Gardener’s Stone – Gardener's Stone

(All of our gardening-related products are available only directly from Foliage plant store in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA USA.)

This is the first ever Gardener’s Stone, an informational artwork by Wyndmoor artist Jack Bellis. You might think of it as a sculptural Farmer’s Almanac® of the local growing climate, cast in stone. Add it to your garden to inform, delight, and inspire.

Simple, Beautiful, Interesting

Purchasing: It is currently being marketed to retail locations in the Delaware Valley, such as Foliage in Chestnut Hill, and will be available on Etsy soon.

Place it in a planting bed, under occasional foot traffic, or hang it on a wall, to inform, delight, and inspire. Information includes first and last days of frost (so you know when to plant and prepare for winter), days of sunlight, inches of rain, the USDA plant hardiness zone, and the quote, “Life begins the day you start a garden— Chinese Proverb.”

Delaware Valley Wording, 2024

The Delaware Valley
Hardiness Zone 6-7 (2 coldest/10 warmest)
Last frost, April 8
215 Days of Sun
41 Inches of Rain
Growing season, 192 days
Peak Foliage October 5 – 20
First frost October 27
Life begins the day you start a garden.  — Chinese Proverb
© 2024 Bellis

Colors

The stone is available in only light colors, so that as they accumulate dirt over time, the lettering becomes naturally contrasting.

Green (from avocado to pure green)
Terracotta brown-orange.

Physical Information

18″ x 14” x 2”
9 pounds
Made of CTS Cement All multi-purpose construction material. This is extremely strong and can be stepped on safely if it is fully supported underneath by dirt.
Colors: Green or terracotta brown-orange.
Tinted with weather- and light-stable pigment, fully through the material, not simply a coating.
Light colored pigments have been used so that dirt accumulation in the lettering, invariably darkening over time, will provide natural contrast and legibility.
Coated with clear spray coating. Reapply as desired, but allowing natural aging and patina is also fine.

Details

Delaware Valley Climate

This version of the stone is specific to the Delaware Valley in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area. The sunburst shows “215 Days of Sun”; the cloud shows “41 Inches of rain”; and text shows “Growing Season 192 Days,” all annually.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

Plant hardiness zones tell you what plants are hardy enough to survive your winter. It’s based on the lowest temperature that an area gets… averaged over several recent years. Notice the “2” and “10” showing that you need low number plants to survive further north. Note that you can go online and search by your zipcode. But the Delaware Valley has a lot of variety so check your area but also talk to your plant store experts. Plants that require “8” might not survive in the Delaware Valley. And yes, I believe that global warming is changing the zones.

Frosts

The last frost in spring tells you when you can start various planting activities. And the first frost in fall tells you when you start preparing for winter, maybe taking in any interior houseplants that vacation outside in the summer. But don’t let me tell you how to raise your kids.

Peak Foliage

That oak leaf came out better than any thought I had when it was first imagined. The rounded points and notches work, but the raised veins make it. And it wasn’t intentional that it appears as a fallen leaf on the ground… a happy accident.

Proverb

“Life begins the day you start a garden.- Chinese proverb.” And notice the little tulip.

Hanging from a Wall

You can hang the stone from a wall using a screw or nail that has a protruding head, such as a drywall screw. If your paver has felt pads on its bottom, ensure that the screwhead is 1/2″ out from the surface of the wall; if no felt pads, 3/8″ should be sufficient. And make sure that the stone is not above anything that would cause extreme damage were it to be knocked off.

How Strong or Fragile Is It?

Cement All is extremely strong… strong enough to be banged or hit or walked on or stood on. The only thing it can’t withstand is being directly dropped on solid floors like concrete, wood, tile, or decking. These videos show that you can even throw it on grass or wood chips, and stand right on the middle of it suspended by its edges.

Play Video

The First Ever 'Gardener's Stone'