Thursday, May 6, 2010

Garden Beds

 100_3007I have a tendency to romanticize objects.  Such was the case regarding our bed.  The bed that the Brawny Man had when I met him, the bed in our patio home where I felt the safest I had ever felt in my life, the bed where four children were conceived, the bed that newborns were snuggled into late at night to nurse and coo.  An antique metal frame, just a small, double bed, but we were smaller then.  It has been painted several different colors, depending on the scheme of the room, yet it was still The Bed.  Just the sight of it made me feel 26 again, that magical year when my life truly started. 

With all this emotion entangled within the frame of The Bed, it took quite some convincing to get me to agree that perhaps in our dotage we might be more comfortable in a queen size - but I was not willing to give up the antique frame.  Brawny Man would need to figure out how to expand it and incorporate it to accommodate a larger mattress, but no was was I letting go of it.

Until

the day we put down the wood floor and were painting the walls in our bedroom and I caught a glimpse of The Bed from the corner of my eye, and through the metal bars it reminded me of

a crib in a Romanian orphanage

the kind where the children were never picked up and loved.

We promptly bought a queen size sleigh bed.

The Romanian orphanage crib was dismantled and relegated to the side yard where the Brawny Man gardens, waiting to be disposed of.  Until last week when I had yet another brilliant idea (I come up with the ideas...and God Bless him, the Brawny Man always figures out how to accomplish it). Let’s use the rails for the peas and other climbers in the garden!

The garden is in the narrow side yard.  Gary built boxes to garden in, as the desert soil can be quite hard on vegetables.  He painted the rails black and even shined up the brass, and there they are...our garden beds.

They still make me smile.

Oh, the new vine growing on the trellis is a

Bower Vine.

The Bauernfeinds have a Bower Vine.

Now that just makes me giggle.

15 comments:

Lost Aussie said...

Now that's very clever!

julietk said...

Such neat beds and your Bed rails look great in thier new place, well done Brawny man and you for the brainwave.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

What a delightful and USEFUL way to save such a sentimental piece of furniture!
Hey, after 24 years of being married and sharing (or fighting over mostly!) an antique Eastlake barely full size, we went to a king sleigh bed.
I have never looked back.....
I actually have space to sleep and not get pushed out....

XXOO!!
Anne

Yvonne said...

I know what you mean about attaching yourself to things like your bed, that you have had forever...so many memories. But you are now using in in a recycled good way, and it's beautiful too. Good for you. Now you still have the memories in sight.

Manon said...

Awe...... you are so romantic!! Brawny man is so lucky to have you!! You still get to enjoy that bed frame!!
xoxoxo

yoborobo said...

That's such a brilliant idea! I love that you were so attached to your bed. I am not so attached to things, but I am very attached to photographs. :) xoxo Pam

Cher' Shots said...

I loved the history of the bed ~ so much love and now it can continue to "grow" with vines. So funny ~ I just spray painted an old single bedframe a wonderful metalic bronze. I put it in my rock garden as a trellis. We also have raised garden boxes. Love them, very productive last year.

Marie S said...

I love the "beds", it is just brilliant and beautiful.
Deb you won one of the sacred hearts on my blog ;-D

Just A Girl said...

Oh I've always wanted to do that, but with flowers...a bed of flowers, now isn't that just the dreamiest idea? You are so clever my darling Friendling! Now I'm off to see what Milo is up to. Ta ta for now ;-).

xoxo Cori

Georgina said...

Einsteinian!!! What a great idea!! I have an old pre WWII nursery bed. When we lived in Germany a friend of mine gave it to me to use when we brought our daughter home from the hospital. I later displayed all her dolls in that little hospital bed. Now it sits in a storage unit ready to be reborn...I just might relegate it to my garden!!

Have a wonderful Mother' Day!! Sending may blessings and hugs.

xxoo,
Georgina

Javajune said...

I love your sentiment and the bed idea is marvelous. Hurray for the handy-man hubby.
xo-jj

Bella Sinclair said...

Oh MY! You are a genius! Look how well they match your gates. I think your vines will find all the love in that frame and grow, grow, grow.

Awww, Deborah. I hope your allergies are getting better. I think I heard a nice large glass of sangria helps.... ;)

LDWatkins said...

What a grand idea! They love lovely there and you still have your memories of the bed. Thanks for coming by!!

Unknown said...

brilliant Deb! the procreating bed gets to continue serving in the garden.

which is so beautiful and tidy I might add.

Tootie said...

I think everyone should have a man like that. :) I loved your story.

Thanks for your visit to my blog and your very kind words.