The Skeleton Gnome

Available for $39.95 exclusively from What On Earth, is this little Skel-e-gnome for the garden. He's made from polyresin and stands 19 1/2" tall.


I might get this for my brother.


EDITED December 20, 2010: I did end up buying this, and since my brother lives in another state and is having back surgery during Christmas, I gave it to him when I saw him at Thanksgiving. He was greatly amused. Perhaps these new photos will provide some scale:

Haunted Patio Furniture

Perhaps home haunters view the world a little differently, seeing Halloween in everyday items. The pattern in this patio furniture (the Grand Tuscany line, by Hanamint) reminds me of the wallpaper with the eyes in it in the Haunted Mansion.

Spider on the lawn

I took these pictures in 2008 of a HUGE spider sculpture in a park (Jardin de Tuileries) in Paris. The other day, I decided to research it. Found out that it was made by Frenchwoman Louise Bourgeois, and she died recently, on May 31 of this year. Strangely, she named the sculpture "Maman", which is French for mommy. See, apparently it alludes to the strength of Bourgeois' mother, with metaphors of spinning, weaving, nurture and protection. I didn't notice this part, but the spider's sac contains marble eggs, so she is indeed a maman. Personally, I think "Maman!" is probably what every kid who visits the area is whimpering as they recoil in terror from the sight of a 30-foot black arachnid in their local playground.

There are a total of 8 copies of the sculpture placed around the world, from Tokyo to Havana. Here is one in Spain that really shows the scale:

Since the sculptor was French, it strikes me as sad that the one I found in Paris is no longer there, as that was considered a temporary installation. Spidey was moved on to terrorize a different city somewhere on the planet.

Roger's Gardens Halloween

These pictures of a mad scientist's laboratory were taken at a plant nursery. That's right: a plant nursery that does a haunt! Couldn't you just swoon with happiness?! The beautiful Roger's Gardens, located at 2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd, Corona del Mar, California, completely decorates one of their buildings, which then is open to the public during regular business hours in September and October. They create a different haunt theme each year, publishing the full backstory on their website and on mail-outs when the building is ready. Note that it is not a traditional haunt, but rather a store with many large, extremely detailed "haunt displays" (with sound effects!) that are right in the center of things, allowing you to touch the objects and become fully immersed in the backstory. That is, if you can ignore the nearby shelves, urns and baskets spilling with Halloween goodies that are actually for sale! They even sell Bucky skeleton parts at very reasonable prices. It's my heaven, and I sooo look forward to going each year. Here's some more pics from 2009's depraved-magician's-basement theme:

Topiary Bat

Here's a nice idea for a haunted garden this Halloween: Make a topiary of a flying bat. Easy to do with a scrap of chicken wire shaped into a bat form, lots of moss to stuff inside the wire form, and fishing line wrapped around many times to keep the moss in. Attach a screw eye near the top of the bat for hanging. Add your plant, water, and you're ready to fly this bat anywhere you like (but a belfry is especially good!)

The Poison Garden

Here are some garden gates with more than a little touch of dark drama. Did you even notice the spider amongst the many ironwork leaves?

The gates mark the entrance into the Poison Garden in Alnwick Gardens, located in northern England. This garden, which opened in 2005, is filled with plants that can kill you -or at least make you hallucinate or go into convulsions. The really deadly ones are grown in cages, and the place in guarded at night. The plant list includes opium poppies, cannabis, water hemlock, and nightshade, among others. You are instructed not to touch or even smell some of the plants.

Two odd things worth mentioning: First, the garden was the idea of a dutchess, the Duchess of Northumberland to be precise. Secondly, school children are encouraged to visit the Poison Garden.

But they probably have to leave their bong pipes at home.

Blue Witches' Hats

Blue Witches' Hats (pycnostachys urticifolia) ...what a great name for this pretty and unusual-looking flowering shrub. Available at Annie's Annuals, it grows best in USDA zones 9-11