I had a vision for what I wanted and I knew that I could source items from yard sales to bring it to fruition. While I like to save money, and get an adrenaline rush from the treasure hunt, I never want to 'settle'. Getting something you really like, inexpensively, is fun. But I don't just buy things for the sake of buying them because they are cheap.
I think that my favourite purchase was one that I made two Saturdays ago at one of the community wide sales in a nearby town. This sale, always held on the first Saturday of June, is the highlight of my garage sale season. There were not nearly as many sales this year as in previous years, especially in the older established neighbourhoods. But I still managed to get some wonderful items.
After being successful in finding a double shepherd's hook in the same town last year, I was on the hunt for one again. I found one at the second sale that we stopped at, just after seven o'clock, still a couple of hours before the bulk of the shoppers would arrive.
Not only did the seller have a double hook, but there was a lovely multi-level bird feeder hanging from it. I asked how much for the hook and the feeder. He told me to make him an offer. I was prepared to pay up to $10, but started with an offer of $5.
I guess he didn't hear me, because he said, "Three dollars," and nodded. Sold! The same seller had the two concrete squirrels that I have mentioned in previous blog posts.
He actually had four squirrels, three were identical white ones. For fifty cents a piece I was kicking myself afterwards for not just buying them all. I have many locations where I could have placed them, either in my back or front yards. But at the time I didn't think I wanted three of the exact same statue.
The hook and feeder look wonderful in my garden! The same day I found a pretty glass star tealight holder that I hung on the other side from the feeder. It looks so pretty at night when it is lit and glowing.
It didn't take long for the birds to come. I love sitting out back in the early morning, sipping my coffee, watching them alight. So far I have seen sparrows, grackles, cardinals and blue jays come to the feeder. I managed to get a nice shot of the adult grackle.
This morning there was a baby squirrel at the feeder. He was so cute that I didn't have the heart to chase him away. The chipmunks are also frequent visitors. They climb the pole from the bottom and jump onto the last level where they sit stuffing their cheeks.
One thing that I had been specifically seeking was outdoor curtain lights for the fence directly behind the rock garden. It is perhaps fourteen to sixteen feet across. I didn't want to do the entire fence, I just wanted to accent that one area.
I seem to be inordinately lucky and often head out for the day looking for a certain item and manage to find it. My luck held that day at the town wide sales. One seller had several unopened boxes of just the exact style of white lights that I had envisioned for the patio. They were priced at $3 a box, and I offered $4 for two boxes.
They do not give the same effect just hanging there in the daylight as they do at night, of course. One night I will try to get a photo of them all lit up. They are beautiful...I call them my 'fairy lights'. They fit the space perfectly, neither too short nor extending too far.
The large piece of driftwood on the back top portion of the rock garden we brought with us when we moved here. I had bought it originally in the summer of 1999 when I was pregnant with our daughter. It was the focal point of a small garden out front of our house that I planted to commemorate her impending arrival.
The white wooden bird house that sits in the forefront was a freebie, given to me later in the day by a woman was getting ready to pack up. I had intended to pay the fifty cents she had marked on it, but she just smiled and said that I should take it, and that she would be glad if someone could enjoy it.
This past Saturday I found another item that I had been hoping to find. I wanted something with a glass prism to catch the light. I had read that it helps attract butterflies and birds to the garden. I paid $1 for this one. It twirls in even the faintest breeze, and the multi-faceted glass pieces reflect a sparkling rainbow of colour.
You can't really see them in this photo (perhaps they will be more visible if you click on to enlarge) but last Saturday I picked up four solar lights for $2. I had no idea whether they still held a charge, I know they wear out eventually, but since the yard sale was a fundraiser for a cat rescue I figured I could just consider it a small donation.
As it turns out, they no longer hold a charge. They are still cute as garden decor though. I used two blue ones and one green one in the rock garden and set the forth in the centre of my bird bath in another part of the yard.
Another purchase made for my garden is the carved frame that I bought for the side fence. I think that it probably once held a mirror. It has nice details of rose blooms. It was only $1. I may or may not add something to the centre of it some time, if I come across the perfect thing. Otherwise, I like it just as it is.
The frame is the dark brown oval on the right hand side.
Before I even had the tree cut down, or started planning the rock garden, back at the start of this year's garage sale season, I found this silver stone. I think it might be mica, but I really don't know.
The gentleman who was selling it told me that he didn't know what it was, or whether it had any value. I probably wouldn't normally give rocks a second glance at a yard sale, but the sparkle intrigued me. I offered fifty cents for it, and he accepted.
I found a spot for it later in the rock garden next to the small tree stump. It really stands out when the midday sun is shining down on the garden.
I already had a hummingbird feeder that I purchased at a garage sale a few weeks ago. When I saw this painted glass one at a yard sale it was pretty enough to entice me into putting up another.
I ended up hanging it outside of the patio area, so that if the hummingbirds ever find their way to our yard I will have a feeder that I can view while seated at our patio table, and another that I can watch while seated in the sitting area beneath the big basswood tree.
You can see through the fence behind it to the rock garden beyond. I really like having separate areas or 'rooms' in my yard.
One of our local thrift stores had this pretty decorator plate featuring a German Shepherd puppy. Our 'best dog ever', Dallas, who was a delight in our lives for twelve years, was a German Shepherd that we had since she was eight weeks old. We are on our second Shepherd, now, Skylar, also a beautiful, smart, gentle and obedient girl.
When I saw this plate I had an immediate sentimental attachment to it and happily forked over the $3 that it was priced at. It even included the plate hanger.
This is our Skylar, on the back steps.
I paid a grand total of $16 for these garden decor items. I would have paid that for a single strand of the lights if I had purchased them retail. You really can find some unique and interesting things at thrift stores and garage sales that add character to your yard and help to reflect your personality.
Even after three decades of treasure hunting at yard sales, I still get a thrill every time I find a hidden gem.
It's not finished yet, and it will take a few years for my new plantings to mature, but so far I am proud of my frugal garden.
Nifty, thrifty and (over) fifty,
Cathy
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