gardening_maniac
Northeastern Ohio
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:38 am Post subject: Strange concrete things in my gardens.... |
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Ok, before I get right to the question, let me explain a little more about where we live....we bought this house about 3 months ago. It is a Century Colonial and is 180 years old, built in 1880. The lady that lived here before us was obviously an avid gardner because there is stuff planted everywhere. What I can't figure out is this: 
this is a solid concrete marker or landscaping tool? at the very corner of one of the perennial beds here. Another view:
Everyone that has been over since we bought the house has questioned us about it...its kinda freaky, almost like a tombstone (which of course we know its not) Whatever it is it is something that she put in a few of the gardens here. Here is a smaller one that is in another garden:
I don't know where she got them from....were they part of the original house and she just didn't want to get rid of them so she threw them in the gardens?? I mean they really don't look good (to me) but maybe they are there for a reason? They are solid concrete, very heavy but they are not pounded into the ground, they are just sitting on top of the ground.......Part of the original house that they didn't want to scrap when they built on or something?
This SO boggles me........anyone have any idea????
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cajunbelle
zone 8b Louisiana
Posts: 3256
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:42 am Post subject: |
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I'm afraid I am clueless, I can't imagine a use for them except that maybe she just liked that sort of thing.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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cajunbelle
zone 8b Louisiana
Posts: 3256
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:48 am Post subject: |
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Lovely yard by the way, especially the wooden fence. I would love to see pics of what is inside of it.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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gardening_maniac
Northeastern Ohio
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:06 am Post subject: |
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Thank you, cajun....what is inside it is another project!  This yard has not been kept up in years. Actually what you are looking at is a picture of our courtyard in the front of the house:
It is very overgrown with trees and periwinkle. We have just started clearing this area and want to plant grass and start a shade garden but are waiting until the fall to tackle it.
Here is a picture of me standing inside the courtyard looking out into our side yard
This is all going to take a lot of work but I see great potential! The fencing is great but it is going to take a lot of work to get the yard and gardens to match up with it! 
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flowie
Melville, NY
Posts: 158
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:28 am Post subject: |
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oooh if it is an old old house maybe its a pillar that held some ancient sculpture! and it looks like that cause its weathered away and deteriorated over the years.
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toni
 Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11704
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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I guess they really don't have to "be" anything, they just are and I like them. The sort of thing to put in the garden simply because you like it, it adds interest and a focal point and gives a garden a feel of mystery.
She could have used them to hold statues of some sort. I have a short tree stump with a gargoyle perched on it.
My first thought was they would ideal to put large trays on, a birdfeeder on the tall one and a birdbath on the short one.
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glendann
Texas
Posts: 9281
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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Yes toni ,I had the same idea that you had .They held something like that. I
really do like them.I love the old house .
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cajunbelle
zone 8b Louisiana
Posts: 3256
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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You do have a great palette to work with. If you really dislike the concrete columns so much try putting a piece of wire around them and training some ivy or a pretty flowering vine up them. You may regret later doing away with them and then finding out they have a historical or architectual(sp) value to them.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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Gizmo
Port Saint Lucie Fl.
Posts: 542
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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 Well, I guess it could have been part of a fence and those are the pillars. I would differently use them.....
Bird feeder, bird bath, statute, potted plant with long vines hanging down.  I'd find something to do with them. If the house is from the 18 hundreds there maybe something at the library about the house with pic. Never know .
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jubabe296
south central Texas
Posts: 1172
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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I think they are a great focal point and add an air of mystery also!! I would definately find a use for them! I also think Gizmo had a very good idea in trying to find information about your home at your local library. You might be very pleasantly surprised to find the history of your historic home!!Good luck!!
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Pinkiered
Lawton, Ok
Posts: 900
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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Werent stone columns popular in the 1800s with the rich?
I would think someone remodeled at some point and these are from that. Esp the tall one. Its not too far from the house. Maybe a porch was there at one point. You should research your house more. I would bet you could find a pic of that house. Alot of ppl in late 1800 would get family pics taken outside there house with the house as a back drop. I just love old houses like that. Lots of history.
I would think the big ones would be great to hold a large potted plant that will grow over the sides. I would love to have something like that in my gardens!
I love the idea of using it to hold a tray. Like, a table with two chairs on each side. Time for lemonade!
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Frank
Administrator
Originally Galway, Ireland
Posts: 12555
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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I think they may be from an old building that was knocked. My parents recently knocked down an old house of theirs and we kept some to the stone because it is hard to come across stone like that these days. They used it as an ornamental features in the beds of their new house. They look great there.
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bethie
WestTennessee
Posts: 1570
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome, your yard has great potential. What fun you will have with it. I don't know what the concrete is but I know I like it very much. 
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Polly
Michigan
Posts: 2164
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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Were they corner posts for an iron fence?
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gardening_maniac
Northeastern Ohio
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:34 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for all the great ideas everyone! I guess I will keep them now, until at least I can do some research on the house. I honestly don't know what they were from but your right, with the house being this old I guess I don't want to get rid of them before I look into it more. Currently I just have a little birdbath sitting on top of the big one but I will definetely try some of your idea's once we till the flowerbed up and start over again.
I'll keep you posted on when or if I find anything more out about them...thanks again for all your input!
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