Add a little Yart (Yard + Art) or Jart (Junk + Art) to your gardens this year!

Some country pleasures never seem to change…sunny June brings us plump strawberries, crisp lettuce, and bright Tiger Lilies that pop up almost overnight along country roads. On these perfect June days, one of my favorite sounds can be heard through the screen door…the snap of freshly-washed sheets billowing in the breeze. And as twilight approaches, I’m enchanted by fireflies and their magical dances.

With these warm and dry summer days, and the threat of a late frost now over, the vegetable garden is in. It’s always interesting to hear, even in our modern world, farmers talk about planting by the “phases of the moon.” And while I see fields of some crops flourish and other fields less so, it does make me wonder if that age-old practice just might have some truth to it. Technology allows us to find the answers to all our gardening questions in an instant. However; ignoring the farming advice that’s been passed down through the generations would be a shame. Perhaps next year I’ll take a closer look at sowing by the phases of the moon and just see what happens!

Now that vegetable planting is off my to-do list, it’s a fine time to think about flowers. Perennials are merrily returning, dahlias shared by a neighbor are popping up, and an old rose bush (that is quite finicky) has decided it will bloom this year…always a happy surprise! 

When it comes to flower gardens, I try to keep the age-old advice of Rethink, Reuse, Recycle in mind. I heard someone once describe it as “cheating the landfill” – I love that! Whether we find items at barn sales, thrift shops, flea markets, and yes, even “treasures” being given away for free along a gravel road, with just a little creativity, we can reimagine something new.

My daughter and I have always called these salvaged items Yart (Yard + Art) or Jart (Junk + Art)…the words make me laugh and are so much nicer than “Junk” (gasp)! So what is Yart/Jart? Well, just about anything that gets a second chance…rusty things, farmy things, retro things, vintage things, even broken things.

And so, as I dusted off my Yart/Jart for the garden, I thought I’d share a few of them with you. Some are old, most are rusty, and many of them were free for the taking. I hope they inspire you to “cheat the landfill” this summer. And please, share your ideas as well – sure to inspire us all!

I LOVE old enamelware…there’s just something about it I can’t resist. The pretty robin’s egg blue color is my absolute favorite! Add the swirl design and I’m in heaven. If you’ve looked these pieces over, you’ve noticed they’re not only rusty in spots, but usually have several holes in the bottom. 

While they’re no longer useful for toting water, those holes are ideal for drainage! Old enamelware can be filled with potting soil and your favorite annuals, and in an instant, you’ve brought a vintage piece back to life.

Just think of all the clever uses for enamelware buckets, cups, bowls, coffeepots, pie pans, pitchers, funnels, pots & pans…the options are endless! Slip a little something extra inside such as tarnished silverware, a tiny tart pan, or even a rusty spring and you’ve created something new.

Watering cans will rust over time, or if water has been left inside them through a frosty winter, it freezes and pops the bottom seams. No worries, it’s still useful! Slip a canning jar filled with cut flowers inside and you have a quick summertime centerpiece.

You can also keep it simple and just tuck a patriotic flag inside.

What about old kitchen gadgets? While too rusty for sifting flour, this sifter makes a great home for tiny hens & chicks.

A retro dustpan takes on new life with those same little hens & chicks (they multiply like crazy!)

As does this rusty chicken waterer…it’s easy to add some lettering with a permanent marker.

Vintage garden tools are a great second-hand find. Keep your eyes open for them at neighborhood yard sales. Tools that are seen as no longer useful, can often be found for a song. Put to work in a new way, they add whimsy to a garden…this old rake head was just what a climbing clematis needed.

A broken cultivator helps prop open the window on a cold frame,

while a rusty shovel marks just where the herb garden is,

Arrange mismatched silverware or broken dishes in with your flowers, 

Did I say broken dishes?

About that box of Fiestaware dishes I dropped…yikes! Truth be known, the bottom of the box gave way; however, I should have been more careful. Anyway, I was lucky that only a few were broken. And since I just couldn’t toss them away, I tucked them into flower pots for a pop of color. 

Maybe you could use an old masonry tool for a door knob…this one is on a little greenhouse.

About those “freebies” at the end of a gravel drive? Let’s just say I’m always on the lookout. How does that saying go? ”One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” It’s so true!

This metal cabinet that once supported a vintage sink was spruced up with just a little paint…and went from this:

to my roadside veggie stand.

A trough that someone else found too rusty to be useful, now sits in the garden,

I love the adventure of seeing what’s hiding in the barn ready to be reused in a new way. I was lucky to find a pair of old washtubs which I filled with flowers.

A 6-pane window and chippy window box were quickly connected with screws…now they sit beside the chicken run and garden to dress up a potting table.

And even more Yart/Jart – just for fun!

This last idea was a bit more work, but nothing you can’t do! The barn has oodles of doors in it; however, most of them have been secured to a wall. I’m guessing at one time farmers used them as additional “insulation.”

Luckily for me, two doors sitting off to the side were perfect for an arbor idea I’d seen elsewhere. I gave them a fresh coat of paint, inserted rebar into the bottom of each door for stability, and then added three cross pieces for extra strength.

I sat geraniums on top of metal buckets I also found in the barn. While I’m not sure exactly what they were used for (both have a small triangular cut-out on each side), a friend who grew up on a dairy farm thinks they may be 1950’s calf feeder buckets. And the little pail on the bench…that may be a milk bucket; it has a spigot and quart measurements marked inside. If you have any ideas on what their history may be, I’d love to know!

So, are you ready to make a super-simple piece of Yart/Jart for your own backyard? This wind chime can be made with anything you like…I happened to have a vintage potato masher, but you could use a retro egg beater, whisk, or even use a colander!

You’ll need:

a kitchen gadget
beads and baubles for decoration
thin wire, fishing line, or strong nylon thread
a drill with a small drill bit
random pieces of old silverware
hammer/heavy mallet

Start the fun by searching for a kitchen gadget!

Then begin to flatten the silverware. Pound each piece with a hammer or mallet – older silverware is thinner and will be the easiest to flatten, modern stainless steel will take some extra elbow grease. If you have stubborn pieces that just won’t flatten, you can insert them into a vice as another option.

Using a small drill bit, make a hole at the top of each piece of silverware; set them aside.

Tie several lengths of wire/fishing line/nylon string through openings on your gadget..make it extra long so you have plenty of length to work with.

String your beads & baubles on each length of wire/fishing line/nylon thread any way you’d like. For this wind chime, strong nylon thread was used so knots could be tied between the beads, but you can absolutely slide the baubles on and stack them. Just remember not to go to the end of your wire/fishing line/nylon thread, because you still need to add the silverware.

When you have your beads on, tie a knot or twist the wire beneath the last one to keep everything in place. Slip the end of the wire/fishing line/nylon thread through the hole in a piece of silverware, and tie another knot or twist the wire to keep the silverware secure. Continue until you’ve added all the silverware.

Now, hang your masterpiece and wait for a breeze!

Wherever you are, I hope you’re delighting in the month of June…while some of you are harvesting radishes and spring onions, others across the miles are heading into fall weather. What’s terrific is that no matter where we are, we can share ideas, encourage one another, and learn something new. I’m so happy to be part of this farmgirl sisterhood.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!