The love for gardens and gardening appears to extend to all garden-related objects, including ornaments and accessories.

I did not start out to collect the many items I now have in my garden. If I were to buy just one article each year; I would have 20 of them already. I am certain I have a lot more than 20 and about half of them were gifts. Several were purchased from the gift shops at the local nurseries I frequented. A few came from catalog houses (among them, the Sundial).

Some could not stand the test of time i.e. the colorful wind flags, wind socks and wind chimes. Many could not be left out in the winter (Tulip, frosted-glass, votives in various colors). The children in my neighborhood grew up with figures such as frogs, ducks, squirrel,etc. in my front yard.

I have a terra cotta, garden-designed stepping stone and a terra cotta thermometer.

Twelve years ago, I made two stepping stones for a path in the front garden.

I have never been an art/craft person. However the cement kit for the two stepping stones was given to me on my 60th birthday and I felt obliged to make use of it.

I used the flowers from the floral centerpiece from the party to make the imprints on one block and Christmas angel ornaments on the other. Then I painted some colors on the angels. I added the writing “I believe in angels” on it.

The line (which is followed by “Something good In everything I see") came from the song "I Have A Dream," by ABBA, which I used to sing every week with my Alzheimer’s patients. I am surprised that the stepping stone is holding up well after all these years. It continues to help me step back into the past and fond memories.

Angels, to me, represent goodness and innocence.

They have special meaning for me. I think of my deceased loved ones as my special guardian angels. I started to collect angels ( and fairies), of all size, and shape, made with all types of materials, more than 20 years ago.

The polished aluminum angel is one of my all -time favorites. This particular angel is handmade, in California, and is one of a kind. It has a nice clean line for the body, made of brushed aluminum, with the copper halo, and pearlized white round stone as a face. My son, Richard, gave it to me as a Christmas present many years ago. It has a special place in my garden, as well as, in my heart.

The angel bird house... How could I not have a bird house in your garden/backyard, especially when it was beautifully hand-painted, and even had angels on one side.

I have unwittingly become a constant collector, without trying, since I started with my first whimsical garden accessory.