"Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn."
- Michelle L. Thieme, August's Crown

New Items at Garden Accents:

Restored Antique Iron Chairs              Vintage Cast Stone Bench                                            

Vintage Cast Stone Planters

Ode to Summer:

August is here and before you know it, our schedules will soon default back to 'hustle and bustle'.  Why not plan to dine al fresco as often as possible to celebrate these last days of summer?  It's a simple way to make each meal a little more special and squeeze the last drop of summer from each day.  The sun still rises early enough to greet you for breakfast on the patio, and the nights are still warm enough to linger over dessert on the terrace but perhaps your outdoor dining set has seen better days...Garden Accents has a carefully chosen collection of timeless tables and chairs to provide stylish, comfortable and enduring seating in a variety of materials including zinc, cast aluminum, teak, all-weather Hularo, porcelain and cast stone.  This zinc table and coordinating Dedon Hularo chairs would look amazing on a bluestone terrace, and the patina of the zinc just gets lovelier with age and weather.  The chairs are quite comfortable and are made of weatherproof Hularo; a synthetic fiber which beautifully imitates the charm of wicker.  Hularo is UV and temperature resistant, durable, colorfast, maintenance free and environmentally friendly.  The turned pedestal base on the zinc table, stunning in its simplicity, affords more legroom underneath than a traditional four-legged table.  By choosing chairs that afford comfort without having the need for any additional cushions (which need to be brought in during inclement weather), you have the option of leaving these pieces outside all year, at the ready for when the desire to dine al fresco strikes be it September, December or March.  
 

Beauty and the Beets:

In an effort to reconnect with the simple things in life, many of us have discovered the joys of the backyard garden.  Oh, the thrill of plucking a perfect sun-warmed ruby red tomato off the vine from your own vegetable patch... The giddy pleasure of gathering armloads of zucchini, cucumbers and peppers from just a few well-tended plants... Breathing in the spicy aroma of freshly picked basil... It's so much fun to gather ingredients for a delicious meal by taking a stroll through the garden.  You spend a lot of time planning, planting and tending a vegetable garden--why not add an unexpected touch of beauty?  Who said statues and fountains and benches must be limited to a flower border?  Imagine the bold surprise of a granite sphere or millstone fountain serving as the axis for your garden paths.  Consider a kinetic sculpture such as this intriguing copper and brass stratosphere to add unusual visual interest--the gentle wind-driven motion may even serve as a deterrent to marauding critters just waiting to nibble on tender fruits and foliage and--besides-- it's just really beautiful to look at!  Artful tuteurs or obelisks can serve as elegant tomato cages or support for climbing vines such as string beans or peas.  With a little planning and imagination, the vegetable garden can become a backyard destination!  Add a charming cafe table and chairs and you have a perfect spot for an impromptu lunch surrounded--literally--by the fruits and vegetables of your labor.
 

Featured Artist:  Jim Ponter, Master of All Mediums:

Jim Ponter's quiet, unassuming demeanor belied the scope of his artistic accomplishments.  Jim was an accomplished and celebrated painter, illustrator and sculptor with an amazing variety of works in his portfolio including a collection of limited edition western-themed sculptures issued under the authority of the Western Heritage Museum, and his work has been also been exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.  Jim first established his reputation as an artist for the Philadelphia Bulletin newspaper and later rounded out his illustrious and prolific career including working as a sculptor at the Franklin Mint, an illustrator of children's books and an equine artist for Harness Tracks of America.  His portfolio includes a multitude of works including watercolors, oil paintings, relief and three-dimensional sculptures and commemorative coins, commissioned memorials and of course, the beautiful bronze garden sculptures and fountains we've come to know and love so well.  Liz Schumacher first met Jim by chance at the Laran Bronze Foundry in Chester, PA several years ago and the two became fast friends, often collaborating on design ideas for new works of art for the garden.  Sadly, Jim passed away in February of 2007 but his spirit lives on in his artwork.  We're proud to have several of Jim's bronze pieces here at Garden Accents, and it's rare that a guest in our showroom can walk past one of Jim's sculptures without stopping to comment on its realistic charm and beauty.  Jim found the inspiration for this majestic bronze sculptural fountain from the Great Blue Heron who would visit his backyard pond.  It's hard to choose a favorite, from Jim's diminutive frogs to jubilant Turtle Girl to this charming Faun fountain--there's something for everyone and every garden.  It's an honor to have known Jim and an honor for us to represent his work.  To see more of Jim Ponter's collection, please click here. 
 

Planning for the Future:

Now that the garden landscape is in full flower and foliage, take a long, hard look at the overall presentation.  Is the resultant effect pleasing?  Does it feel "just right" or is it instead "almost there"?  Sometimes a little tweaking can go a long way to make a good landscape great; the key is objectivity.  Enter Garden Accents' own Gail Ferry, site specialist and design consultant.  Gail obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture in December 2008, graduating Magna Cum Laude.  During her four and a half years at Garden Accents, Gail has honed a keen understanding of the intricacies of landscape ornaments and their various applications throughout the garden.  In addition to her love of gardening and landscape architecture, Gail is a talented photographer which may explain the ease with which she can quickly assess which elements of the overall picture are in need of adjustment to create visual harmony, be it a still photo or a garden landscape.

While winter visits to a sepia-toned landscape can be quite helpful in identifying the 'bones' of the garden, a summer visit offers the distinct advantage of allowing the visitor a technicolor view of the garden in its full regalia.  Sometimes tiny additions or subtractions may be all your garden needs to truly shine, and Gail can bring her fresh perspective right to your garden.  Please give us a call to schedule an on-site consultation.
 

Making Scents of It All:

Now is a great time to start saving your aromatic clippings to make sachets for closets and drawers.  Rose petals, lavender flowers and leaves, artemesia, lemon balm, lilac, mint, rosemary, scented geraniums and thyme all are wonderfully fragrant when air-dried.  You can find tiny drawstring bags perfect for creating sachets in the 'wedding favor' section of your local crafts store, or you can create your own little herb pockets by sewing together two small squares of linen, filling with aromatics, then stitching across the top to seal.  Gently crushing the sachet will release a wondrous aroma--lavender, artemesia and rosemary do double-duty in repelling moths as well without that awful camphor smell!