Fig. 33.—Garden Plant Tub.
[Fig. 33] shows the other half of the cask arranged for, say, a dwarf shrub, an orange-tree, or the like. In small town or suburban premises, such tubs are specially useful where there is a back court into which anything green cannot otherwise be introduced. In this, it will be seen that by way of variety the tops of the staves have been sawn to a zig-zag line, which is followed a little below by a moulding of split rods. Alternative styles of moulding are shown by [Figs. 34] and [35]. Half-way between this and the bottom a band of mosaic is arranged in light and dark strips of withy and hazel. The bits filling the diamond-shaped centres of this pattern are cut from thicker stuff than the rest, so that they may project as bosses beyond the general level. Over the unavoidable iron hoop at bottom, from which place short strips would, if nailed, be often detached, a rough "dry-cask" wooden hoop has been fixed. At the sides two pieces of rough branch stuff have been placed to serve as handles, and to resist strain these should be secured from within by strong screws.
Fig. 34.
Fig. 36.—Ornamental Plant Vase.
Fig. 35.The vase shown by [Fig. 36] is intended for a somewhat low-growing flowering plant—say, a large bushy geranium. In its original character it is an American lard pail. As in the last tub, the staves have been sawn to a more ornamental outline, and they have also been perforated. The ornamental strips of split rod have been arranged in straight vertical lines, to avoid the difficulty of bending and keeping them in place if bent round so small a vessel. The bottom of the pail is screwed down to an octagonal slab of wood, to the under side of which four short bits of rough bough are nailed as feet. As neither this nor the last tub is wholly covered with mosaic, they should, of course, first be painted. The slab at bottom will look very well rough, as shown, but if painted it will be improved by strips of split rod nailed round its edges.
Fig. 37.—Rectangular Garden Plant Stand.
A garden plant stand, made from a soap box and mounted on legs is shown by [Fig. 37]. The easiest way to fix one of these legs on is to saw the piece of stuff in half to a distance from the top equal to the depth of the box, and then to cross-cut and remove one half. The corner of the box will be brought to the middle of the cross-cut, and the leg nailed on to the side of the box. The piece which has been sawn off will then be cut through (quartered), and the proper quarter replaced and nailed to the end of the box. Frets, such as those shown in these two examples, are patterns of a kind well adapted to be worked out in rustic mosaic.
Fig. 38.
Fig. 39.
Fig. 40.