What about bracing up the wagon part with a 4x4 set on a patio block. Then the wheel wouldnt be holding any weight. It looks like the plants would grow in so you couldnt see it at all!

I had an old cart made of metal. The wheels gave up. It was a home made thing and a long story behind it. Heavy heavy heavy. Anyway. When the wheels would no longer hold the weight of the cart box I took cinder blocks and put under the box/bed to hold it up. From then on the wheels did not support anything and it lasted many more years. I left it behind at our last house.

With as much vegetation as you already have it would hide the cinder blocks quickly. Add some green paint to them and they would hardly show up at all.

It is such a cute thing I would do what I could to save it. Even not planted it is still very cute.

Save it!

Is it timing or all my watering? I also found several wagon wheels in the woods, hauled them out used them to define my back garden edge. They have all now popped their rims.

The buck board sits on a wood board. I will have to see if I can prop it. It was propped with a large timber--before I found it.
This was my last wagon wheel to pop. I have made the rims into an large orb that sits in my garden. I guess changes are part of the cycle.

Definitely save it! Embracing the changes in our gardens and the junk in them is what keeps our interest. Gardens reflect life....constantly changing and evolving.

Very cool. Love all those wagon wheels too.
Kathy

I'm with the rest of the gang here...I would definitely try to save it. Similar to what Oldgraymare said, can you build a support system underneath or prop it up with blocks so that the wheels don't support any of the weight? That sounds like a plan that would at minimum give you a few more years to enjoy it.

What an awesome piece of history!

DH seems to think that would be doable. Not sure how I feel about cinder block. This is the view from my kitchen window..the block all winter would annoy me. The fern and vines will take over faster than I can blink for summer. I thought I wanted the vines on the wheels..novice move. I have been fighting them ever since. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the suggestion!!

Maybe find some wide tree rounds to support it. Would look more natural than the cinder blocks. I agree they are not very pretty to look at. I am going to do a small garden bench using them on the ends but I pan on doing mosaic on them.

My old metal care was painted white so the cinder blocks kind of blended in.

Tree rounds I have--we cut down a 80 YR OLD Burr oak last 4th of July. Lighting strikes and Oak wilt did it in. The only down side of that is--they too will rot and I will be back to where I started. I have learned to keep my garden junk/art made out of anything but wood!!

Looks great! I say keep it also, but I'm no engineer so don't know how to preserve it in its current state. Keep us updated.

Nice property if you haven't found something like that in 15 years!

I was going to suggest the same as oldgraymare. Brace it up somehow. Let the look of the buckboard and wooden wheels remain, but the behind all the plant growth and under the buckboard, would be some new wood or something that keeps it all together.

However, if you do decide to get rid of it, instead of axing it, see if someone else might be able to take it and restore what they can, if they have that interest.

Sadly I do not think there is much that can be done. Once the snow all left and I got behind it, I could see all four wheels are popped off their metal and the trunk I planted last year is barely hanging on. I am not sure what we will do but I will not be removing it. It may just sit there like my other garden statues. It was fun to plant it while it lasted!!

Here is a picture of this year..not a great one of the buck board but you can see I did plant it. It is standing for one more season anyway. I wish I had known it could still roll. I would have blocked the wheels years ago. That would have kept the wheels in their metal rims anyway.

Very pretty and lush shade garden. The wagon is cute!

arcy....so sad about your tree! I lost a Chinese elm a few years ago (the reason we bought the property!)
We found an old 1800s wagon that came out from the mid west at a yard sale and talked them down from $100 to $50!!!!!!!Broke at the time, but....hey! Priorities!
In this area, you can't get a wheel for less than $100!
We built a "plateau" around it and have planted mostly succulents and also drought resistant plants, and have added a few cow skulls and other interesting strange things! LOL Nancy

Resurrecting to save time.