Landscaping, Without the Plants

With fall spelling a slow but relentless end to summer it's time to think about what your garden has to offer in the leaf-less seasons. Good structure can be provided by trees, hardscaping or sculpture. The now defunct (except on Facebook)-and personal favorite-magazine Garden Design published an interview with garden antique dealer Barbara Israel last year before its demise. In it she offered some great advice about using sculpture to provide year-round interest in the garden through the use of art.

Pictured: This duo of 19th-century greyhounds is a coveted "true pair" because they are not cast from the same mold, says Israel. 

Just as a work of art can pull a room together, the right garden antique can transform a landscape. Few people know this better than Barbara Israel, who has been dealing in garden antiques since 1985 from her Katonah, New York, property, a lush swath of meadows and gardens in Westchester County. Her inventory includes more than 200 stone, iron, terra-cotta, bronze, and zinc objects, ranging in price from around $100 to $100,000. Israel is the author of Antique Garden Ornament: Two Centuries of American Taste (Harry N. Abrams, Inc.; 1999), which remains a go-to source on the subject, and recently published A Guide to Buying Antique Garden Ornament, which neatly outlines the do’s and don’ts of collecting fine garden wares. In addition to providing indispensable guidance on dating pieces, repainting metal furniture, identifying irreparable damage, and confirming authenticity, Israel touches on selecting the right material for a particular climate. 

Garden Design: Why did you decide to write this guidebook?
Barbara Israel: Frustration. There is such a lack of knowledge on the subject, and a well-informed customer is definitely our best customer.

Q: How can garden antiques enhance a landscape?
A: They add a touch of art to nature. But they can also make a new garden look old, or make a lonely garden welcoming.

Q:  What is the biggest mistake you see buyers make?
A: Misplacement. These are pieces that need to be used sparingly, and you need to make sure they work right in a setting.

Q:  Are there any particular red flags we should know about?
A: Definitely. If a cast-iron piece doesn't have a fairly thick buildup of paint it may be a reproduction. Likewise, if there is rust on the underside of an urn and it’s too stridently orange, the piece may not actually be an antique.

Q:  Is it difficult to find garden antiques in good condition?
A: Yes. We often have to restore pieces that have suffered from being outside. Metal ornaments are easier to restore than stone ones. The biggest problem with cast stone is exposed rebar, which means water has seeped in, and with carved stone, cracks that threaten its stability and allow moisture in. — Meredith Mendelsohn

This article was first published in Garden Design September/October 2012 and can be found at the parent link http://www.gardendesign.com/ideas/antique-mystique