Visit a Garden surrounding a historic home
Myra’s historic home is surrounded by a creative garden filled with garden art, all salvaged and upcycled in her own way. We think she’s sensational!
Meet Myra Glandon
“My husband Mark and I live on about an acre just outside the small rural town of Prospect, Ohio. We live in an old brick house built in 1882 which is a work in progress, just like our outdoor areas. Here is a picture of our house in the early years. My daughters and grandchildren all live nearby,” Myra tells us.
“I discovered Flea Market Gardening surfing the Internet one day looking for garden art. I thought I had unusual taste until I found this group of kindred spirits. It was love at first sight, and I’ve been checking in every day since. I have been inspired by Flea Market Gardening to create several things I wouldn’t have thought of on my own, like my garden sparkler (inspired by Sue Gerdes), my tipsy tubs (inspired by Annie Steen) My planted ladder (inspired by planted ladders here on FMG.”
“I have enjoyed gardening for over 30 years. My mother, grandmother and mother-in-law all like flowers, and all raised vegetables. It is impossible to buy store purchased vegetables that taste as good as fresh from the garden veggies. My vegetable garden isn’t as big as they once were, but I still grow cucumbers, tomatoes, and shallots, my favorite summer veggies.”
“I have always been a collector of old stuff, aka junker, my mother was a junker, and we collected old stuff long before shows like American Pickers made it popular. My mother was a self taught upholsterer and furniture refinisher. She was very independent, creative and hard working, and she passed those traits to me. When I bought this house 28 years ago it was empty and boarded up. The back and side yard had been used as a dump, and was overgrown and a mess. There had also been a gas station in my front yard in the 50’s, so I had old cement foundations and tons of gravel with which to contend.”
“Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, an addition on the back of my house was also used as a meat processing butcher shop. There is a double sided fireplace, and wagon grooves in the floor. Over the years I have cleaned it up, created flower beds, and laid pathways. I also planted sixty-five 6” white pine seedlings about 20 years ago which are now over 30’ tall. They provide a windbreak and a backdrop for our circular patio, picnic area, flower beds and pond.”
“I make dragonfly garden stakes out of old wooden chair legs, spindles, old bobbins etc, add metal wings made from metal flashing, wire, wire strapping, etc., and miscellaneous for eyes, antennae, mouth …. each is unique and hand crafted. I have them scattered all over my garden.”
“I enjoy being creative whether working in the garden, or creating with wood, metal, fabric… I like scrap metal sculptures, and have several in my yard. Hubby and I have made some indoor sculptures too. I love making dragonflies out of broken chair parts. I guess I’m big into up-cycling, recycling, junking and repurposing. For me being creative and gardening are therapeutic. I love adding unique items with a story to my home and garden. I’ve never been a person who wanted the same thing everyone else has.”
“My husband, Mark, laid the circular patio and we were only short about 25 bricks. If you look close the two innermost circles of brick are a little different color. I used a large grinding stone I had as part of the entrance to the circular patio. When I met Mark he didn’t care about gardening, but he’s evolving, and now loves sitting on the patio looking at the fishpond, or admiring our flower beds. He also enjoys helping create things for our yard, like our pond, birdhouses and trellises.”
“We have a huge old weeping willow tree near our house which was dug up down at the river and brought home in a quart mason jar when the house was built. So, our willow is 131 years old and last I measured, it was 17 feet in circumference! I installed my garden angel in a flower bed I made around my old willow, using salvaged rock as a short retaining wall around it.”
“When my sister’s neighbor replaced their picket fence I asked for their old fence that was stacked in their trash. After replacing a few pickets or boards, I have used them throughout my gardens for many years, and recently shared some with my daughter.”
“All of my garden beds are edged in either old brick or rocks. I must confess I love rocks. Big rocks, little rocks, I just love using rocks in my landscape!”
“I have never had a lot of money to spend, but even if I did I would still be want to be creative and use repurposed, salvaged stuff instead of spending a lot of money. I feel anyone can have a beautiful home and gardens if you have lots of money. But creating these spaces with minimal money, and lots of creativity and personality is much more interesting and challenging. I like to think the things I make reflect my personality in a small way.”
Besides gardening and being creative my husband and I enjoy riding our motorcycles, going to flea markets, woodworking, creating scrap metal sculpture, traveling, and spending time with our family. ~~ Myra
More on Myra’s garden
Myra’s Cornzebo, a gazebo from a corncrib
Original article and pictures take www.fleamarketgardening.org site
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