I’ve been visiting gardens for many years and have always been intrigued by structures made of natural materials. In particular, I adore a nest, playhouse or shelter made of branches. This passion for functional art made of branches inspired me to work with my partner Andy to build a sitting area in my garden that we affectionately called “The Love Shack.”
For a few years this sitting area provided garden visitors with a great perch from which to view the garden. But then nature happened. The branches and harvested vines we had used to construct our masterpiece began to weaken and break. By the end of last year, if you wanted to sit in The Love Shack, you had to limbo to get in.
It was time. Time to reinvent. Time to reimagine. I thought about rebuilding the structure in exactly the same way but realized that would be a never-ending process. If I chose the same route, I would need to find a source for invasive vines to harvest and rebuild every few years. The older I get, the less I want more physical work to do so the idea of repeating history over and over again seemed daunting.
Fortunately, while I was pondering a solution to my quandary, a friend sent me a photo of a faux bois arbor constructed by artist Michael Fogg. Michael transitioned from working with real wood as a carpenter, to working with rebar and concrete. Now he utilizes his talents to create permanent structures that look like branches and slabs of wood.
I reached out to Michael and sent him some photos of the original sitting area Andy and I had built. He drove down from Connecticut to see my property, to look at the original piece and to determine if the project was something he wanted to take on. Luckily, he said yes, and we began the process of designing a replacement for the original Love Shack. Michael’s detailed drawing became the template for the final design.
Over the winter Michael completed the masterpiece. Traveling to Pennsylvania from Connecticut with the finished sculpture in tow was no small task. But Michael made it safely and my crew of hired help and friends was ready to assist with the move.
Machinery, manpower and ingenuity ensured the new Love Shack made it to its new landing pad where I’m confident I’ll rest easy on its bench knowing I can enjoy my new perch for the rest of my days.
Oh, love it ! I would like something like it for my “Woods”.
Get one! You won’t regret the decision.
Carol this is a very inspiring piece of garden art, and it’s special construction with rebar and concrete is ingenious!
Thanks David. I really love it and am grateful to have such a special piece in my garden.
This is an amazing project – I’m still astounded at the craftsmanship and how naturalistic he’s able to make it! Congrats and would love to see it in person!
Thanks Thaddeus. It truly is a work of art and even more impressive to see the detail up close.
It looks amazing – congratulations. We look forward to sitting in it!
Thanks John. I can’t wait for you to see it in person.
What a wonderful post! Just wanted to say thank you again for hiring me to do this project! It was truly an honor to have my artwork placed in such a special garden, and it was such a pleasure to work with everyone who participated in the installation, such a talented, enthusiastic, and nice group of people. I hope to visit your garden again to see what other treasures it holds!
Thanks for your kind words Michael. You are welcome to visit your sculpture and my garden any time.