Goldenpond: I am in CA. These garden treasures are rarely found on the side of the road, let alone in a thrift shop. The only way I can get my hands on them is to purchase them. With the exception of the iron smoking stand, I purchased the Victorian trellis gate with the finials, on a website along with this one called a ball trellis with topiary. Check this one out. I paid about $125 for both including shipping, but when you want something....you gotta do it! I do have another gate I purchased for only $11 on eBay, but sometimes you can't find everything you want on eBay. I think I will use the smoking stand for a bird feeder. This one here, I have placed at terra cotta planter at the bottom, so I can grow Cornflowers. I have been on the 'Vines' forum, going over and over what type of vine to use with my iron treasures, but decided long cottage flowers would not hide or take over the piece, like a vine could.

Carla, I have never removed rust from garden furniture, but I just had to chime in. I love wrought iron garden benches! What color are you going to paint it? I love them in black, bronze, cream or sage green. They are a pleasure to have in the garden. I wish you many a happy day on your garden bench, Carla.

thanks... i think the rebar might detract from the look of the garden, you know? it will be recognized as "rebar". i'll keep looking around. don't think i'll make it to the philadelphia garden show... i'll keep looking. i've seen a couple web sites that have arbors, but it's difficult to gauge how sturdy they actually are from the photos. i was at a garden center the other day, and looked at some of the arbors. a lot of them seemed to be pretty wobbly. so i'm a little wary of making a purchase without giving it a little shake to see how flimsy it seems. i'll keep hunting. thanks!!! --robbie--

I'm just getting started so there is rearranging and changing going on all the time. 2011 I'm putting peach pom pom zinnias along the back of the sidewalk bed with naked ladies, tulips, daffodils, chives, miniature roses, and mums in the center of the beds and the front of the bed filled with Plume Celosia, Portulaca, Miniature Tropical Strawflowers, and crocuses. I'm working on creating a 4 season garden. I haven't gotten all of the layering right yet but it's getting better every year. I moved the irises out of the foundation bed and plan on replacing them with Bushy Sunflowers, Red Columbine, Red Mums, Peruvian Daffodils, Red Gladiolus, Ditch Lilies, Bronze Mums, Orange Blackberry Lilies, and Yellow Mums. I'm using chocolate mint as a groundcover in the foundation beds as a rodent repellent. The driveway bed I'm still cutting down select trees from. But I do have the Irises in it where I have already cleared it. I also have a red crepe myrtle and birds nest spruce and a mature cypress and one deep purple lily in the bed. I plan to add California Bluebells, Centearea Montana, Pom Pom Burgandy Zinnia, and purple crocuses. I may put a center group of purple mums in it to add fall color. Most of the potage is in the tree bed. The moonglo pear, sage, rosemary, french tarragon, basil, thyme, and oregano share space with my peonies, primroses, lilies of the valley, columbines, Double Mock Orange, Red Hydrangeas, and Japanese Forest Grass. Other than moving the primroses to the edge of the shady side of the bed I don't have a lot of plans for this bed. The fruit trees along the driveway may get two dwarf peach trees added to the line to finish the drive. I'm not sure yet. I'm not all that fond of peaches but my friend is and I do need to add two more to complete the drive. And those are my plans for the new growing season.