It all started with a leaky neighbor’s watering can, which was prepared for disposal. It was happily saved and found its place as a decoration at our well. Another couple of her tribesmen managed to collect on the cooperative.
The fate, however, of these leeks has developed dramatically. In the spring rush of landscaping, they were painted green by her husband and hopelessly damaged.
By the way, this episode shows a fundamental difference in the understanding of “beautiful” between us and the inhabitants of Albion. The British do not paint anything-neither fences, nor benches, nor even watering cans. Everything is left to decay in their damp climate and become covered with lichens.
Rusty watering can, according to the average Englishman – it’s just a vintage luxury! At the exhibition in Chelsea, used garden tools are sold in antique shops.
Let’s go back to our collection. Further-more. Watering cans were bought at every opportunity on foreign trips in souvenir shops and garden centers.
Knowing this business, they began to give friends and acquaintances. And what kind of leeks do not exist in the world!
I now have Delft porcelain watering cans in my collection, miniature Dollhouse items, painted and copper, even cloth ones.
The decoration of the collection was a set of two leechs-salt and pepper shakers, which, of course, were purchased at the exhibition in Chelsea. Salt and pepper, of course, they pour out of the strainers.
Although the process has not yet developed into a stage of manic collecting, leek gathered a fair amount.
I had to hang some of them on the beams under the ceiling of the terrace. Watering cans were photographed everywhere – in the London horticultural Museum (there is one there!), in gardens, antique shops, etc.
A small observation – the strainer at the old watering cans looks up, not down, as now. This, as I understand it, gives a softer stream. In addition, the spout is connected to the body of the watering can by a discharge tube, which works as a drain–overflow, that is, excess water will never spill on your feet.
The collection grew. I have watering cans everywhere: they stand in the garden, in the house, suspended on the veranda, in the garden storeroom.
But, it should be noted that these beauties, decorating our life, all the time idle.
And the menial work is done by ordinary plastic simpletons who don’t even think about taking any place in my collection. They just do their work in silence, water it, and remain modestly in the shade.