Found Garden Art

My grandparents grew up during the Great Depression and came from large families where even the most basic necessities were scarce. As a result, they saved everything in their later years. When my grandpa passed away, it took a crew of us to go through his house. It was quite a task, let me tell you. At the same time, it was also interesting to see some of the things he collected, such as these glass insulators. They were used on telephone and electric power lines. My grandpa lived in a very rural railroad town and he loved to go venturing through the woods. We discovered many of the items he found on his ventures, including a cannon ball, antique bottles and other remnants from Prohibition times. He had amassed quite a collection of these insulators and we were not even sure what to do with them. It turns out, they are quite collectable. When we held a garage sale, many of them sold. However, I wanted to save a few for myself, because I found them intriquing and oddly beautiful. Grandpa obviously found them special enough to keep, which made them feel sentimental to me. It then dawned on me that they would make excellent candle holders, but they are pretty heavy so I decided to keep them outside, in my garden. I place citronella candles in them and they look lovely when lit up.

Here are some photos I snapped this evening of the latest happenings in my backyard:

My lilac is in full bloom and it smells heavenly! This is a lupine ~ it's getting ready to open up, but not quite yet!