A Sartorial Garden

A beautifully tailored garden means many things to many people. Just like fashion and design – garden ornamentation can be simple, modern, traditional, classic or elegantly decorative; with adornment restrained or exuberant. We love it all and strive to build a collection that inspires and excites!

Dear Customers…

It’s been such a pleasure and privilege to work with all of you over the years. What a joy it was (and still is!) to see so many garden ornaments featured in your spectacular landscapes and beautiful homes.

The Georgian Landscape: All Nature is a Garden

The Georgian era spans the reign of the Hanoverian Kings, from the accession of George I in 1714 to the death of George IV in 1830. This period was one of major change and artistic flourish as the Georgians set about seismic shifts in British culture, garden design being no exception.

The Weird and Wonderful Staddle Stone

I have come to love these magical toadstool like stone structures, found in England and northern Spain, as far back as medieval times. Used as agricultural building supports, they held up granaries, haystacks and beehives to protect them from small animals and allow air circulation underneath.

The Dirt on Vintage Dolly Tubs

From the 19th century, these barrel like vessels were used in practically every household to wash linens and clothes before plumbing. It was a long arduous chore and dolly tubs were early implements to make the washing just a little bit easier!

The Glorious Windowbox

Window boxes are essentially our gifts to strangers. These masterfully-composed vignettes are proof positive of a gardener’s inherent generosity and civility.

Why We Love English Lead in the Garden

Noble Leadwork Endures

Metal Patinas: a Primer

Exposed to the elements, the surfaces of Brass, Bronze, Copper, and Iron will gradually develop various, strikingly-attractive patinas. And, as years pass, the finishes of objects made of Lead or Zinc will also weather, but with more subtlety.

English Gardens and Venetian Wellheads

Antique Wellheads: From the Squares of Venice to the Gardens of America by Eva Schwartz

Antique Cider Press and Millstones

Cider making has a long and wonderful history in England. It’s a bubbly fermented version of the cider typically served in the US and has an alcohol level of 3% - 5% similar to beer.

Water Music

"Happy in all that ragged, loose collapse of water, the fountain, its effortless descent and flatteries of spray." Richard Wilbur

Antique and Reclaimed Stone Sinks

Carved stone sinks were a common feature in private homes across England, anchoring the lower level around the daily house hold chores. These wonderful hand hewn sinks have been made over centuries and continued to be made well into the 19th century. From grand manor houses to modest cottages, stone sinks were found in almost every English cellar or scullery.

THE EDIT

We all know what it means to edit: to pare down, select, refine. Here at New England Garden Company, we're editing all the time: sifting, sorting and curating to find the best and most interesting ornaments.

A Buhr-rief History of Millstones

Antique Millstones: Adding Heft and Beauty to Gardens

Last Shipment of 2018 Brings Antique Troughs!

Among other things, an array of antique troughs seem to come with each new container and our September arrival was no exception.

The Rustic Beauty of Antique Stone Troughs

Hand carved from a single block of stone, these old farming troughs have been in existence for many thousands of years. There is no real way to date them however a very worn and weathered trough can give some indication of age – but only then to indicate if it is old or really old!

Antique Millstones: Precision Tools

These early relics of times past may look like clunkers with blunt uneven edges but how they worked together was an incredible feat of precision engineering! For many centuries across the globe, millstones were used to grind various types of grains.

Wet Cast Stone and Dry Cast Limestone: There is a Difference!

After looking around the showroom, many customers have asked the same question: “What is the difference between concrete and dry cast limestone?”

The Humble yet Elegant Boot Scraper

Collected by antique buffs, documented by historians and tripped over by 21st century pedestrians, the wonderfully useful and humble boot scraper seems to be making a comeback!

Garden Edging: Hard at Work

Edging is such a wonderful and easy way to introduce structure and definition into the garden. Well placed edging punctuates any section of a garden including planting beds, graveled areas, or even pathways; it creates a shape and draws the eye up.

Exhibiting at the NYBG Antique Show

Long held as the country's most renowned stage for authentic garden antiques and rarities, the Antique Garden Furniture Fair: Antiques for the Garden and the Garden Room celebrated its 25th Anniversary this year and returned to New York Botanical Garden with a new look. Named "Best in America" by experts, this wonderful annual show featured 30 of our fellow garden antique dealers offering unique and beautiful items.

Antiques And The Arts Weekly

Garden Antiques Fair Is ‘Red Hot’ At New York Botanical Garden

The Martha Stewart Blog

"Spring is a popular time for fairs and sales of all kinds, and when my schedule allows, I always try to attend a few of my favorites. Last week, I went to the Benefit Preview Party at the New York Botanical Garden’s annual Antique Garden Furniture Fair."

Armillary Spheres and Sundials

A Sundial used at a focal point in the garden always gives such pleasure and none more than armillary sundials. They connect us with celestial movements, the summer and winter solstice, the passing of seasons and thus the cycle of growing.

A History of English Lead Ornamentation

Centuries ago, alchemists attempted to discover the means to turn lead into gold. They never succeeded, but in the early 18th century the spreading popularity of French-style formal gardens created a booming market for statuary, urns and vases. Lead was the perfect material for these items — it was easily worked and highly durable, and even if not quite rendered into gold, lead certainly became a golden commodity in gardens of the period, and it remains so today.

Our New Blog: The Sartorial Garden

Sartorial: adj., tailored; as in sartorial elegance

City Garden Ideas: Spotlight

I had the pleasure of meeting Janine Mudge when she came to visit us in Sudbury. It was such an enjoyable afternoon (talked nonstop)! We spent most of the time chatting about selection and placement of ornaments in city gardens. Sundials, statues and planters work so well in these compact spaces - making a big impression with a small footprint!