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Thirty Days in the Garden: A Glider Debut

Are you ready for the big reveal?

The garden glider is open for business. I inadvertently included a sneak peek on Sunday, but now it’s official.

The glider came with a seat cushion which is thankfully removable. I picked up a couple of toss pillows at Target, perfect for an afternoon nap. The cushions are a bland grey, but they’re covered in that outdoor material the squirrels abhor.

I made that up. They probably love the pillow fabric, but for now we’ll pretend otherwise.

Gliders, unlike swings, glide back and forth instead of arching in a curve. I had a chair glider when I nursed both of my babies and loved it. Gliders have a smaller footprint than a rocker, so that’s also a plus.

The area under the half-umbrella looks and feels great. We ordered a replacement cover for the umbrella last year, but due to COVID, it took months for it to arrive. The umbrella fit is looser than the old one, but nothing can be done for it now. I like the way the green blends into the garden. The umbrella collects debris from the orange tree, so the darker color will help disguise the dirt.

With the glider assembled and in place and the new umbrella cover overhead, I changed my mind about the small blue tables. I’m using a round table instead. I’m going to paint the top of the blue tables with chalk paint, but I’ll leave the legs the faded blue. I’ve moved the tables close to the hose bib, where I’ll use them for my assorted watering cans.

Here’s what the area looked like before with the tattered umbrella and swing.

Here’s what it looks like now:

I like the cleaner lines, the color of the wood, the arched back, and the extra space around the glider. The swing legs took up a lot of room. It’s now easier to walk around the glider to rake leaves from the gravel.

I’m so pleased with the way it all came together.

As for the squirrels, I’ve presented an offering behind the glider. I hope it does the trick.

30 thoughts on “Thirty Days in the Garden: A Glider Debut”

  2. That looks so much better…and I love the photo of you. You looks so relaxed on your new glider! The offerings for the squirrels made me laugh out loud. Trust you to come up with such a thoughtful, left-field solution. Hope it works!

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    • Thank you for your kind words, Anne. I love my time in the garden. As for the squirrels, I love all animals, and I try my best to find the balance so we can all enjoy the outdoor spaces. It’s annoying to have them chew up the furniture, but surely they’re annoyed at the way we’ve encroached on nature. I hope that soft stuffing in the cushion works.

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  4. Haha! I hope the squirrels take the bait! It looks like a lovely corner of the garden to sit and relax. I still can’t quite imagine how it feels to sit on a glider, as I have never seen one before. But it sounds relaxing. 😃

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  7. Looks fantastic! What a cozy spot to rest and enjoy your lovely garden. Good luck with those rascally squirrels. I noticed the oranges hanging nearby. I think my heart would explode with joy if I had oranges in my backyard. Holy cats!

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  8. A real beauty spot (and I do like that wood colour). I hope you enjoy many a relaxed moment in it.
    PS So often I say to myself ‘this watering can isn’t ideal for everything’. With your photo you’ve just given me the go-ahead to start own collection – in fact I wish I’d kept one of those mini ones we’d had for the children when they were little as it would be ideal for seedlings.

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    • Thank you for your kind words. It’s definitely a place to relax. I’ve been out there with my son, my husband, a couple of the cats…it’s a popular hot spot!

      I’m so glad you’re inspired to collect a few watering cans. The large blue one holds two gallons, just enough to fill our water fountain. The smaller green one has a narrow spout, so it’s perfect for watering the succulents. The other two are all-purpose. I’m not sure how I ended up with two though, and finally the purple can with flowers was a gift. Our boys also had those mini watering cans, and you’re right about using them for seeds!

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  9. LOL, Squirrel offering ! You kill me. I hope you get a photo of a squirrel collecting the freebies.
    I’ve never heard of half umbrellas, how cool and perfect for that spot! The glider looks comfy but lets talk about that woman in the green summer frock! You’re so cute! Looks like you’re all set for some cozy book reading in your refurbished (refabished?) nook xK

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    • I would LOVE to get an action shot of a squirrel making off with the goods, as long is it comes from the offering basket. I’ve just been reading about nests, and learned that they can build several as places to keep warm in the winter, not just for raising the young. We’ve had what appears to be squirrels nest in our orange tree for years, but I’ve never noticed any activity.

      I forget where I discovered the half-umbrella, but it’s perfect for that spot. It tucks up close to the fence, and works in a space when a full umbrella wouldn’t fit. The stand is behind the glider.

      Thank you for your sweet, kind comments about the woman in green. It’s fun getting a couple of new dresses for the summer ahead.

      xo

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  10. I love the offering to the God of Small Agile Rodents. Because of course, it won’t be just squirrels, will it? Or maybe it will, I’m not sure what ecological niches your local wildlife fills! Either way, I really like your revamped relaxing area, and I really think that little round table would be greatly enhanced by a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake… Or is that just me?

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    • I love the way you think, Kate. I agree that tea and cake would round things out perfectly. It would be even better with friends. One day…

      We have squirrels and rats enjoying the garden and helping themselves to oranges, occasionally tomatoes, and upholstered stuffing. Here’s an interesting blurb (I’m doomed): Squirrels are largely opportunistic nest builders; they work with whatever they can access. That being said, the actual construction of a drey is more complex than it might appear. First, squirrels weave together a base of twigs to form a “basket” that lays the foundation of the nest. Then, they collect soft, compressible materials like wet leaves, paper, insulation, or moss. Next, they’ll weave a second, outer net of twigs around this material to keep it compressed. Finally, they’ll fill in gaps with more leaves or soft material.

      In order to complete this surprisingly involved construction, squirrels require a combination of rigid, soft, sturdy, and pliable materials. Squirrels stay on the lookout for nest material constantly, just like they never stop looking for food. They’ll collect twigs, branches, leaves, moss, paper, garbage, vines, and anything else they can use constantly.”

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  11. Thanks for the giggles on this post. I love a glider and always wanted one even more than a rocker. It’s a whole different feel. It all worked out perfectly and looks just lovely. I read some of this to Ms Sunshine and she got a good giggle too. No rodent scurvy there. 😉 I love the offerings to the squirrels. Only you would do that and send them a note. 🙂 I’m going to sleep with a smile on my face tonight. Hugs all around.

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  13. Pingback: As Projects Go – Gardening Nirvana

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