Everything’s coming up repurposed!

Like many of us, Kitty Winrow got her love of gardening from her grandmother Panchita and her mom, Amailia Winrow. She says, “They are both from Puerto Rico and had lush gardens. Mom married a serviceman, my dad, Jim, from Minnesota, so our gardens in Florida became very diverse. So, here we go on a fun tour of Kitty’s Florida garden.
The ground was covered in this fabulous soft grass much like golf course grass and there were plants of so many sun-loving coastal varieties. They also grew herbs, but my favorite was the Poinsettia Trees shown below.”

Here’s a picture of my mom and grandmother with the poinsettia tree

“My mom used to say this, ’Mi jardin es mi encanta’ which means ‘My garden is my passion’, and for years I had a sign in my garden that had this phrase on it. Mom will be 98 on July 10th and still loves to visit the garden.”

Enter the garden….

This mirror, enchanted my spirit…

“The illusion the dew gives this mirror, enchanted my spirit as I strolled the garden in contemplation this morning. I added this Star to an existing mirror in our garden.”

Kitty’s crayon box of garden color

Kitty Winrow Everything is coming up repurposed

A treat! Kitty says, “Everything is coming up repurposed!” I love this little vignette of Kitty’s. It looks as if she’s chosen a color scheme of pinks, teals and yellow and it really works!
Also, though we often use glass for our dish flowers, I see she has used metal trays and decor assembled into a weatherproof plant stake for her pot. The pot is her ‘anchor’ and the pink wire chair, the pedestal and angel,…and the birdhouse, also metal, form a sort of ‘background.’

 

Kitty Winrow A Victorian Section of my garden

 

Kitty Winrow‎ A lavender vignette

Goodness,… what serendipity! We’ve never seen a color used so effectively in a garden vignette as this. These are Kitty Winrow’s assorted flea market finds she snapped up while ‘journey junking.’ She says, My weekend’s project was painting the ice cream chair just for fun!!” ‘Flea Market gardening’ is the most fun kind, I think… don’t you?

Angels in a Radio Flyer

Kitty’s tin sunflower adorns a matching chair

Kitty Winrow‎ says, “Here’s a little project from the weekend. Someone threw away this rocker and I added a bit of Sunshine to it. First I painted it reddish orange, then bright yellow, then sanded parts of it down to the original color black and bare wood. Added the sunflower and vintage bowl and Voilá, a happy seat in the garden!   The metal sunflower? They are fun to make! I do it ‘old school’, large can, tin snips, and paint! Great way to recycle! ”

Kitty Winrow tells us, The use of old, found doors creates alcoves, dividers and vignettes in the garden…

Snail Crossing

Kitty Winrow “Shhhhh…. the bugs are sleeping. Hand Painted sign and the back is a distressed toddler bed that’s made into fence.”

Kitty Winrow This is the beginning of the mint and pink with bunnies

“I believe that the colors of mint and pink sprinkled with some blue all done in chalk paint over flowing with flowers and bunnies… in addition, a section of sunflowers then a sweet antique look with vintage cream and white crochet all intermingled with flowers that match and lots of rusty fabulous vintage items.”

The search for treasures…

Kitty’s whimsical ‘biker chick near the chicken coop’

Kitty Winrow The beginning inspiration for the vintage crochet mixed with galvanized and flowers

Kitty Winrow “Still some of my favorite angels”

A vintage umbrella in a peaceful, shady corner

Garden gifts are the best gifts! Thank you, my brother, for this awesome vintage plow

Fabulous ironwork piece in a future project

Kitty says, “ I’m inspired for an Valentines Day idea. I scored these vintage fence pieces this weekend and will put L~O~V~E letters on them. I’ll post pictures. Always lovingly inspired on Flea Market Gardening.”

Enamelware, overflowing with Rudbeckia

Kitty Winrow “I would love more enamelware,… I’m on the hunt now. I just got this oval pan so the enamel pitcher would match it beautifully.”

Sunflowers, the kind that never fade!

Miniature Bird Houses in recycled racks

“Freshly planted dwarf marigolds, tucked neatly in a re-purposed plant hanger made from vintage dishwasher baskets. Oh, and a sweet Pink bird painted by me.”

Kitty Winrow tells us, “The use of old, found doors creates alcoves, dividers and vignettes in the garden…”

Kitty told us her interest in re-purposed finds in her garden developed from her fashion career. “It all started when I’m shopping for garden stuff.   It was difficult to find good quality merchandise that was unique and desirable.  Having been a fashion buyer for 26 years it was a natural progression to the garden. I’m presently working out the the details to be able to sell on line and through my garden page, GardenStar Gardens.

Kitty tells us, “My goal is to design garden decor and furniture of lasting quality in beautiful garden designs from around the world.”

’Mi Jardin es Mi Encanta’