Ornament Your Garden with Flea Market Finds

By J. A. Young

For many gardeners and landscapers, ornamenting the garden is like icing the cake, and decorating what had been a labor of love - that is, getting your trees, plants and shrubs to grow! While online stores and local garden centers offer thousands of garden props and ornaments, combing various flea markets can lead to some unique garden ornamentation that is original and may reflect your own gardening style. The following article offers some unique garden ornaments that may easily be found at flea markets or yard sales.

Flea markets are ideal places to find unique planters and containers. Not only will you find traditional terra-cotta pots and simple wicker baskets, you will find a wide assortment of objects that can be used to pot your plants. Instead of hanging baskets of flowers for your porch, search out old light fixtures - from ornate Victorian fixtures to more Bohemian styles from the 1960s, you can give your porch a glamorous glassy makeover. Otherwise, look for a hodge-podge of items that may be used for your plantings. This could include ceramic and pottery bowls or jugs, old watering cans, decorative tins, wire baskets, vases, crude wooden toolboxes, wagons, wheelbarrows, milk cans, chipped China cups and bowls, etc.

There are also plenty of flea market finds that can be transformed into trellises or various supports for your climbing plants and vines. For a western or ranch style home, consider large wagon wheels for a unique trellis system. Old wrought iron gates may also be advantageously employed as more sophisticated trellises. Also, panels of lattice fencing or old doors make useful supports for vines. Chicken wire can be employed doubly as trellis and barrier between various sections of the garden. Wooden ladders, metal headboards and old bedposts also make unique trellises.

Flea markets abound with furniture that is perfect for the outdoors. Many items may be too broken down to be considered for inside, but they find new life in the garden and add plenty of personality to the setting. Cane backed chairs or painted-chipped benches can easily be given a coat of paint or placed "as is" on the back porch. Often vintage metal garden and patio furniture can be found for a good price. Old-fashioned gliders and rocking chairs are excellent flea market finds. Old children's furniture looks great in the garden too for places to set your pots and containers.

Gardeners will have no problem finding markers for their gardens and small statuettes. Ceramic frogs, piggy banks, plastic flamingoes can be spotted easily. Look for anything that can be transformed into a pedestal for a large bowl - this makes a great birdbath. Also, you're likely to come across various birdhouses, wind chimes, and a vast array of odds and ends that may work for you somewhere in the garden. Even old tablecloths make great picnic table coverings. Old tires can be transformed into raised flowerbeds. Every piece of junk you find at the flea market may have a new life in your garden.

Other useful items that may be made over for garden use might include: step stools, benches, shutters, straw hats, chimney pieces, statuettes, jugs, old tiles, railroad ties, old tin signs, old yard tools, book ends, stained glass panes, metal trunks, glass bottles, old bakers racks, plant stands, trinket boxes, barrels, railings, enamel tubs, etc. Your garden can be a one-of-a-kind by shopping for unique flea market items, and it will probably cost you less money to ornament your garden than by shopping at more traditional garden centers. Yard sales are also good sources for garden props.