Bell sculpture under tree in George’s garden
Meet George Weaver
The first time I became aware of George and his Pennsylvania garden was when he posted some photos on Flea Market gardening of his huge sculptures, using metal and stone. That made many of us sit and take notice! Take a longer look and see what you think, too.
George’s stunning bell sculpture really took our attention!
Out standing in his field…
“This is the entrance to the Field area marked with large stones and Alberta Spruce.”
“Welcome to my gardens,” George says. “They are located in a rural area of Central Pennsylvania. There are two separate properties. The first one is the one acre where my house sits. With the help of my wife Patty we maintain flower beds and a lot of potted plants. There is a small salad garden with lettuce, onions and some tomato plants. I also have a large collection of stones, some that I have added rusty treasures that I have found along the way.”
“This is my “art supply shed.”
“This is also where my junk shed is located. Now that I have found Flea Market Gardening’s Facebook page and with the help of some friends on there I now lovingly refer to the shed as my “Art Supply Shed.””
George Weaver’s garden
“The second area, 7.7 acres, is a short walk away along the main road. This is where the main vegetable garden is located. I grow corn, strawberries, potatoes, rhubarb, squash, carrots, sunflowers, melons and what ever strikes my fancy.”
Marty, who, when he’s not plowing, likes to party down with his robotic and scarecrow-like friends!
“This is where my helper Marty comes in, he holds my hose and does other helpful tasks around the garden. Marty was created over 30 years ago from a scrap pile from the farm where I grew up.” Marty took part in a raucous adventure last St Patrick’s Day, documented here on our website. Shocking!
George explains, “When my wife and I purchased this property it was a large overgrown field bordering a stream. My father, a farmer, advised me not to buy it because it contained too many stones to be productive.”
The Great Stone Wall
Yes, a LOT of stones!
Stone wall, in progress
Stone Wall, when finished,…a paradise…see George?? He says, ” This is my vantage point from where I can relax and enjoy the stone wall and garden.”
“This large garden area has allowed me to be creative in growing plants and making yard art. With a large amount of stones at my disposal I started making sculptures and stacking them around the property. I have also landscaped with flea market and auction finds.”
The entry to George’s Pennsylvania home.
George’s brick walk, “The brick walk come from 2000 bricks I purchased at an auction for $100 it wraps around the house to the back patio,” he explains
George’s patio,…he says “We finally had a chance to get some of the pots filled with flowers.”
“My interest in stones and gardening led me to search the internet for some creative ideas . I came across some interesting sites on stacking stones and growing moss. Through this search is when I came across the FMG page. I was delighted to find so many people with an interest in repurposing junkola ( another term learned from FMG.) Finding these sites has inspired my creativity as I built more stone walls and added more treasures. I have been inspired in so many ways it is hard to decide what project to start next,” says George.
More Projects
Here are some more views of George’s garden and some of his projects.
Carved ‘panda guard’ makes sure his food supply is sufficient, but not invasive
“I like to experiment with plants,” George says. “I could not resist growing my own Bamboo canes for use around the garden. I know bamboo is an invasive species but I have carved a Giant Panda to keep a watchful eye on its growth.”
George Weaver, working on bottle tree
The Great Stone Wall, with other sculptures
“Some of my hibiscus from a few years ago the red one did not come back the multi color one is thriving.”
George’s garden, “In the wooded areas of my property I encourage the growth of wild flowers and woodland plants. Some of the plants are ferns, trillium, Jack in the Pulpit, tiger lilies, black raspberry and mosses.”
Winter designs photo contest entry
“The way I did this was to set the frying pan face down on a piece of firewood . I hung a jug in a tree over it . I put a pin size hole in the jug so the water would drip on the bottom and form icicles . When it was formed I set it right side up on the brass vase and put some water on it so it froze together,” says George.
Bell Project How To
“This is a how to photo of my Bell project. I drilled the stone for concrete fasteners to attach the old Iron wagon rim. The bell was on a rotten wood beam that I removed. I fabricated a steel ring to attach the bell and the eye bolt together. The rim was drilled and the eye bolt with bell was assembled.”
Thanks so much, George for letting us all in on a bit of your life there in your corner of Pennsylvania. You are a valuable, creative member of our group and always inspirational! ~~ Sue
Update:
Here is George’s latest work:
The Protector-created in honor of Mother’s Day
See all of George’s photos: