These beautiful glass art windows are hard to take your eyes off!

Made from reclaimed glass and wood they are both stunning and environmentally friendly. The deep red glass in the Poppies and the Canadian flag is very striking. The Muskoka Pine is reminiscent of a Tom Thomson painting

If you are looking for a unique gift for someone special these glass art windows are a bit hit!

I love all types of metal garden art but unfortunately I am not able to stock everything that I would like.  So recently I have partnered with some other companies that sell a wide range of interesting garden art and decor and launched a new website Metal-Garden-Art.com

Metal-Garden-Art.com will feature some of the best metal garden art available, from goofy recycled metal sculptures to life size bronze sculptures of children and animals. It will also include decor items like copper bird baths and copper rain chains which definitely add an artistic element to your yard.

Unfortunately for our Canadian customers a lot of these products only ship to the United States. But we still have many great artists here, including Jean Pierre Schoss of Dog Bite Steel. His fun recycled metal art ships to  Canada and the United States.

Artist Jean Pierre Schoss’ art from recycled steel, including oil tanks, tricycles and old farm implements is playful and fun.  On his farm in Uxbridge Ontario he creates wondurous creatures that will bring a smile to the face of even the most jaded. From cats and dogs, sheep and alligators, to 10′ moose, there is something for everyone. I love it all! (The picture at the right is of my 6′ son standing under one of Jean Pierre’s moose).

I think the name of his business, Dog Bite Steel is perfect, especially since my favourite pieces are the metal dogs with bones. Each one is unique and like man’s best friend, very loyal!

A friend recently sent me this photo of his two moose frolicking in the snow. Mr. Moose is 3′6″  and Baby Moose is 15″ tall. Don’t they look like they are having fun?

When my children were younger, Halloween was without a doubt my favourite day of the year. Decorating the house was a major event, not to be taken lightly! Then, of course was the question of costumes. I am not the most domestic of mother’s but I managed to pull together some interesting outfits. The Fireman and Batman and Robin were my favourites.

Going door to door with my kids on a beautiful fall day, meeting the neighbours, seeing the little ones who could barely talk saying “Trick or Treat”, these are among my happiest memories.

I still love Halloween, but it is no longer the big event it used to be in our house. I love it because it is a fun! Nothing but fun! Dress up, decorate your house, go to parties and enjoy yourself. No obligations, or juggling of commitments. No gifts to buy. Just pure simple fun.

Don’t we all need more fun in our lives?

Susan

On this beautiful, sunny (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend, I can’t help but think how lucky we are to live in what I believe is the best country in the world.

Canadians are truly blessed. We live in a land of plentitude.  We have a beautiful country, vast natural resources, freedom and we have opportunity. We are free to speak our minds, go where we want, and marry who we desire. We have medicare to protect us and our family when we our sick, and we are surrounded by amazing people from all over the world. This multiculturalism enriches our lives.

I was not born here. My parents emigrated twice before I was nine, finally settling in Toronto.  Since my children were old enough to understand (and even before!) I have been telling them how lucky they are to have been born here.

Rick Mercer said it best.  “If you were born in Canada, you won the lottery”.

So, on this beautiful Thanksgiving day, I just wanted to remind my fellow Canadians that we have all won the lottery.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Susan Banks

I found this interesting video on You Tube of angels and other sculpture made from recycled metal and farm equipment

Tree of Life 6"

Another grey, rainy day. Lights flickering. Thunder.

The winter with record snowfall is followed by the summer of record rainfall. Not a good summer for tent campers or for gardeners.

On one hand my garden is lusher than it has ever been. Last week I had five or six different varieties of daylilies flowering at the same time and it is an ongoing battle to tame my silver lace vines. On the other hand, when I decide to take a break to enjoy my garden the sky opens up again and I am driven back inside to gaze in wonder at the never-ending precipitation.

What is a gardener to do?

Oil Lamp-Spring

I am fortunate to have a house and garden full of beautiful handcrafted art. So, when the sky is grey and I need to brighten up my day I gaze at the beautiful Kitras Glass hand blown glass ornaments. The vibrant colours and the intricate design of the Tree of Enchantment ornaments and oil lamps are mesmerizing. As my neighbour commented “the pictures do not do them justice”.

I am sure you will fall in love with the Kitras Art Glass the minute you see it.

Why wait? Add some colour to your life today.!

If I ever make it to Australia the first place I want to visit is Bruno’s Art and Sculpture Garden.

Since first viewing pictures of this amazing garden I have been revisiting the website to gaze in wonder at the fantasy world created by artist Bruno Torfs. The sculpture garden has over one hundred and fifteen life size terracotta sculptures and continues to grow.

Susan Banks

A love of gardening tends to sneak up insidiously, like an addiction.

It first starts when you have your own small balcony, deck or garden and decide pick up a few plants from the corner store for color. They brighten up your space so much you go back, buy a few more, check out the local grocery or hardware store’s selection. No room? Well I’ll just add a few more pots. Then you discover perennials. The flowers come back every year, bigger and better. What a find!

After that, as the dirt get under your fingertips, the addiction gets under your skin. You upgrade from Home Depot to a real Garden Center. More selection, better plants, knowledgeable staff. You spend hours wandering the aisles. All the upcoming garden events are noted on your calendar so that you can plan your schedule around them. When you disappear, your family knows where to send the search party.

Your addiction starts to spread, so that it is not just plants, but garden accessories that you are dreaming about. When not physically gardening or shopping for garden products you are leafing through gardening magazines and books, making lists, looking for the perfect plants and garden art to give your garden pizzazz.

Although I am not sure there is a cure for this ailment, there is often a reprieve. In northern climates the frozen ground forces you to abandon your outdoor gardening activities. The mental activities continue somewhat abated, but enough to catch up on the other neglected areas of your life.

Until March, when the big garden shows, the lectures at the botanical gardens, all entice and bring hope and promise. What new exciting plants will be revealed? Which daylilies can I add to my collection this year? Which heucheras? What exciting new art can I find for my garden?

And the cycle continues…

Susan Banks