Friday, August 26, 2016

French Country: Putting the Rust in Rustic

Don't you love a scattering of rusty metal in the garden?
I know I do.
And the rustier, the better. 


A touch of rust makes your garden or patio feel like it's been there for ages,
steeped in history and patina. 


This vignette on my patio reminds me of stone houses in the south of France,
their walls dressed up in faded blues and sunny ochres with rusty accents.


Rust brings back fond memories of crusty French lampposts with old-world patina. 


This primitive well in the French countryside with its rusty pulley dates from Roman times.


In my garden, a rusty lantern and my Dad's old pitchfork lend an aura of days gone by.


My version of heavy metal!
A vintage fireplace coal grate creates a feeling of permanence on my patio.
Love the rusty ornamentation.
Won't it be pretty filled with orange mums this Fall?


A sweet rusty birdfeeder peeks through my salvia.


This planter with a glaze of rust and chippy paint . . . 


provides a perfect nest for this multi-colored verbena.


A metal fence dappled with rust defines the edge of the patio.


Most visitors to my garden think my wall fountain is rusty iron but it's actually lightweight fiberglass.


Rust gives this giant metal sunflower a warm patina. 
I found this one and its smaller twin at Goodwill hiding in the drapery rods!


This rusty headboard forms a unique sculpture against my garden shed. 
Soon it will be draped in purple morning glories. 


How cute is this inspiration from a neighborhood bistro? 
All kinds of metal containers were used for little plants wired onto this aged patio screen.
The owner told me she'd seen something similar in Saint-Remy-de-Provence.
I will have to try this next season so now I'm collecting rusty tins. 




Rusty metal gives your garden warmth and patina and provides a lovely contrast to your plants.
So, if you're looking for a way to age your garden, try a little rust. 

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38 comments:

  1. I agree about rusty metal in gardens! You have some wonderful examples. So nice that you stopped by and left a link for your post on The French Corner. I had not seen it. Such a lovely shop!

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    1. Thank you Jacqueline. I hope to visit your shop in Albuquerque next time I'm in NM. I always enjoy seeing your linen collection. In fact, I was in a shop the other day and said to myself, "Oh, I know Jacqueline would love this!" Seems like I know you from your gorgeous pixs. Have a great weekend.

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  2. I do love the patina of your rusty touches, especially the fountain!

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    1. Thank you very much Ellis. Those rusty touches give the garden that timeworn quality that I love. So glad you stopped by.

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  3. A girl after my own heart! A few years ago when DH and I had an antique shop, a couple of designers came in and said 'rust is a must'. I have quite a few pieces in my own gardens. You have some real beauties.

    FlowerLady

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    1. Thank you so much Lorraine. I must remember rust is a must!

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  4. We picked up a gorgeous old iron tub, about 3' in diameter at a Brocante in the spring. Covered in rust, the colours are fantastic. It was an old tub for sterilising bottles in decades gone by. We raised it on a stone plinth and filled it with water and pond plants, it sits in the small courtyard garden to the side of our property. It's one of my favourite places in the garden!

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    1. Thank you for commenting Susan, always much appreciated. Your rusty iron tub sounds beautiful. I love water features but have to stick with bird baths because of limited space. Do the frogs live in the tub? How fun. Have a lovely weekend.

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  5. The pictures in your post make me feel soooo happy! I LOVE rusty, chippy, original finishes on found objects!!!! I am really glad I found your blog so I enjoy all of the eye candy!

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    1. Hi there! So glad you found me and enjoy my blog. I hope you come back soon. Really appreciated your sweet comments. I'm sure my mother would be horrified at my rusty collection but I love it!

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  6. Lovely! Some simple examples of reusing and recycling to great effect.

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    1. Thank you Catherine. Isn't it wonderful that we can save things from the landfill and make something great out of them?

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  7. I love all the rusty and chippy goodness you have in your garden. Beautiful and so happy you shared at Dishing it and Digging it link party. We love having you.

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    1. Thank you Vanessa. Rusty and chippy goodness, I like the sound of that! Love your party.

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  8. You have the most fabulous rusty goodness throughout your beautiful garden.
    Mary Alice

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  9. Your version of heavy metal; cute! I like the patina and antique charm of rust too. My hubby, not so much! My father's milk can had gotten a bit rusty sitting out in the weather and it was time to paint it. Hubby insisted I cover the rust too. The rust will eventually come through and I intend to leave it that way at least for a while. ;-) Love all the personality the rusty pieces give your garden. Thank you for sharing it with us and have a lovely week, Pat.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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    1. Thanks very much Sandi. Love hearing from you. Your hubby will never know. I won't tell if you don't. Glad you liked the post.

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  10. I do love rust in the garden and just about anywhere else! I love all of your rusty garden pieces. The fence and sunflower and hanging flower pot are extra special.

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    1. Thanks so much AnnMarie. I'm surprised at how many people love rust like we do. Have a great week.

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  11. Love the patinas of it all. You have some beautiful pieces.

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    1. Thank you Linda. I love that we can get a nice old patina in a few months. I appreciate you taking a moment to comment.

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  12. Love, love. love all your rusty things! Perfect for the garden. I am pinning for future inspiration!

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    1. Thanks, thanks, thanks Cecilia. Your comments mean a lot to me. I suppose I'll start bringing rusty things into the house before long!

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  13. Seeing all the gorgeous textures and rust reminds me....I almost named my blog "Rusty Crusty and Blonde". LOL But I had a change of heart. So these goodies speak to me! Have a great week.

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    1. Hi Christine, LOL, great name for your blog. Glad you enjoyed my rustiness.

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  14. I love your rusty lantern ♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks so much. I like just about anything with a rusty touch.

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  15. A girl after my own heart! The more rust the better if you ask me. Your shed looks like the color of mine. I too have a rusty metal footboard in my garden and metal sunflowers. I love what you love! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  16. Thanks so much Jann. I think we have a lot in common too. You have such good taste! Ha.

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  17. Pat, Thanks for sharing your metal fixings in your garden. I really like the iron work and scrolly items. The fountain fits in well and will not actually rust and clog up the works. Thanks for sharing. Sylvia D.

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    1. Hi Sylvia, thanks for taking a moment t comment, always appreciated. Good point about the fountain. The chickadees have discovered it and love getting a drink, but only when it's not flowing. Guess it scares them.

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  18. Love your rusty garden finds... they work so well together! Thank you for linking up last week... this week I am giving you a feature! Enjoy your week, Jill

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  19. The rusty garden features are perfect. Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home.

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    1. Thank you for visiting my garden. So glad you liked my rusty things.

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  20. Pat, I love the vintage rusty treasures! You have such creative ideas! Thank you for sharing every week at Simple & Sweet Fridays ♥
    Hugs, Jody

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