Garden bits and bobs

The plants are the stars of the show but over the last couple of years I have added solar fairy lights around the shed and along the fence as well as stained glass flower lights. They are joined by a large butterfly, a wind spinner and various metal and wooden cats for whom I knitted Santa hats for Christmas .
Thanks to a generous friend I now have 3 sets of all year round fairy lights in the house too! Great minds think alike as I bought her a string of red chilli ones for her kitchen a la Nigella.

oh Witzend I love the tortoise! Not a fan of bits and bobs in the garden, I much prefer plants, but I do have quite a few terracotta pots which live brighten up the place when filled with flowers!

I have four fountains, a hare and a trio of rabbits (both gifts) a birdbath shell (last thing that my mother bought for me) I have a lot of pots and a large blue ceramic pumpkin (can't remember why). We do have a little celebration when all of the fountains are working at the same time.

The only thing (apart from plants) I've bought for the garden in the past couple of years is Spike O'Saurus, a prehistoric tortoise cast in bronze. Found him outside a little metal-worker's shop in France. He's quite big - around 20 inches long - and occasionally gives people a bit of a turn, because he looks so real!

Oh yes we've got lots of lights too.

I love my garden 'naffery ' but I wish I could stop wasting money on solar lighting that packs up too quickly

I've been looking at craft ideas.
I'm thinking of making a pair of hands out of stone which you can put plants or stones in.

My next garden ambition is to aquire a staddle stone, very popular in my county.Also very expensive.

We have two gnomes, a stone rabbit and a couple of little welcome to our garden signs. DD bought use a lovely terracotta toadstool with a robin sitting on it for Christmas. That will go out when the weather improves. I also have a stone from The Lakes of Killarney.

Poundland is great for Naffery.
I've had a good old browse in there today.
I love it as I approach my flat.
All the others are grim, whereas mine has windchimes, dangly things, windmills..

Merlot I’m definitely non yew.

That reminded me Alima that we used to have a bluetit sitting on a rock (curtesy of B&M) that tweeted when anyone went past it.Then it fell silent, then it’s head fell off.
Time for a new one!

I had that book! Gave to the charity shop when we moved. I hope they charged enough for it.

Naffery sounds good, better than garden twee. We started off with the naff bits ‘n bobs when the DGC were very little. Windmills, twinkly lights, flower border ornaments. For many years my favourite was a frog wot croacked when anything went passed it. Frightened the cats to pieces. Sadly does croak no more. I need to get to the pound shop to stock up.

We have naffery - the DGC just love it - fairies and their houses, hidden animals - wonderful!

Many years ago my SIL bought me an illuminated santa to go on the balcony at the house we then had - he bought it out of sheer devilry as he thought Ma-in-law would be horrified. I loved it - and he was quite disappointed!

Yes, we have gnomes, frogs in various positions, hedgehogs the same, tiny birds hidden among the ground cover, tiny meerkat solar lights in some pots, owls dotted about, ladybird and bee pot canes of every hue - I did it for DGS as it's his home too with a huge garden and now we can never stop - he loves them all ?

I suppose some books become popular when they are out of print. I can't imagine anyone paying £34!!

I'd like to get my hands on a copy of Monty Don's 'The Prikotty Bush' but at £221 I don't think it's ever going to happen.

That's another book I'm getting for daughter's birthday Merlot. It'll have to a 'used-very good one' though. New, the cheapest is £34 odd!

Ha ha, lemongrove always wanted to be called that! Thanks.

I only like things that are a useful part of the garden, I don't like lights and ornaments etc.
My OH on the other hand would have anything in there. He got hold of a light a few years ago (someone else throwing it out) , looked like the old fashioned street lamps but was made of some sort of plastic. I just said "where on earth did that tat some from?" and it vanished again lol. He also got hold of realistic looking plastic ducks and I found them dotted about, why? They didn't stay long, similar fate to some gnomes!

??*McCavity *.... you are one cool cat
Yes, harmless naffery that brings a smile, we need more of it!
Race you to the garden centre?

“Naffery “ I like that word and it does describe our tiny garden (outside space). But there are so many pretty things in the garden centres and it brightens up the winter outlook.

I haven't got a garden, only a back door step.
It has 3 suncatchers, all waving their arms merrily around.
A table. A ladder type shelf thingy.
Some shells, a Buddha, a few hanging plaques, solar lights, 5 lanterns and some chairs.

I think it’s a good way of thinking ahead to spring. I now rein myself in that department as my father-in-law decided to paint hundreds of large garden pebbles and display them,green and blue alternating everywhere. Naffery is a good term,better than the one my brother in-law uses. He’ll often announce that they are all crap#ed out.

We moved into this house last June - we have a tiny back garden.
Whoever lived here before had an addiction to these terracotta etc artifacts. We've managed to get rid of at least 30? fancy plant pots.
Every time I walk in there I step over a round tile that says 'Welcome!'
So I intend to keep it simple.