Flatter your landscape with unique garden art
By Mary Fran McClure
WSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener
A brilliant flush of June flowers may be the centerpiece of your garden, although a fun piece of garden art may give those flowers a run for their money.
Whether you tend toward pure whimsy, a favorite metal animal hanging out among your shrubs, or camouflaging a somewhat ugly area, there are a lot of possibilities.
I recently visited Lynn Palmer of LynnArt Gardens, 302 N. Miller St. in Wenatchee, for an updated tour of her grounds chock full of all types of garden art. Besides her own artistry, more than 20 other artists have consignment pieces there. One can’t help but chuckle over the huge metal praying mantis, or a coyote on its haunches howling at the moon (or sun). Each piece is created from a multitude of recycled metal pieces from farm equipment, cars, tools, hardware — you name it.
Lynn opened her business in March of 2020, a terrible time with Covid shutdowns. She chuckles as it turned out to be the best time for her business to open. Everyone was stuck at home, outside working in their landscapes, yearning for something fun, such as buying a piece of garden art.
The business has expanded to include First Friday entertainment evenings starting in April through October, with complimentary snacks and drinks, and live bands twice a year. With limited parking, she recommends carpooling or parking nearby for these larger events.
This summer, she’s including some large group shows featuring contributing artists focused on specific themes.
Artists have their own individual style and type of artwork. When a person comes in with a specific project in mind, Lynn helps them line up with the perfect consignment artist. For instance, last year she was hired to create a large metal floral panel to camouflage an ugly pool mechanism in an otherwise beautiful landscape just in time for an outside wedding.
Needing a piece of artwork designating my long driveway, I visited Lynn a few years ago and she created a stand of three painted sort of sunflowers made from a mix of farm implements and industrial gears.
Tucked behind her work room is a wealth of goofy, crazy, metal parts just waiting to be crafted into something interesting.
As a recycling champion, she’s always interested in old metal materials that may become the perfect ingredient for some unforeseen object. Check with her before bringing something in though, as she has limited space. Items she can’t use go to the salvage yard in East Wenatchee.
Lynn bought her bare landscaped fixup home in 1998 and has done all the landscaping that houses LynnArt Gardens. She and her brother, Kurt, tackled the house remodeling, each taking on different projects. She’s definitely a jump-in-and-do-it gal. She built a soothing waterfall and pond and added lawn, shrubs and a covered seating area. It’s a little paradise for birds, as well as people.
Always considering landscape improvements, last year she invited five artists to paint murals on her south wall. A cedar tree near the street was destined for removal, but Lynn had another idea. She contracted chainsaw artist Jayden Wright of Lake Wenatchee to create an impressive bald eagle at the top of what’s left, with other local birds below, including a great blue heron and great horned owl.
There’s another side to her life. This is her 28th year working in public safety; she was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for 17 years and now has transitioned into doing geographic mapping for first responders. This new direction allows more time for her artistry and business.
An indoor gift shop is in the works, featuring mobiles, stained glass art and hangings.
Consider a fun evening visiting her gardens on June 5during the next First Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring the popular band Older and Wiser.
If you’re interested in visiting her eclectic outdoor gallery, contact her for an appointment at (509) 860-2466 or email Lynnartgardens@gmail.com.
A WSU Chelan and Douglas County Master Gardener column appears weekly in The Wenatchee World. To learn more about your local Master Gardener program, visit bit.ly/wsucdmgprogram or call (509) 667-6540.