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Interesting garden ornaments come in all shapes and sizes.
Like this one. It's of the few things I can see in my garden beneath the ice and snow, a four-foot tall, charming and whimsical, stone ornament. It's nice to see something rising up out of the ice. But--- what is it? It isn't a runaway fungus... It's an English staddle stone, a mushroom shaped structure often found supporting granaries on English farms. Vermin are unable to climb them, and should some critter make it up the steep sides, the top is very hard to get around. This technique has been in use in Great Britian for centuries, and these unique supports have become popular ornaments in British gardens. Critter control has been a problem for gardeners and farmers since grain was first cultivated. Ancient Romans used the standing stone techinque as well, probably introducing it to the native Britons during Hadrians' occupation. It must be effective, having remained in wide use through the Dark Ages and beyond. Literacy and personal hygeine may have fallen by the cultural wayside after the sack of Rome, but varmint management remained a neccessity of life.
I recieved my stone as a Christmas gift. My husband and son found a shipment of these fun things at an architectural antique specialist in Atlanta. The boys weren't sure what they were, but they knew the stones "looked like Mom." When I saw it, I had no idea what it was, either, but I knew I liked it!
If you'd like to try your hand at making one of these things from scratch, the http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/Gar... And, here's some more information on the genuine article: Rural Heritage Garden Antiques http://www.rural-heritage.demon.co.uk/st... or here-- Celtic Garden When spring comes, I'll decide where to place my 'mushroom' and plan a grouping of perennials around it. Until then, it makes a grand place to put bird seed out on these cold days.
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The copyright of the article Foriegn Accents in Gardening in Southern U.S. is owned by Emily Levitt. Permission to republish Foriegn Accents in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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