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and how can you tell for sure if it is plaster or concrete??

Thanks for your answers!

weight will tell you.Plaster ones will last a long time,unlike stone though they need a clean up and bit of paint every second year.So plaster is okay,but if it feels ridiculously light in weight do not buy.Get one that has some bulk to it

2008-12-07 09:35:12 by :)

This is another small sample of some of the concrete ornaments we make. A lot of these statues still needed to be finished, seems cleaned up and ...

what are the differences in longevity?

I am not sure if the actual bath part is plaster or concrete, but it is really heavy.

the statue on top is hollow and quite intricately carved.

both are very smooth,

but the bowl is again very heavy and hard. so what could it be for anyone who could guess?

Thanks for your answers!

Plaster ones tend to crack with age, as they get water into the structure. I have a Gargoyle, and the only way to protect it is to paint it with Varnish or Paint.

All the concrete ones I have last well, but are not as detailed.

I prefer the plastic ones I have for detail and age, but they are Plastic.

2008-12-07 10:23:20 by :)

Price: $26.39 $23.99

Each bird sits on a ball/column
Adds beauty to any décor
From Napa Home Garden's Entertaining Collection

Besides a fountain, bird bath, or statue, are there any other garden focal points I should consider?

I'm new to gardening. Right now my backyard has a strip of pachysandra, some hostas in permanent shade, and a small bed of annuals next to the garage.

I'd like to have some object as a focal point and build a small bed around it - either next to the low fence in bright sunshine, or near the pachysandra with a dark green background of pines and maples (the backyard ends in a low wall and drops off, so you're looking at the middle of maple and pine trees).

A water feature is an excellent focal point. People who enter your yard will instinctively move toward it.

Water features don't have to be complicated or difficult to maintain. You just need an outside power source. There are solar-powered water features, but obviously they must be in a very sunny location.

Although this is not my photo, I have an urn just like this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardleger /2271511904/. Water flows from a basin underground and flows on the outside of the urn back into the basin. Very pretty sound, very pretty effect.

You can place rocks and plants in a large circle around the urn and build a path that leads to it; then put a small bench near it. People will gravitate to it and sit by it.

2008-07-05 14:47:08 by slishou

Price: $19.99 $19.99

Easy to clean
Fun design
Great accent piece

The two women spent the day at Mrs. Oliver’s house, canning blackberry jam and baking torts to freeze for later. Every hour, the bell on the Chapel by the Sea would strike and Mrs. Oliver would compare it against the clock on her mantle. Between the bustle in the kitchen, they found time to play cards out on the patio.
Mrs. Oliver had created a botanical garden in her backyard, modeling it after the house on Mt. Jötnar. She had an elaborate fountain in the center with little cherub statues atop. Almost everyone who saw it commented on the grandeur and how color coordinated her yard seemed. She had separated the warm colors, placing all the bright splashes of purple, plum and pale violet in one corner. The rich burgundy smoke tree was surrounded in royal irises with long healthy blooms. Russian sage and Spanish lavender lay peacefully around the edges with blue-green, silver, and chartreuse foliage. To the other side, the warmth intensified with fiery shades of dahlia, coleus, and sedum. The crimson blooms were surrounded in red fountain grass. High up in an old elm that shaded the yard she had several bird feeders and a curious squirrel who always seemed to appear when guests were near. Today, he’d dropped a walnut and was scurrying down to retrieve it.
While they played cards, they conversed with ease. They spoke of Ilsa’s new employers mostly.
“She’s a bit younger than he is,” Ilsa said. “But they seem very happy together.”

It sounds lovely. Just one bit though...The garden of the "cool" plants was so in-depth with so many beautiful varities. I could picture them all in my minds eye. However, there are only dahlias, coleus, sedum and red fountain grass on the "warm" side?

There are so many warm colored plants. I was surprised not to read of a beautiful deep red rose bush, geraniums, red gerbera daisies, a beautiful hibiscus etc. Still it sounds like a very lovely garden. I prefer splashes of color here and there. Something a little less formal, where I could plop down barefoot with a glass of ice tea :)

Jill Marie

2008-04-26 15:08:10 by S T

I have a plaster bird bath that I would like to place outside in the garden. I am told it will 'melt'. What can I do to stop that process?

If you do place the bird bath out doors be sure to spray it with some type of protective finish. Check with Lowes or Home Depot. Don't forget to apply the coating to the very bottom of the bath because it may act as a sponge and suck up moisture from the ground. Good Luck!

2006-06-24 08:00:38 by Traci