{Stone Cairns}
Cairn is a man-made pile of stones. Once considered an ancient art form, stone cairns were often constructed by balancing large rocks or stones on top of smaller ones. No mortar is ever used in making a stone cairn, which is what makes this feat so amazing.
Last summer I had my first encounter with stone stacking and cairns was when I went up north to Traverse City with my girlfriend. A woman that lived behind the Bed and Breakfast we were staying at had the most wonderful “caged” rocks displayed. After speaking with this homeowner, we discovered each cage was filled with “Petoskey” stones which can only be found in Northern Michigan (and fetch a pretty penny when polished to tourists).
My girlfriend and I saw the rock stacks along Old Mission Point (Lake Michigan) as well, and I started reading up on it. I thought is was so peaceful and a really clever thing to do. Since that trip (and the stroke happening a mere 5 days later) I have wanted to create something like this in my own yard. Although, I cannot lift them like I could before – I have a vision and began collecting photos on Pinterest and the web. I thought you might be interested in seeing them as well.
One of my goals this summer is to somehow incorporate this into my garden areas. I have a two spots that need work – they are ugly ugly ugly. One is along the wood line, and my cat who I lost last June is buried there. I have wanted to make a nice little spot for him since his passing. For Mother’s Day, my daughter and her boyfriend gave me a “Bleeding Heart” which I think needs to be planted where my Baxter was laid to rest. Maybe some hostas as well.
The other is a corner under my bedroom window which has been a mess for years. At least the stone came with the house, but killing all the weeds and keeping them away will be another thing. So these will be my summer projects. I say this because I need my daughter’s help planting anything. Hopefully, before September I will tackle this and show you a wonderful transformation.
Here is to BIG gardening dreams on a very limited budget! :-)
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