the garden is festooned with these odd bits and baubles all over the place. There's no coherent theme (yet). Instead, I expect them to act as small surprises that will float amidst the blooming plants and shrubs... interrupting the flowers with silly expressions and contrasting patterns. We'll see how they fare over the next few years as the seasons have their way with them.