We’ve all heard the ‘joke’ about starting one thing which then leads to another thing and on and on, well something I saw at the park a couple of weeks ago,  followed by something in the garden had my mind working in a similar way.

This mosaic plaque on the wall of the neighbourhood house is what started it all..

I think it might be best if l start at the beginning:……..

Many years ago (and still today as well) people would put all sorts of weird things in the garden. They called it garden art.  You name it people would plant in it, filling up corners of the garden with colour and whimsy.  I had a fondness for planted chairs.  Take an old chair – remove the seat – add a container of some sort – and plant.  Like these! (these are not mine.  Photo found on the Internet years ago)

‘These’ are some I made up a long time ago (2003) – big cane chairs found on a nature strip during hard rubbish week, planted with petunias and lobelia. 

It was seeing the plaque on the wall of the neighbourhood house that reminded me of another little hobby I tried one year.  Mosaics!

Later I’m down at the washing line looking at the Autumn flowering lavender thinking like the Jonquils in a nearby bed how few flowers there were.  

when there amongst the leaves from next doors oak tree I see my one reminder of that ‘artistic’ year.😊

We had such fun in that class.  Learning about history of the art, techniques, surfaces, tile cutters, glues, styles  And all of us (in awe of what the ‘teacher’ had produced) just wanted to make (as artfully sugested by the ‘teacher’) something Simple and Naive  – mine ended up as  two big flowers surrounded by leaves and mirror tiles.  Reflecting Outdoor Life as I saw it lol

Then of course my mind wandered to the fun I had with the grandchildren that summer.  They’d seen my ‘stepping stone’ and wanted me to show them how, to have a go in other words.  And of course grandmas never say no, do they 😊

There were some old 12×12″ floor tiles  in the garage they could use, we popped down to nearby Johnson tiles for odd lots/end of runs/ left over singles which…….because they couldn’t handle tile cutters…..I let them ……much to the boy’s delight…..break up with a hammer on the garage floor (tiles covered with a blanket) and then all had a go at creating.

The girls had fun – the boys were spent after their smashing morning- so it was the girls who took most of their creations home for show and tell.  Some got left behind, to be grouted another day, but that never happened and they’re the ones I found amongst some ‘things’ behind Kieras outside pen.  Sadly forgotten!

Fast forward many years to when the redheaded grandchild up above is doing year 12.  The final music assessment was a group one……look at what she produced as her contribution.

 A planted  chair with a mosaic back rest!

Maybe there’s truth in that old saying after all

A seed planted with love never dies 

Linking to Sunday Selections- hosted by Elephants Child.