Garden Bell – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

With all the other yard projects we’ve been working on the Hubs finally got my upcycled propane tank garden bell installed! This was my first purchase at the Junk Bonanza show in Portland 2 years ago and it had to stay at my Mother-In-Law’s house until we made a trip with the trailer because it was so heavy.

I wasn’t sure exactly where I’d hang it but when we ended up with an ‘extra’ footer while constructing the new deck the Hubs suggested we make it into an arbor for the bell. I was totally game and knew it would look great there.

He worked out the footings for the other side and put in a cross bar at the top last season before winter arrived. We picked up from there this season, hanging the bell with the chain it came with and building a box around the base to act as a planter for a clematis I needed a trellis for.

Once the planter box was constructed I filled it with dirt and transplanted the clematis, then covered the dirt with wood chip mulch to reduce weeds. I’ve been slowly training the clematis branches up the two posts. Eventually it will cover the entire structure and frame the bell beautifully.

I also had the Hubs install the coordinating bird bath on a hook off to the side. That way I can fill it when I water on dry days. Now I just have to let it grow and enjoy the pretty rusty patina as I wait for the blooms to show! And work on incorporating the planter box into the rock landscape I have planned for around the deck. 😉

Yesterday I mentioned making driftwood garlands, like the ones I saw in Homer, but today I’m sharing a similar project I did recently that also has a bit of a nautical flair. This little project has been in the works for years. It started when I picked up a batch of wooden floats used for fishing more than 2 years ago. I only had six and every project I thought up required more so they sat, waiting for more to be found. Then I happened upon these cool vintage metal floats at Junk Bonanza and decided to pair them together but still didn’t have quite enough to complete the project.

I spotted a pair of metal garden bells in a catalog for $20 and knew they’d be perfect at the end of a line of floats. Unfortunately the company wouldn’t ship to Alaska so I had them shipped to my Mother-In-Law and picked them up when we visited earlier this summer. To fill out the rest of the rope I picked up several cork floats from Alaska Picker for a few bucks each.

I used some woven rope I already had in my stash from another project and started with a loop tied with a knot. I fed the floats onto the rope in a set pattern and tucked the loose end of the rope from the knot at the loop into the center of the first float. At the bottom I just made a knot and then tied the rope that came with the bell into the knot, again tucking loose ends into the last float. It was so easy, I did both ropes while watching a movie with the Hubs and it took less than 20 minutes.

The Hubs added hooks we had left over from another project on the front corners of the green house so I could hang the ropes easily and take them down for the season quickly.

Here’s the rope on the other side, where I’ll have a large metal horse trough planter next season. Right now it’s serving as a brooder for the baby chickens we picked up yesterday! Get a peek at them on Instagram or Facebook.

The bell on this side is a little smaller than the other, but has the same style and finish. They don’t get much movement in this spot so they stay pretty quiet, but when they do chime it’s a pretty soft sound that’s soothing and just right for a garden.

I’ve still got several projects to tackle out around the green house before we close up the yard for the winter and I’m already putting together the plan for what we’ll plant and do next year. Until then these float ropes add a little bit of Alaska style whimsy to the garden and make me smile every time I see them. One more project checked off the list. 🙂