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Collecting: Douglas Ferguson & Pigeon Forge Pottery
One of the best parts of collecting vintage collectibles and antiques is discovering a new great find. My general rule of thumb is to buy what I love or at least like a lot. While I’ve had my fair share of losers, I tend to bring home better picks these days, or so I’ve been told by my partner. For seasoned collectors and novice beginners my advice is the same, pick what is aesthetically pleasing to you. From early primitives to high-end English and French furniture, there is something for everyone, and that is the fun of the hunt. I personally love to frequent the local antique malls, garage sales, thrift shops and an occasional auction. I lean toward the American collectibles from primitives to pottery and being in the Mid-Atlantic state of Maryland there are some pretty good pickings. On my last outing looking for spring inventory for our shop The Antique Garden, I visited a nearby Pennsylvania antiques mall. 
I came across this unique piece of pottery by Douglas Ferguson. Pottery can be difficult to identify because there are often so many abstract markings on the bottom. I liked this pottery bowl the moment I saw it and although I almost put it down, it weighed almost 6 pounds, I put it on the sales counter and brought it home. I liked the unique “crater” glaze, large 12” diameter and 3 ½” depth and thought it might be perfect to hold some of my plants. Plus it was signed with a distinct signature that I could read easily, Douglas Ferguson. 
As so often is the way, I googled the name when I got home and was pleasantly surprised that it was indeed crafted by a notable artist from North Carolina and later the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. In fact this signed piece was created in the mid-century and had all the markings of a modern era collectible. 
Ferguson created The Pigeon Forge Pottery Company in the 1940′s that existed until his death in the late 1990’s. I remember that beautiful area of east Tennessee when I took my family on an outing to the Smokey Mountains a few years back. 
It’s great to learn about new artists, their history, and save a vintage find for future generations. This piece is being offered for auction on eBay this week, if you are interested. What do you collect, we’d love to know?! Happy picking, Jenn from The Antique Garden
To learn more about Pigeon Forge Pottery and founder Douglas Ferguson be sure to visit this link www.thepigeonforgepottery.com
Collecting: Farmhouse Primitives 2012
I don’t know why exactly, but I love primitives. Grungy is good, the older the better. Use marks, rusty gold, cast iron and farmyard finds are just what I am drawn to! Plus, most primitives are affordable and sometimes a steal at flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores and even antique malls. If I had to categorize this lot, I would call this collection “farmhouse kitchen primitives”. Someone else must like them too, because most of these items have sold, usually within a week or two of me finding them! More visuals from my 2012 files as we wind down the year and look forward to a promising 2013!
Woodenware mortar and pestle, I always buy these when I spot them at a sale. Totally usable for crushing herbs and peppercorns.
I like old crocks, this brown and tan, has some age. Always check for cracks and chips which brings the value down.
I found this old wood measure at the Goodwill for a couple bucks! SOLD!!!
I am attracted to outsider, tramp art and prison art. This is a matchstick cross. Most are a bargain, purchase if it is in good condition, with little breakage as the matches can be brittle. Usually found in shops for under $5.00 they resell for about $20.00.
Always, always, always buy your baskets at yardsales. Prices range from 25 cents to a few bucks. Look for handwoven “buttocks” baskets. 
Used cutting boards, look great displayed in a country kitchen.
Serving tray with great lines, found at the Salvation Army.
Early candle box
Eldreth pottery cat, while not old, the salt glaze gives it that primitive feel and I love the cobalt blue.
With colorful graphics, this is an original early can of tomatoes with removable lid.
Old beat up galvanized watering pail may not be water tight, but is perfect for dried flowers.
Old kitchen scales-one green and an amazing orange scale.
Wood spoons, used of course!
Early Asian Rice Measure
I love enamel ware and buy it whenever the price is right. Perfect for many uses. I predict the value will go up as supply of the vintage pieces decline.
Handmade farm wheelbarrow
Metalware teapots-I found this lot of 6 matching pieces.
Toleware -look for hand painting, good design, and not too many scratches.
Kitchen brooms-this one has a witchy twisted handle
Yup, I bought this lot of pitchfork tines and sold them as folk art. What are some of your primitive collections? Drop us a line at antiquegarden@myactv.net we’d love to hear from you! Jenn at The Antique Garden.
2012 A Year of Flowers & Gardens Part 2
After editing lots of photographs and cleaning out my computer files I realized how many photos we’ve taken this year. As the year 2012 draws to a close, we are taking stock of many projects from the past year, including container gardens, landscapes, vegetable gardens, floral arrangements and more. Sit back, relax and enjoy some of the sights from The Antique Garden and remember Spring 2013 is just around the corner. Take some time to dream of next year’s gardens…..
This rooftop garden is all about containers filled with herbs, vegetables and flowers. Perfect for those with a compact yard or urban space.
We changed out the Black Eyed Susan plants for the autumn to a Pumpkin Planter Box.
More Planters….
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts Urn
Dried Pepper Wreath, SOLD, a creation of our abundant veggie garden!
Winter Urn Garden
Holiday Arrangement
More Thanksgiving planters full of the bounty of our harvest….
Winter Arrangement with fresh pineapples, artichokes, chili peppers and winter berries. A neo-modern twist with inspiration from classic, traditional Williamsburg, Virginia. This is Christmas decorating, using fresh, real fruits and vegetables. 
Near the street, we have two urns decked out with pine, magnolia, boxwood and other “cuts” from our yard. 
Here is our front rocking chair porch, at the Parsonage, decorated with festive greens and winter berry sprigs in the window boxes.
From our porch to yours, happy gardens to all!
Jenn at The Antique Garden
21501 Leitersburg-Smithsburg Rd
Hagerstown, Maryland
Email: antiquegarden@myactv.net We would love to hear from you!
2012 A Year of Flowers & Gardens: Part One
After editing lots of photographs and cleaning out my computer files I realized how many photos we’ve taken this year. As the year 2012 draws to a close, I thought we’d take a stroll down memory lane and show the highlights of the year. From one of my favorite flowering shrubs the hydrangea to the wonderful “Fairy Garden” we made last spring and the countless others, sit back and enjoy this visual recap of the gardens we created in 2012 at The Antique Garden.
Hydrangea Madness in March!
Sedum wall hanging and new water feature
Bogart’s Container Garden
Arts in Bloom, Hagerstown Garden Club members Betsy Hardinge, Margaret Waltersdorf and I created a floral replica of this piece of Murano Art Glass in the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in March. 
Formal Urn Arrangement for Prep School Alumni Week-end
Whimsical Fairy Garden
Blooming Garlic is a beautiful sight in the garden!
Daylilies and lots of them in the garden border~~~
Pond Frog! 
Wild Flower Queen’s Anne Lace looking elegant in the alley behind the store! Mother Nature is awesome.
The incredible Moon Flower, a night-blooming plant, is closing up for the day.
We said good-bye to dozens of our fish in 2012, as a wicked Blue Heron ate most of them. I know they aren’t flowers, but I’m still venting….ah Mother Nature….
Small Container Water Garden
Our front porch planter box is filled with Black Eyed Susan’s, the Maryland State flower.
Part 2 to be continued tomorrow, as we wrap up the year with holiday flowering arrangements. Happy Gardens Everyone and may 2013 be blooming!
Jenn at The Antique Garden
21501 Leitersburg-Smithsburg Rd
Hagerstown, Maryland
Email: antiquegarden@myactv.net we would love to hear from you!
Deck the Halls at The Antique Garden
It’s December 1st and ‘tis the season to deck the halls!
We’ve been busy creating beautiful garlands and container gardens for our customers. 
After a very successful week-end at the Kris Kringle show and Thanksgiving but a delicious memory, now is the time to make merry with family and friends. 
One of the best things about December is the cooking and the decorating. Ever since I was a small child, I loved the preparations for Christmas. What is better than homemade cookies and treats from the kitchen and the smell of real balsam pine whether in a wreath, garland or live Christmas tree. 
So while the temperatures get chilly and we enjoy the warmth of our homes, we celebrate with traditions of the past. It’s time to add a touch of greenery inside and out. We start with taking lots of cuttings of fresh greens. 
We love to use what is available in our yard or can scavenge from friends. 
Cuttings of Southern magnolia, white pine, boxwood, blue ice juniper and holly will last all winter in the window boxes, wreaths and urns that we decorate. 
I purchased a strand of roping at a local store and wired on various cuttings of greens and large southern pinecones. 
We then attached it around the doorway using some wire and several nails to anchor the greens. 
The look is very welcoming when guests come for holiday gatherings, don’t you think? 
What are you doing in preparation for the holidays? 
Next up is holiday baking with decadent recipes! Stay tuned. PS. the fabulous red and orange berries are called winter berries. They add lots of color to your greens and the birds love them! The Antique Garden is located in Hagerstown Maryland in a 1895 General Store. Reach us by email at antiquegarden@myactv.net we’d love to hear from you.
A Simple Rooftop Garden
We love rooftop gardens, mainly because of this one. Created by artist Steve Wright, a simple rooftop garden is easily created. 
You just need some sun, containers, in this case a mix of plastic and ceramic pots, potting soil, and some plants, including herbs and veggies. 
Pots of cherry tomatoes, arugula, parsley, basil, thyme, peppers, lettuce and swiss chard thrive on the shelves of this make-do garden. 
Water plants when they dry out and harvest as desired, what could be better and best of all no acreage required. 
Steve told me he uses Miracle Grow fertilizer often and his plants looked very healthy.
The results are spectacular and the greenery really is the focal point of this outdoor retreat.
Happy Gardens from Jenn at The Antique Garden
About Us
About Us
In case you are wondering who we are, let me introduce ourselves. We are Jennifer and John Thomas owners of The Antique Garden, Inc. located in Western Maryland in a small rural village named Leitersburg. 
Located just outside of Hagerstown, Maryland we are about an hours drive to Baltimore and Washington D.C. John has been in the plant business for nearly 30+ years and has an artistic touch that is evident in his landscapes, water features and container gardens. 
I buy and sell collectibles and antiques (and what ever else catches my fancy) and also teach Intro to Visual Arts at the local college. We met about 10 yikes years ago while he was freelancing for Motif Designs, an interior design company and the Folia Company, the manufacturer of Ralph Lauren fabrics, in New York. He brought me back to Maryland and I fell in love with the countryside of the Cumberland Valley, not to mention John, and we purchased the old 1895 General Store in Leitersburg. Historic Leitersburg, Maryland is on the Civil War route as General Lee retreated from Gettysburg right down our street. After completely restoring our aged building and grounds we are proud to be opening up shop.
Services include: full landscape design and installation, specialty plants and specimens, water features and ponds, container gardens for your home or business that can be changed seasonally onsite. We feature a selection of dried flowers, urns and pots, baskets and my collection of primitives and antiques. We also love to cook and grow almost all our own pesticide-free vegetables in our gardens. You’ll notice lots of recipes on this blog, that are tried and tested by us. Our farm stand, opening in this spring, will be filled with fresh veggies like: beets, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and my canned relishes, jams, pickles and herbal vinegars. If you’re nearby or want to take a country drive, please join us at the Peach Festival in Leitersburg, Maryland in August. You can contact us at antiquegarden@myactv.net
Thanks for checking us out!
Jenn at The Antique Garden
The Best of Summer
Here is my recap or gratitude list, of what’s been going on this summer. Although some may complain about the dog-days of summer, and it has been awfully hot, I’m trying to enjoy each and every moment of this season as it seems to fly by every year. Summer doldrums be gone!
Here is my list of what we’ve accomplished from the end of May through July and some events to look forward to next month including the onslaught of the zucchini! Think positive my friends….
1. Enjoying the beauty of our pond (with Dixie).
2. We gardened with lots of sedums this summer, a smart choice for the heat.
3. My canning fest has started and I’ve made raspberry jam, canned peppers, and made relishes. When the tomatoes are ripe you won’t even see me for a few weeks.
Very satisfying indeed!
4. The bounty of our organic pesticide free garden is amazing. On a small plot we have more veggies than we can possibly consume, ergo the canning…
5. Zucchini bread to be made when the zucchini plants explode with supernatural abundance. 
6. My fairy garden was so fun to make.
7. We are looking forward to the Leitersburg Peach Festival August 11th & 12th. This is what our store looked like last year.
8. Flowers
9. New water-feature
10. Vegetable Garden and new hen house-soon to be completed….
11. Strolling on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach Delaware
12. Golf
13. Boating with friends on the Chesapeake Bay.
14. Spending time with family
15. Sand in my toes and sunburned feet.
Quit yer complaining and make a gratitude list, it truly is the simple things that make one happy, don’t you think?
PS I made an incredible cold soup yesterday featuring beets, that I want to share. It was a Julia recipe so how could that be bad? Julia knew how to cook for sure!
Happy Gardens, Jenn from The Antique Garden
Sunny Sedum Window Project
The Sedum wall hanging John created last month is really starting to grow. Lots of people who stop by our garden shop ask how they are created. It seems that sedums and succulents are very popular this year and for good reason. Drought resistant and perennial they tend to spread and multiply year after year. 
First find an old vintage wood framed window, the shabby chic kind with lots of chippy paint and no glass. I’ve always loved the look of these, but never knew what to do with them. Make a frame to fit the corners and a piece of wood on the back and voila you have the makings for a Sedum wall hanging, really a work of art. Fill with a good mix of soil and start planting away with different sedums. 
Try to get different textures and color through out. Use a lot of plants because sedums are slow perennial growers. Staple on some chicken wire to secure your plants. I like the way this one looks like a real window on our shed that is filled with plants. 
What do you thinko –like it, yes, no, whatever? Let me know!
Tomrrow I begin my canning fest that will last all the way into October. The peppers are ready a few weeks early this year as are the raspberries. John told me yesterday that I was the first person in the USA to have already canned peppers! I found a great, easy, low salt recipe for canned pickled pepperoncinis that I’ll share tomorrow. 
Happy Gardens!
Jenn at The Antique Garden
Stop and Smell the Roses
With beautiful Spring weather upon us I decided to literally stop and smell the roses at our garden shop, The Antique Garden in Western Maryland. The fragrance of the tea roses is amazing. 
Our old 19th Century General Store is home to our gardens and ponds. 
I really love the look and sound of this cobalt blue water feature, that will fit into almost anyone’s backyard. We love garden sculptures, just one makes a garden special. How about a mini temple or this charming little child? 
I also love the native day lily with it’s height and color, today there are so many varieties to choose from, perhaps a Mauna Loa specimen.
The sedum and succulent gardens are really coming along. Take a walk along your garden path and take time to smell the roses. It really is the simple things in life that are the best.
D5 Creation