Thrifty Acres - garden decor on the cheap

Hello! What with buying vegetable seeds, potting soil, peat pots, grow lights,annuals and perennials, the gardening budget can be spent rather quickly on these items. And decorative items for the outdoor areas of one's property can be even more expensive! But have no fear, there are places to shop that will save the thrifty gardener some money: thrift stores and garage sales, of course!

All of the items shown in the following photos cost $3.00 or less - sometimes far less:

This "mushroom" was actually the handle of an old jumprope, 25c at a church rummage sale.

 This sun plaque makes me smile every time I see it; $2.00 thrift store find. 

Glass vase, $2.00 at thrift store, copper wire was 10c at a garage sale, and glass flat marbles were bought years ago at American Science & Surplus.

Vintage Gettyburg souvenir plate, 10c at a garage sale run by an antiques dealer who wanted to make room in her storage unit. I ended up buying several plates, and at a dime each they were an excellent price! I use these plates as an edging of sorts.

Painted wooden plaques, picked up at thrift stores for between 50c and $1.00.

 Fish platter from thrift store, $2.00. I accidentally left it out over the winter (it was hung on the back of the garage, where I couldn't see it from the house), but it survived just fine.

Plaque, 50c, decorative plate $2.00; both from thrift stores.

Handmade mosaic tile, 50c at thrift store. I loved the colors. 

 Vintage garden hand tool, 25c at garage sale.

 Decorative plate, 50c at the same sale where I picked up the vintage souvenir plates. That antiques dealer is still in business but hasn't had a garage sale in a couple of years - bummer!

 Decorative garden stake, 25c at church rummage sale. Nothing like buying garden-related items in November!

 Handmade Uncle Sam wallhanging, $3.00 thrift store purchase. 

Strawberry pot, $2.00 at thrift store. The dill seed I'd sowed never came up, so I'll have to find something else to put in it.

 Shepherd's hook with dangly dragonfly; $5.00 for both at estate sale. The man running it was the brother of the woman who had lived there and had died the month before the sale. In spite of his recent loss and his obvious love of his sibling, he was very genial and accepting of her untimely death. Thus, I get a good feeling every time I look at this purchase. Bonus: he had a really cool "ghost story" about her as well - he sincerely felt he'd gotten an obvious message of love from her after her death, and who am I to doubt him?

Well, that's it for my collection of thrifty garden decor, but I'm always on the lookout for more!