About a month ago the phone rang and a lady asked "Are you the Gerry Krueger whose garden benches were featured in Better Homes and Gardens in 2003?" I assured her I was the very same Gerry Krueger... Well she said... her sister's 50th birthday was soon and she still had the article and wanted to make her sister a bench like mine as a special surprise and did I have a plan she could use... I knew I had a copy of the plan on a floppy disc somewhere (remember floppy discs?) and I would look... Well I found a copy and emailed it off to her.
Just a bit about the benches.... After the first season we were open to the public I discovered people stayed and shopped longer if they had somewhere to sit and rest in the garden... So I set out to build a dozen benches that winter... Wood was no problem as we had torn down the old wood corral and all the milking and horse stalls in the barn. What I needed was a plan that was SIMPLE and would be strong and forgiving with old lumber. No fancy joinery and it was put together with heavy duty lag bolts and lag screws.
The key element to my plan was the end section. It was simple and identical in every single bench. The only difference between the benches was the back section which I varied from bench to bench. I built twenty four end sections and twelve backs that winter and in the spring I added seats and just bolted them together. I added 10-12 each year over the next couple winters.
In 2001 my rose garden was featured in Better Homes and Gardens and the photographer fell in love with all the benches and asked if they could come back and do another feature just on the benches....which they did in 2003.
So I was so touched that Connie G. had not only kept that article all those years, she had also taken the time to track me down nine years later. And she did indeed build a bench for her sister's birthday and yesterday sent me a picture of her beautiful bench.
AND THE BEST PART?????? She built this bench with old lumber from her grandmother's chicken coop... Now you know I was doing a happy dance all over the garden all day... Thank you Connie for sending the picture and remembering the article...
And just in case any of you out there are thinking of a simple bench for your garden...here is my plan for the end pieces....then just send me a picture. Remember... no wimpy nails... Lag screws and lag bolts.
Pigtails and Quilts is having a "Crazy Quilts are Quilts Too" celebrating crazy quilting and I'm pleased to be participatin...
Remember the soutache jewelry from the other day... Well I have a huge hug and thank you for Jocelyne Ausseil who found this fantastic tuto....jpg)
Marilyn Nepper in Canada really got busy on her computer and found some great sites with even greater instructions... She even found ...
Addendum: Here are a couple websites with tutorials... http://historicalsewing.com/pleated-trim-jazz-your-victorian-neckline https...
3 comments:
Another great idea. You have so many of them. And we have a bunch of scrap wood out in the shed. Hmmm....
Wow. I guess I will print this off and next time anyone asks me what I want for my b'day or Christmas or whatever I'll hand them a copy along with a pic of one of your benches. I never want for anything so usually don't get anything. I think I'll start wanting since the two benches in my gardens are slowly rotting away. And, hey, in the spring will you sell some cuttings of some of your roses to me? - Cathy L
Great post gerry and amazing that she kept the info all that time.
I think you are at the retreat at this time. Have fun and say hi to carol & woody for me plus all the others. Wish I could have come but maybe another year. We are leaving for Toronto in 2 weeks to visit all our family.
Hugs
FredaB
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