Yes, you guessed it — there’s a new shop on the block, garden fans! Goods for the Garden hits my list of sources for garden art and accessories, partly for its earth-friendly attitude… but mostly, I have to confess, for the sheer luscious beauty of the products.
The Campo De’ Fiori line of terra cotta planters, for example — like this Sevilla Plant Set. A curvy iron plant stand with a copper saucer, holding a graceful terracotta pot (not your ordinary plant pot, though; just look at the upward sweep of its line)…
Have you ever seen anything that so clearly evokes the classic English country house and conservatory?
The mottled white-ish grey-green colouring on the terracotta is a large part of the subtle charm — it’s real living moss that lends the antique heritage-garden look.
Here’s a craft tip, DIY-ers :
If you want to give the same antique appearance to your own brash-orange brand-new terracotta planters, there are two basic ways to go about it.
- To grow your own moss…Soak the plant pot in water over night. Blend together a handful of live moss and a cup of non-pasteurized yogurt (if you don’t have yogurt on hand, you can use beer with a spoonful of sugar mixed in) until very smooth. Brush this onto the plant pot where you want moss to grow. Keep it in a shady place, and mist it with water occasionally until the moss begins to grow.(Note, this method won’t work on plastic or metal — moss prefers a porous material like clay or Hypertufa or concrete.)
- To paint the illusion of moss…For hot dry climates, or for planters to use indoors, you may choose to go with a simple faux paint technique to add that elegance of age.Dab on a touch of craft paint or ordinary latex house paint, in a soft pale grey-green. Let it just barely start to dry, then dry-brush over it with white paint. Wipe most of the paint off with an old rag, and that’s all it takes!Be scanty with the paint application, to make sure the terracotta colour of the pot isn’t totally hidden — this is a case where “less is more” and you can always add more later…
For more inspiration, and for garden shopping with an environmental conscience (wholesale or retail), do check out GoodsForTheGarden.com.
Committed to preserving the earth’s green spaces — from public gardens to at-risk eco-systems — Goods For The Garden owner Matt Silvern says this:
To spend my days providing beautiful objects to everyone from the part time gardener to the largest landscape architecture firm, brings me great joy.
As a gift to my children, to theirs, to you and yours, I am as committed to my community as I am to these artisans, and that is why I try to give back every time I take in. I pledge to continue to raise funds for public gardens (5% of every order is donated), great humanitarian programs like Potters for Peace and to increase my support for community organizations.
Goods for the Garden will contribute 5% of the purchase price of every product to an organization of your choosing or to the 1% For The Planet fund.
And that’s a beautiful thing, too.