In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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November 26, 2007

Eclectic company

I love finding unusual or eclectic items at thrift stores or antique stores, then using them for decorating. When I ran across an article in the November 2007 Country Home magazine about that very subject, I knew I’d discovered a winner.

My favorite suggestion was to use old salt and pepper shakers for miniature vases.

I scoured my kitchen and dining room cupboards for old salt and pepper shakers, and came up with a small selection as well as a pair or cruets that I figured could also be used. I also stopped by a couple of local antique stores and thrift stores and always found a good selection of salt and pepper shakers, including a pair of cut crystal ones I have my eye on.

A quick trip to the garden gleaned a few choice flowers and foliage and within just a few minutes I had a cute, yet elegant assortment of vases for the table. Our dinner guests loved them.

Hang onto the lids, however. The article suggests using 18-gauge wire to make a circle to hold place cards. That’s a project for another day.

Photo by Florence Low, Sacramento Bee

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