More Magic Garden

The Magic Garden, Act Two
About the Big Wild Animal Cages, they were made of heavy chain link and each one was about eight feet long. We remember when one cage still held a very old Mountain Lion, kept for a long time after the owner got too old to be an active Wild Life Rehabber. We peeked inside the Wild Bird Rehabbing shed over by the Main Gate one time (which had to be big enough for falcons and eagles to fly from one end to the other as their wings healed, etc.) but the screened-in shed was empty and over-grown with weeds by then.

(12) After Water Garden, a trail goes the School Bell Garden. Watering is done by hand so garden hoses are left lying around.	(13) A few yellow iris were still bloominghere and there. Property's tall wooden fence can be seen in background.

(14) Old Retired School Teacher and Old Retired School Bell.

This is the original Ralston Crossing School Bell. "Ralston Crossing" was where miners crossed Ralston Creek on their way to gold fields in the mountains. There was a BlackSmith Shop, Post Office, Store, Stage Stop and School. Years ago, while the School was being readied for relocation, owner's husband snuck over one night and got the school bell. The Ralston Crossing School Building is now at the Lakewood Belmar Museum.

When the owner and her husband started building the House and Garden about 60 years ago, they unearthed an incredible number of BlackSmith and Indian artifacts. That is an old buckboard wagon frame in left side of photo. There are BlackSmith artifacts hung on the fence and scattered about in School Bell Garden, like horse shoes and forge tongs.

Big Lawn on west side of House (15) Lawn on west side of house is next to School Bell Garden.
Pine trees sticking out on both sides makes the Lawn look narrower than it really is. There are so many trees and dense underbrush all the way down this side of the yard, the house can't be seen. There is a secret path closer to the house, I enjoyed keeping it free of nettles when I pulled weeds in the Magic Garden (because the owner had too much else to do that summer).
Civil War General is shown at the other end of the Lawn, he has stopped to look at the little patio where the antique crib is (below). There used to be a big glass-topped patio table and 4 padded patio chairs sitting there.
The rusty iron crib below is almost 100 years old, it is either just like the one the owner had as a baby or her original crib (I forget which).

Tiny Patio
(16) Antique crib, little log table and antique chair. Those aren't patio flagstones, they are slices of big tree trunks set into ground. Bigger Patio Table
(17) Work Table with new Garden Books ready to put out. Log patio and table can be seen on the other side of tree.

Decor
(18) Example of charming decor found in Magic Garden, these iron birds are opposite the Garden Work Table (shown above). Somewhere with a Book
(19) Garden Book along fence side of the West Lawn.

South West corner of Magic Garden
(20) Another Garden located in southwest corner of yard which has secret trails (not shown) going into the woods along fence.
(21) My favorite antique looking at Antique Bicycles on the trail that goes back to starting point of garage and house.

(22) An Old Sled is just another example of Magic Garden's charming decor.
After looking at the Antique Bicycles (which we had never seen before), I ran out of film and my favorite antique wanted to go home, so that ended our visit to the Magic Garden.
On the way out to the Main Gate, I realized I hadn't gotten photos of the Historic Juniper Trees, there are 3 pairs of them by the front door of the house (shown before). Each pair is composed of a female and male juniper and the female is the one that produces berries (which the birds eat all winter). They have to be planted that way, in pairs.
We still wonder how the BlackSmith knew which tiny seedlings were male and which were female when he came out West from Virginia way back in the 1860's. However, the trees are just one of "Arvada's Best Kept Secrets" and there are so many more in...
The Magic garden

(15) Lawn on west side of house is next to School Bell Garden. Pine trees sticking out on both sides makes the Lawn look narrower than it really is. There are so many trees and dense underbrush all the way down this side of the yard, the house can't be seen. There is a secret path closer to the house, I enjoyed keeping it free of nettles when I pulled weeds in the Magic Garden (because the owner had too much else to do that summer). Civil War General is shown at the other end of the Lawn, he has stopped to look at the little patio where the antique crib is (below). There used to be a big glass-topped patio table and 4 padded patio chairs sitting there. The rusty iron crib below is almost 100 years old, it is either just like the one the owner had as a baby or her original crib (I forget which).

(16) Antique crib, little log table and antique chair. Those aren't patio flagstones, they are slices of big tree trunks set into ground.	(17) Work Table with new Garden Books ready to put out. Log patio and table can be seen on the other side of tree.

(18) Example of charming decor found in Magic Garden, these iron birds are opposite the Garden Work Table (shown above).	(19) Garden Book along fence side of the West Lawn.

(20) Another Garden located in southwest corner of yard which has secret trails (not shown) going into the woods along fence.	(21) My favorite antique looking at Antique Bicycles on the trail that goes back to starting point of garage and house.