You’ll want to sit and grab a coffee while we explore this beautiful junk garden tour from Barbara Stanley.
Life is a garden, not a road. We enter and exit through the same gate, Wandering, where we go matters less than what we notice. -Bokonon
A JUNK GARDEN TOUR
They say you have to water what you want to grow. That must be why junkers have junk gardens….always hoping for more!
Today, we are honored to feature Barbara and her Crickhollow Cottage which has been featured on HGTV, Country Gardens, several magazines, and websites.
Barbar’s “junk” garden is just the place to go to ponder, breathe, and take it all in.
The combination of flowers, greenery, and junk is like that perfect bite of food.
MEET BARBARA
Barbara states that she is an “old soul”. From childhood, she has been drawn to old houses, old literature, ancient music. antique and vintage furniture, linens, kitchenware, and architectural pieces speak to her.
For many years, Barbara has been collecting pieces from thrift stores, flea markets, and yard sales…people’s cast-off’s
I wanted a home and garden that had an old world feeling but on a budget.
Between working and raising a family, DIY, recycling, upcycling, and salvaging would be necessary to create the home she was looking for. She finds inspiration from shops, magazines, and online resources but loves to find creative uses for items that are different than their intended purpose.
CRICKHOLLOW COTTAGE
Crickhollow Cottage is her potting bench.
The little cottage is an Amish-built child’s playhouse that was customized with storybook details while the interior is filled with vintage finds.
The antique ceiling was found at a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
The galvanized metal potting bench, with butcher block top, was a baking center from a local junior high school that her sons attended.
TRULY A SALVAGED GARDEN
I like to look for ways to salvage things that might otherwise be thrown out, even if just for a season or two in the garden.
Barbara’s garden is accented with finds from her favorite second-hand shops.
Containers, including old kitchenware, furniture, washtubs, and damaged birdbaths, hold plants and sometimes fairy gardens. You can check out this post on how to create your own fairy garden using a broken terra-cotta pot.
Vintage furniture is repaired and painted as needed.
Metal gates and bed boards become accent pieces or trellises for vines.
China plates and saucers make charming borders for flower beds.
She put a pink coat of paint on a rickety wooden washstand and it held a china bowl water garden for three years.
COMMITMENT TO UPCYCLING/REPURPOSING
If I had unlimited funds, I would still create with recycled matterials. I love the creative process and the feeling of savings things from the waste strea, at least for awhile.
Barbara’s goal is to create an environment that speaks to her heart. That creativity results in a more original design rather than one filled with traditional run-of-the-mill pieces you can find anywhere.
It is fun, it’s creative, it is me!
We couldn’t agree more!
MORE JUNK GARDEN IDEAS
If you are inspired by Barbara’s junk garden tour, here are a few more posts to help get you started:
- Upcycled Lantern Stand With Patina
- This is a great way to use an old license plate, DIY Upcycled License Plate Planter
- Super Fun DIY Upcycled Chicken Coop
SALVAGE SISTER & MiSTER FEATURE ME
We would love to hear about your salvage project, story, or home.
If you have a project you would like to get featured on our site, feel free to check out this post for additional information.
Finally, we are so thankful to Barbara for sharing her “junk” garden with us here today!
I absolutely love your Junk Garden. Seeing it has made my day and has opened such possibilities for me to create my own Junk Garden. Thank you so much for sharing.
Becky, Thanks for your comment. Yes, her junk garden is amazing!!! We are inspired as well!