A few of you know about the gazebo, but for those who don't, or asked, here's the story of how I got my title for this blog.
Several years ago I was with a couple of sweet friends who are former co-workers. (Hi Kathy and Jill...it's been awhile!) We try to get together from time to time to catch up on each other's lives. Usually this involves breakfast or lunch, some shopping and on occasion, uncontrolled giggles. Never MY fault, it's just what happens when you hang out with this younger generation!
After our meal, we went to The Secret Garden, a wonderful outdoor shop that features various types of birdbaths, fountains, statuary and other unique objects for your home and garden. I had been there before and enjoyed bringing various friends to enjoy looking around. Here's the link if you are interested in a virtual tour: http://www.secretgardenwaynesville.com/
We walked around the grounds for a few moments pointing out cute little concrete animals, clever signs and bird feeders and then I saw it. It was wonderful, it was rusty and it was just for me. It was also enormous.
Most people think of a gazebo as a wooden structure with a solid top on it and seats in it. This was half a gazebo made of wrought iron and there wasn't any place on it that you couldn't see through and it had no seats. It was perfect. It was expensive. I bought it.
The owners of The Secret Garden, Bart and Debbie, are friendly and so hard-working. They personally took the gazebo apart, delivered it to my house and re-assembled it for me.
In the weeks that followed, I painted the gazebo white, put a couple of my old-fashioned metal lawn chairs and a wrought iron table in it. I hung four hanging baskets with red and white cascading petunias in them and sat back and just looked at it...from the swing on my deck. It was glorious.
At this point I must tell you that my favorite outdoor perch is my swing with a canopy over it. So, while nobody ever really sits in the gazebo for lack of shade, (unless you count the doves that sit on it's top or the bunny who sits under the chairs), it is my favorite thing to look at and dream on.
The beautiful paint job that I did failed and it truly is a rusty gazebo now! I would love to have it repainted and powder-coated by a professional, but that's not in the budget just yet.
The name just seemed to fit here as it is just fun thing to have, a bit of whimsy, not necessary, but hopefully a pleasant place to come and sit for a little bit!
As you can see by the photo of the gazebo in Winter, it's rather nondescript and plain. After the weather warms up and I get some pots planted and hung, it will be rather pretty there. My friend Pat thought so!
Welcome to The Rusty Gazebo!
So I guess Jill's blog would be "the burnt purse"
ReplyDeleteIt's always fun to hear the stories behind titles and such. It is a beautiful gazebo!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm almost positive that the giggles were your fault! You have a way of making people giggle.
No longer a lurker....I commented!!! I kind of wondered where the title came from and now I no longer have to wonder!!!
ReplyDeleteThere is something very characteristic about rust on the gazebo. It is like wrinkles on an older face - well weathered and with character. I like the name as well and should there be a business in the future....
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way, lurking is what I do best or is that lark.....
Yes, Barb will keep you in stitches. Just ask her about the straw wrappers!
ReplyDeleteBarb, you're doing a wonderful job! Keep up the good work!
We'll have to do lunch soon!!!
The word "gazebo" is interesting to me. I wondered where the word came from and apparently - no one knows. The way I pronounce gazebo is three syllables, but what if the word should really be pronounce with two syllables - as in gaze bo? Like you gaze or look, and then the bo would maybe derive from beau as in –“French, from beau beautiful, from Latin bellus pretty” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beau. So that would make gazebo mean a beautiful view?
ReplyDeleteI took the liberty of pasting the Wikipedia entry.
Gazebos belong to a variety of garden structures with similar functions, that include pagodas, pavilions, kiosks, belvederes, follies, alambras, pergolas, and more. As the etymologies of those names suggest, such structures were (and are) quite popular in warm and sunny climates. They are well-attested in the literature of China, Persia, and many other classical civilizations, going back to several millennia. Examples of such structures are the garden houses at Montacute House.
Through most of American history, gazebos continued as a garden feature reserved for the well-to-do. George Washington had a small eight-sided garden structure at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson wrote about gazebos - then usually called summerhouses or pavilions. He planned to build at least three in different styles at his home, Monticello, but only got around to building one.
The word gazebo was first used by British architects William and John Halfpenny in their book Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste (1750). Plate 55 of the book, titled “Elevation of a Chinese Gazebo” shows “[...] a Chinese Tower or Gazebo, situated on a Rock, and rose to a considerable Height, and a Gallery round it to render the Prospect more compleat”.
The origin of the word is unknown, and it has no cognates in other European languages. Several false etymologies have been proposed, such as the French expression Que c'est beau ("How beautiful") and the Macaronic Latin gazebo ("I shall gaze"). L.L. Bacon proposed a derivation from Casbah, a Muslim quarter around the citadel in Algiers. More recently, W. Sayers proposed that the name comes from Hispano-Arabic qushaybah, attested in a poem by Cordoban poet Ibn Quzman (d. 1160).
Thank you Everybody, it's kind of you to post a comment for me!! Such lovely compliments are so appreciated!
ReplyDeleteJeffrey........YOU are a NUT! lol!!
Veerry interesting...I must say! Who is this Jeff person? Could he be your son? Sons can surprise us, I know from wonderful experience!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your blog and even read all of the gazebo definition. ;-)
P.S. An afterthought, I think the gazebo is beautiful the way it is...no need to do a fancy paint job, it has much character the way it is! So I also think you can happily save your money. I think a lot. ;-) bmw
ReplyDeleteDoes Barb have muliple personality disorder or are there two or more Barbs posting to this blog?
ReplyDeleteThere are two Barbs posting!! (Multiple Personality Disorder!! Spoken like a true student of Psychology!)
ReplyDelete