Your Picture Framed Garden

Old frames are the easiest things to find at a thrift store or at Flea Markets, but did you know you can bring them into the garden in dozens of different ways? You’ll see frames that act as plant hangers, frames that add color to a fence and frames that ‘frame’ the view in you garden. Can you be as creative as these Flea Market gardeners?

19 fun projects, from simple to sensational..

Deborah Sullivan says over sized frames are fun in the garden! This one is brightly painted red and hung on a wire fence arbor.

Linda Gladman says, “This is my little ‘Oh Canada’ garden … I made the butterfly out of beads and old chair spindle, hubs made the easel from our reclaimed wood pile, the totem I made a few years ago and the plate flower I just “planted.” The butterfly was so much fun I made another six in various colours. The sunflower, like most in my yard, are compliments of the birds …”

Bogdan Dabrowski‎ created this simple frame from garden table legs, he says, old hose and some plywood. And the placement of the notes are based on the musical notes of a a popular Polish children’s song and are explained here

Kathy Schumacher‎ tells us, “My first try at planting a picture frame with succulents.” We’re impressed! Paint the frame with a sealant to repel water for this project. You’ll need a frame, a shallow wooden ‘shadow box’, moss and a rectangle piece of chicken wire cut to fit. Kathy added soil then the moss and poked the succulents through the wire ‘screen.’

Here are some instructions, if you’d like to try this!

Lynn Holland‎’s thrift shop find, a framed and etched mirror and just the spot to reflect her garden.

Finding frames

Unique and unused picture frames are easy to find,…once someone discards one, they put little value on them, so they are inexpensive as well. Looks for the interestingly carved ones or metal frames that will hold up to the weather and can be painted with no qualms. Frames can simply be made, too, from wood or twigs or who knows what!?

Collect several frames and arrange them on a fence or wall. Positioned in front of the garden, as a “view finder” we can look through a frame from different angles, creating different garden “paintings” in our imaginations. It can also be free, and it’s a good way to re-purpose old picture frames in a surprising way.

Lynda Jalovec tells us, “This is one of our little gardens we have in our back yard. I love the idea I saw here of the crosses on the fence posts so I did that but added the picture frames for more color. That ‘trellis’ is a rusty headboard that someone was throwing away and my husband saw it. He knew I would love to have it and he was right!”

Jeanie Merritt tells us, “Beautiful and full, this basket of million bells, (Calibrachoa) sits proudly in this blue chair with a message of ‘Welcome’ to my visitors” A simple project for everyone!

Brian Stephan says, “I finally figured out how I wanted to display the last batch of vintage garden tools I bought. I used an old frame, rusted wire fabric and fishing line to tie them to the fabric.”

Edie Kennedy says, “This is St. Francis in my garden. He needed a church window, so I made him one out of a mirror that I got at the ‘ReStore.’ I put a stained glass decal on the mirror and even cut out some of the decal for the mirror to show through. The morning light out of the east highlights it beautifully.”

Jeanne Sammons’s easel style frame is made of branches and twigs and frames whichever section of her garden she likes at the moment. Jeanne says, “This is what I call ‘Live Art’ here in my gardens…made by an artist at Farmer’s Market for me a couple yrs ago……I move it around as I like and I love it!”

“This is more ‘framed living art’ found on a garden walk a couple weeks ago and I think it’s very do-able! Isn’t this gorgeous! I have my frame already! I found some instructions online,” Jeanne says.

Mirrors work nicely in gardens especially when you are looking to create a sense of space and to reflect more of the garden, like Ann has.

Ann multiplies this effect with this series of inexpensive plastic mirrors, all painted in her signature aqua color, creating rhythm along her garden fence.

Sue Neitzel says, “How about a chalkboard by the back door to greet your guests? This used to be a park sign, it was left here when we bought the place, so I painted it with chalkboard paint. I love that stuff!”

What will you frame in the garden?

For more ideas on creative ways to make your garden beautiful, visit www.fleamarketgardening.org.