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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Garden -> Garden Ornaments
 Surviving the Elements: Garden Sculpture and Ornaments
By Niki Hayden
Nothing defines a garden so concretely as the company it keeps. A stone
cherub poised on one chubby foot is the center of attention in a romantic garden
of roses. Abstract geometrical shapes in steel and bronze line up in a museum
garden of stone walkways. Wooden birdhouses and gazing balls are sprinkled
throughout a cottage garden. Bamboo spouts and hollow rocks, indispensable in a
Japanese Zen garden, lend serenity to a contemporary green oasis.
 Introducing a sculptural note into your garden requires careful
thought. Only afterward is preservation and maintenance questioned. Once the
cherub’s features are blunted by weather, the bronze turns a bilious green, or
the bamboo spout splits, it may be too late for a remedy. Taking a few
precautions with your new garden focal point will save time and money down the
road.
 "When it comes to stone and metals, 99 percent of the damage has to do
with water," says Patrick Kipper, conservator for the City of Loveland. He
cares for the Benson Sculpture Garden, where bronzes are washed with soap and
water to clean the surfaces. "Water is both the problem and the
solution," he says, and recommends washing bronze sculpture each year with
a mild soapy solution.
Deciding how to preserve an outdoor ornament is determined not only by the
material, but by the surrounding conditions. Bronze, Patrick says, won’t be
damaged by hailstorms. Other, overlooked conditions may prove to be caustic to
the patina of its surface. "If it’s protected under the eaves of a house,
it will survive much better than exposed. In the open sun, with no children
climbing it, away from the sprinkler or acidic sap falling from a tree—all of
these can make a difference. Having it in a swimming pool means that the
chlorine will eat away at the surface. Place it in a fountain and you’ll see
green streaking," he says.
 Still, bronze will hold up well compared to iron, which chips and flakes from
exposure to the elements. That’s why bronzes lie intact at the bottom of the
ocean while iron rusts away. Steel, usually coated for protection, is a top
choice for many sculptors. Jim Friel, owner of Friel Iron Works in Arvada, says
that coating steel with a black powder finish will weather slightly but retain
its strength and beauty indefinitely. That makes it a candidate for permanent
outdoor light fixtures and hardware. His Arts & Crafts period lanterns
surround the Boettcher Mansion in Golden without any deterioration.
 But if you long for a stone statue, giant terra-cotta pots or wooden
ornaments, you’ll have to take more care. Terra cotta is best stored in a shed
or garage for the winter. This is necessary for unglazed terra-cotta pots. The
Denver Botanic Gardens, which doesn’t have enough storage room for pots,
relies upon glazed pots. Pots are stored upside down in sheltered areas of the
Gardens throughout the winter. At the Boettcher Mansion in Golden, giant green
glazed terra cotta lanterns have stood as stalwart beacons year around for
nearly 100 years. But no one would suggest leaving a pot planted with soil
exposed to the elements. It’s the winter thawing and freezing that can destroy
a pot in one winter.
 Amy Laugesen oversees the maintenance at the Museum of Outdoor Sculpture in
Englewood. Her repertoire of knowledge includes nearly every material employed
by contemporary sculptors, from fiberglass to stone. "Colorado is hard on
sculpture," she says, "with cold, heat, UV rays—and in our case,
graffiti." She also cleans sculpture with a mild soapy wash, using a
toothbrush for tiny crevices.
Although Amy applies sealants to some sculpture, she recommends contacting a
company that is well versed in the material (see sources below). She also uses a
thick paste wax for bronze and other materials as well. "Like a car, it
adds a thin skin to the surface. I add two thin layers and buff it," she
says, "never use Windex, which has ammonia in it, or any steel wool
pad."
 If you have an antique ornament or sculpture, keep in mind that any cracks or
splits will become magnets for damage. Although there are elastic patching
materials, they may be so visible that it impairs the work. Still, the patch may
stem some erosion. A large work could be covered by a heavy tarp in winter, or
moved into a garage or shed.
Antique stone pots usually have plastic liners, which are lifted out at the
oncoming of winter. The urn is then moved inside or large holes are drilled on
the bottom to empty any standing water. Kim Dunning, owner of the West End
Gardener in Boulder, recommends setting urns on slats of wood to lift them off
the ground. In winter, she suggests removing the bowl of a birdbath and laying
it alongside the base so that water doesn’t pool and freeze. A valuable piece
should be stored throughout the winter, although she says that concrete cast
items are remarkably resilient.
If you are in the market for a birdbath and hope to use it throughout the
winter, look for one where the top fits onto the base, making two distinct
elements. You’ll be able to pour out the water easily without having to tip
the heavy base. Also, look for a top that is more plate rather than bowl shaped
to alleviate freezing damage.
 Most important to any large urn, Kim says, is to removed all soil and provide
drainage holes at the bottom. For additional protection, turn the planter upside
down, on wood strips and covered with burlap and a final coat of plastic. You’ll
have done everything possible to make sure that next spring, your planter or urn
will appear unscathed.
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Sources
Manufacturers: Your best place for information on stone or concrete
will come from manufacturers and their retailers. Find one near you that
specializes in the stone you want to preserve. One example is Denver Marble, 3180 South Platte River Drive, Englewood, 80110;
303-789-1856.
Foundries: Fedde Bronze Works, 5101 E. 38th Avenue, Denver, 80207;
303-399-4651; many foundries will provide information about care for metals.
Craftspeople: Friel’s Iron Products, 7010 Grandview Avenue, Arvada, 80002; 303-422-8388;
custom ironwork.
Conservators: Patrick Kipper has written a book on caring for bronzes. "Care of Bronze
Sculpture" is available through Loveland Press at 800-593-9557.
Retailers: The West End Gardener, 777 Pearl Street, Boulder; 303-938-0607;
garden ornaments one of their specialities.
National Conservation Sources:
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic works, 1717 K.
Street. NW. Suite 301, Washington, DC 20006; 202-452-9545.
Save Outdoor Sculpture, National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural
Property, 3299 K Street. NW, Suite 403, Washington, DC 20007.
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