Saturday Socks

One of our dear friends gave us a fire-pit for our wedding a few years ago. We loved it! The problem was we could never use it because it is against fire codes here in Salem. Each year I have tried to turn it into a water feature. This is the first solution I came up with:

You can see my garden is very young in these shots. I had hope that this fountain would add life to a dark corner in the yard that had no light or life.

I could not get anything other than potato vines to survive the deep shade.

As the leaves constantly fell into it i was constantly unclogging the pump.

Last year I came closest to success. (I have a video somewhere but can’t seem to find it today.) Yet when the still water became infested with mosquitoes there was nothing I could do to treat the water.  Teo, our greyhound was fond of drinking from the fountain.

Recently I found an enclosed fountain at my favorite thrift shop LifeBridge! When I realized it was a little too loud for inside I quickly came up with a vision for using the fountain in our patio garden.

This solution solves a couple of problems. First, Teo can’t get at the water and because there is less water in the first place, we won’t have another problem with mosquitoes.  Yet the fountain has a really lovely echo that is just right to mask some of the city sounds around us.  Finally, since gardening space is a premium the fire-pit makes a great planter for herbs.

Since the fire-pit had gotten super rusty the first thing I did was drill drainage holes in the bottom and spray the entire thing with rubber leak seal to water proof it. (20 bucks!)  I like the hammered metal look it gives.  I small paver set in potting soil levels the fountain.

I know it doesn’t look like much at the moment, but the leap of faith in gardening is what I love the most! A gardener must have faith in the future! I  have planted three different types of basil, lettuce, and will add some trailing plants and cherry tomatoes when the weather is a little warmer here in New England. Edible  marigolds help to keep the bugs away.

Stay tuned…