Over the years I’ve purchased many metal plant supports, positioning them in my flower borders to create an ‘artistic’ display rather than using them for what they were intended! But time and again I’ve been disappointed when they haven’t weathered well or they’ve buckled, bent or broken when I’ve pushed them into the ground. So I decided to design my own everlasting, indestructible metal flower garden!
There are now 10 forever flowers to choose from; each one cut from 8mm steel. the echinacea, the thistle, tulip, poppy seed head, the rose, sunflower, the allium, agapanthus, cow parsley and the foxgloves all stand on stems with an overall height of approximately 1700mm. Very easy to install, the stems should be pushed at least 300mm deep into the ground for stability and this will allow them to very gently sway in the breeze. positioned in groups at varying heights makes for a truly magnificent, eye-catching display but equally, a single flower standing amongst your real flowers and shrubs will create real interest no matter the size of your flower bed.
Chooks are a really big part of country life! We don’t actually keep chickens ourselves but many of our friends and neighbours do. Growing up, our boys earned pocket money looking after them when their owners were away so I thought I’d design my own little life-sized brood in memory of bygone days!
As these chooks are cut from 8mm steel they will grace your garden for many decades to come and will withstand repositioning many times over. Unfortunately they won’t lay you any eggs – but they won’t scratch in your flowerbeds and they will be completely safe from Mr Fox!
The Rooster stands proud over his brood at 60cm tall, with the Hen and the Pecker slightly smaller at 50cm. They come as a set of 3, but can be purchased individually too.
Not for a single moment do we take for granted how lucky we are. The fields at the bottom of our garden are alive with wildlife. There is a herd of deer that pass by several times a day and at night they are often brave enough to come right in! So when we were looking for a permanent ‘statement’ piece of metal garden art for our own garden, designing a life sized deer family seemed the most natural thing in the world to do.
Cut from 8mm steel, the stag stands majestically at an impressive 2.10m tall, the doe a little shorter at 1.80m tall. The fawns are 1.10m tall.
As the family of four weather and take on their natural golden glow they really are an all year round focal point. They look striking placed together in the lawn but equally, they look fabulous on their own, adding structure amongst the shrubs and flowers.
This born survivor with a bushy tail was always going to be part of the range at Forever Garden metal artwork. When we lay in bed at night we often hear them communicating with each other across the fields and I wonder what their adventures hold! The screaming and high pitched barking are nothing to worry about, and are perfectly normal for a fox.
Fox stands at just under 60cm tall and is cut from 8mm steel. As he develops an all over rust patina he will become the most beautiful addition to your garden for many decades to come. He will withstand repositioning many times over so he can be moved around your outside space as the seasons change.
As I travel along a particular stretch of country lane towards home this beautiful, long legged, long necked creature is a welcomed, regular sight. For me, not only does he symbolise tranquillity and calm, he also signifies determination. On life’s journey, it is inevitable that we will wade through marshes and high waters, but the heron teaches us that we must never give up.
The life-sized Forever Garden Heron, positioned pond-side will not only add year round interest but can be used to establish that the territory is ‘claimed’ so that your fish remain protected from the real thing! Heron stands 1m tall and is cut from 8mm steel. As he develops an all over rust patina he will blend seamlessly into his natural surroundings and become the most beautiful addition to your ornamental, natural or wildlife pond.
Quirky little birds regularly appear in my artwork, so I thought it was about time they appeared in my stylised range of metal garden art too. And if I’m introducing birdies, then why not a Birdhouse?!
Positioned amongst your shrubs and flowers not only will these chirpy little chaps bring you immense joy and add great interest, they will double up as plant supports for the taller flowers throughout your borders during the summer months.
As with all of our metal garden art, no maintenance is needed at all – just enjoy the rusting process and watch as each piece continues to get better with age. These quality products can be repositioned around your outdoor space many, many times over without the risk of bending or buckling.
We are so lucky that it is a regular sight for us to see these super, long-eared creatures bounding across the fields that surround our home. I stop what I am doing to watch them from afar, just sitting, as still as can be, listening. And then, when they are off it is exhilarating to watch their powerful hind legs help them reach speeds of up to 45mph! But no matter how many times I stop to watch, I can’t quite fathom what he feels. Hare is a mysterious chap. His most distinctive feature, his ears, give away a little but I can’t help surmise that he isn’t relaxed or happy. And no matter his age, he always looks old! He looks both fearful and timid, but at the same time serious and strong. In my opinion, however, he is magnificently architectural and mythical, and therefore it was always a dead cert that he would feature in my collection of metal garden art one day.
Toadstools have long been associated with the supernatural and I agree wholeheartedly that there is something really quite mystical and magical about them. I always feel a rush of excitement whenever, wherever I come across them and I’m not shy to admit that I wonder if there might be a fairy nearby!
Toadstools, or if you prefer, mushrooms, come in so many different sizes, shapes and colours and I love to paint them in my whimsical way. It was in summer 2021 when I finally got around to illustrating a fairy poem that I had written years back that I decided I must bring my stylised toadstools to life and include them as a fantastical part of my Forever Garden metal artwork range. I am so pleased with the results and hope that you are too.
We are tremendously lucky that a Barn Owl resides in the next village along from us! We often see him sitting in trees or on fence posts at the field edges, or flying silently across the open countryside. He is so instantly recognisable with his iconic, beautiful, white, heart-shaped face with big dark, mysterious eyes. He always looks so clean and soft.
Quite small, at roughly 30cm tall he is most active at dawn or dusk but during the winter months he can often be seen during the day hunting for food in quiet, deserted areas. Every single time I see a Barn Owl, that ‘wow factor’ sweeps over me as if I am seeing him for the very first time.
Incredibly faithful to their mate, they return to the same nesting site every breeding season to reproduce and raise their young together. How wonderful! No wonder everyone loves the Barn Owl!
Proudly showing off his magnificent bottle green head and red eye patch, this beautiful, long-tailed, ground-dwelling game bird is such a regular visitor to our garden. Pheasants are not migratory so that explains why I don’t actually recall a time when he’s not about! And if you’ve ever seen, or should I say, if you’ve ever heard a pheasant trying to take off, fly and land, you will understand why they stay put in winter! Their noisy clumsiness, fuss and inability allows for them to be short-distance fliers only!
Eating fruit, seeds, grain, insects and small field mammals, they are social creatures and one male pheasant, wearing his amazing dream coat of technicolour, usually has a whole harem of doting hens following him about! Sadly, they are short-lived creatures in the wild and most will only live for about a year; preyed upon by various predators, including humans.
There was no question, Pheasant had to be included in my range of metal garden art as they are such a joyful constant in our surroundings. Every garden needs a resident pheasant!
The Green Woodpecker is a regular visitor to our garden and can often be seen foraging in the lawn for ants and grubs. I’ve watched him from the bedroom window hopping through the grass showing his young where to feed but they don’t ever seem to venture close enough to enjoy the peanuts that we put in the hanging feeders!
That delicacy seems to be left totally for the Great Spotted Woodpecker to enjoy! I couldn’t believe my eyes the first time I see the dapper little fella; almost as big as the feeder itself, all black and white and flashing his scarlet bits! Symbolising the new opportunities that come ‘knocking’ he was definitely the inspiration behind my latest design.
Most of us garden lovers consider the snail a right pest; I’m pretty sure I can’t be the only one who goes out searching between the flowers by torchlight on mild evenings after rain?!
But actually, he is quite a powerful little creature with many believing that carrying his home on his back represents strength and that retreating inside his home when threat poses represents self-care. Some believe that he is a gentle reminder for us to slow down and pace ourselves.
But my absolute favourite belief by far is that enchantment occurs when you touch his shell!
Snail has a 200mm central stem so that he can be positioned between flowers at ground level, but equally he’ll be just as happy in the veg patch!
We back onto fields so mouse is a pretty familiar sight around here! We once had the happiest little fella living in our barn. He made his home in the bag of peanuts meant for the birds; a perfect bed of fluff and fur within peanut walls! The nest was empty when we discovered it but we imagined him curled up and cosy, with only the need to turn his little head, open his little mouth and grab his peanut lunch!
My stylised design portrays his traits; the big ears to represent his great hearing, the long, pointy nose to represent his good sense of smell and just a tiny beady eye to represent his not so great eyesight.
It’s not hard to understand why these prickly little critters are one of Britains best-loved mammals, they are so cute and sleepy! Named because of their foraging methods, rooting through hedges and undergrowth looking for food and grunting piglike little sounds along the way.
A gardeners best friend; sleeping during the day to come out at night for the rich pickings of slugs and snails, aphids, caterpillars and larvae making them excellent allies in maintaining the balance of the garden ecosystem, for conserving biodiversity.
Unlike the real thing, who hibernates for 4 or 5 months a year and who only comes out after dark, the forever garden metal artwork hedgehog will bring you much joy all day long, every day, throughout the whole year, as he can be left out in all weathers and is maintenance free.
Cute little chap, found in woodlands, gardens and parks across town and country. Squirrel is a territorial loner, he’s agile and cunning – burying and then re-burying his food in case someone was watching! Many of his buried nuts aren’t rediscovered, which is helpful for the distribution and growth of new plants.
I’ve loved squirrels since Tufty taught me road safety in the 1970s! I know he can be a bit of a nuisance with his tight-rope walking along washing lines to reach bird-feeders but surely all is forgiven when you discover how he cleverly puts his characteristically big, bushy tail (which is actually equal in length to his body) to good use. He positions it to keep him dry when it’s raining and to keep him in the shade when it’s hot and he uses it as a big fluffy blanket to keep him warm when he is cold!
Badger is one of our most recognised and much loved creatures, but he lives a relatively secret life in his underground home, coming out after dark with his family to forage for food.
A badger set can take years, decades even, to create and the tunnels are also used by rabbits and foxes. They are very good housekeepers; their latrines are just outside of the main set, they change their bedding of dried leaves daily and no food is eaten indoors either!
They don’t have great eyesight so their sense of smell plays a vital role for communication and for sniffing out worms, snails, slugs and soft fruits.
Badger cubs are born around mid February and pop up above ground level from around 12 weeks of age. Who doesn’t love a badger?
