Copper Water Feature at CT Flower Show Designed Like Old-Time Garden Sprinkler

Two days ago I spoke about my book at the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show at the Hartford Convention Center in the downtown area. The Show’s organizers choose the theme “The Spirit of Spring, ” a perfect phrase to offer a bit of the coming season to people on the East coast who over the last few weeks have had to cope with record snow and cold weather.

Before my talk, I explored the surplus of vendors that had set up camp along the many isles on the Convention floor. Then it was time for me to view the landscape exhibits. 

The designed landscape by Aqua Scapes of CT caught my eye.  The exhibit included a four-foot copper Japanese maple water feature. Here is my photo of the Japanese maple in metal: [below]

This morning in exploring the nineteenth century seed catalog of Rochester seedsman James Vick (1818-1882) I came across an image that reminded me of this copper feature.

In the 1880 Vick’s Floral Guide, a fancy name for his seed catalog, a water feature, quite similar in its basic design to the one in copper, appeared in an ad toward the back of the catalog. You can see here [below]

You don’t see this kind of water feature, or sprinkler in this case, too often, so I was surprised to see one and then the other in just a day or two.

Some things new are not so new.

The cost of the copper water feature, which I do not know, certainly can’t compare with Vick’s sprinkler at $1.00 for the least expensive, to $4.00 if you want the fancier model with its own attached hose.

Thanks to the organizers of the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show. The tulips and daffodils at the Show could not have arrived at a better time.

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