I promised last week to share with you what I did with the rusty treasures I came home with from my raid on a friend’s junk pile. All but two pieces found a home in the cactus garden, where they will most likely stay. Once the pieces are placed, they just seem to work right where they are, and I don’t move them. So here are the results.

You might notice that my farmer friend is a John Deere fan, as many of the pieces still have some nice John Deere green paint on them. I promptly went down to the John Deere dealer here in town and bought a can of green spray paint with the intention of adding some paint to some of the hoe wheels. And I may still do that, but after I put them in the garden, I really kind of liked the way they looked, softly worn and used. So, we’ll see.

All those little green things in the gravel you are probably thinking are weeds-those are my volunteer bluebonnets that will be beautifully blue in the Spring. So of course I have to leave them where they come up.

Next year I may set this piece level in the gravel and plant some trailing succulents in the middle. Or maybe not. By then I will be used to it looking like this and won’t want to move it. I do have another one that I have not found a home for yet, and I might plant something inside that one and leave this one alone.

Another thing I may try in the Spring is to stand up one of the springs and put one the solid discs on top of it and then put a plant in the middle of the disc. I am not sure that is a good idea here, however, considering the wind and a few cats and dogs who will wreak havoc with things that are tall and top heavy.

Decorating with hardscape like this is just a matter of plopping it down here and there with an eye for balance and form and what looks good to you. Have fun.