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Garden Gazing Globe/Ball Fetish?
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dirt2diamonds
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 31 Oct 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 410
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:21 am Post subject: Garden Gazing Globe/Ball Fetish? |
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Calling all gardeners with a gazing ball in the garden. Post your most unusual or favorite picture of your ball. I found an amazing store with reasonably priced gazing balls and I need some good ideas for some creative stands because the stands cost as much as the globes.
I will have to sneak off on my own to buy them because my kids think that my squeals of delight and inability to choose just one ball at a time is a sickness that they are trying to save me from, but I am in globe heaven. My joy is only dampened by the hate of purchasing the expensive stands.
I'm open to some creative suggestions from my talented stew family.
Thanks in advance and looking forward to the ideas.
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Netty
Chaotic Gardener
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Location: Southern Ontario zone 5
Posts: 4468
PlantStew: 4327 |
| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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I read about Bowling Ball / gazing balls last year on Gardenstew and immediately knew I had to have one! Since then I've been looking for used bowling balls in every second hand store I pass! I think I'll be checking out garage sales this year too. I used an old bird bath pedestal to hold mine. 
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bethie
Highly Skillful
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Location: WestTennessee (Map)
Posts: 1593
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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I love them.  I think I have 5 that we made. One we used a bowling ball but the rest started out as hypertufa balls I made. I have several plain ones on hand for when I have time to glass them. I'll look for a photo. Hubby has had great luck finding stands at yard sales. Most people selling them don't even know what they are.
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Penny
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 19 Nov 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 457
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Same here, i would love to make one, and like Netty, am waiting on the garage sales to get a bowling ball.
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Gardening is good therapy 
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
 Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Location: Scotland (Map)
Posts: 11161
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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I only have only one so far.  However, this year I hope to pick up a few more. I have some fancy plant stands that would look fantastic with globes in them and they were waaaaay cheaper than actual gazing balls ones. 
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dirt2diamonds
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 31 Oct 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 410
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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Bethie what is hypertufa balls? I will check at yard sells and stash some stands back. I did not think of thrift stores for bowling balls. I am in the boondocks of Mississippi and there are not many bowling balls in my area.
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bethie
Highly Skillful
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Location: WestTennessee (Map)
Posts: 1593
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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I make hypertufa balls myself. It's a mix of portland cement, sand and peat moss. I bought a large hard plastic ball and hubby sawed it in half for me. This can be used a million times.
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glendann
Official Garden Angel
Joined: 19 May 2006
Location: Texas (Map)
Posts: 6732
PlantStew: 219 |
| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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I have 2 balling balls but I have trouble in our little town finding
the flat glass marbles to go on them.I will get my glazig balls made.The Dollar General has plant stands for around 3 dollars.Bowling balls fit them perfect.
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
Moderator
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 5246
PlantStew: 521 |
| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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If there is a bowling alley near you contact them to see if they will let you have the balls they throw away. They get rid of the ones that have become damaged thru lots of use.
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dirt2diamonds
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 31 Oct 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 410
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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I'm so excited. Thanks everyone.I can see my garden filling with junk of artistry. I love hands on stuff like this and the Dollar General idea is spot on.
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kaseylib
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 28 Dec 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 585
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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When I was a kid, only the old folks had gazing balls in their yards...usually bright red or blue ones displayed in a front planting bed. After I got older and realized their true purpose (to be able to lounge in your garden and view your surrounding through it), I fell in love with them!
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dirt2diamonds
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 31 Oct 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 410
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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I have a little niece and two globes placed at her height at my front garden entrance. Everytime she comes over to the front door she waves at herself in each globe while bent over peering into them at her image. When she leaves to go home she does the same waving thing again in the globes. I laugh and wave at her in the globe with her. She is enthralled seeing herself in there. She was two when she was introduced to herself in the globes. She turned three the day after x-mas.
I fell in love over and over again each day that she did that. Kids in gardens tug at the heart strings. I try to keep something fascinating in them for them.
A third cousin of mines (just turned two) rides the 4 wheeler with his grandpa almost each day and points at the frog statues in my garden his nickname is "bug" I have not introduced him to himself in the gazing balls yet.
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kuntrygal
Texas Rose
Joined: 02 Sep 2007
Location: Lufkin, TX Zone 8
Posts: 1510
PlantStew: 51 |
| Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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I was going to suggest what Toni did. If you have reasonable access to a bowling center, contact them. Im' sure they will help you out if they can 
Glenda, have you tired Hobbly Lobby  Also we have a Dollar Tree here in Lufkin that has the flat sided marbles, so I am wondering if Dollar General or Family Dollar wouldn't also have them. If you still can't find them, then I guess a trip to Lufkin is in order
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Gaylyn ~ 2277  GO COWBOYS !!!
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cajunbelle
Daylily Diva
Joined: 04 Jun 2006
Location: zone 8b Louisiana (Map)
Posts: 3005
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| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:12 am Post subject: |
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I have 3 bowling balls and no time to work on them. Maybe one day.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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kuntrygal
Texas Rose
Joined: 02 Sep 2007
Location: Lufkin, TX Zone 8
Posts: 1510
PlantStew: 51 |
| Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:37 am Post subject: |
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What type of glue is used. Do you apply the glass to one side and make sure it is dried well, then go on to another area? I have many cheap opaque bowls and vases. Could those be gently broken into small pieces (the size of mosaic tiles) and used? I know it wouldn't be smooth, but it would definitely have dimension !!
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Gaylyn ~ 2277 GO COWBOYS !!!
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