My creepy plants and my spooky gardener perspective have evolved. Take a look at the making of Creepy Garden 2023 in the context of what worked and didn’t work over the previous 3 years,
Creepy Garden 2023
I started making the garden to intrigue the little kids who walk by on their way to school. Even though it’s a blacklight installation that activates in the dark, its daytime aesthetic is also important.
Take a tour through the Creepy Garden in the light and the dark (mind the thematic music):
Daytime Walk Through
Nighttime Walk Through
This year, I combined and repurposed flowers and creatures that I had made in previous years. I used gardening materials (wood stakes, pots, mulch) to display the flowers. I simplified the title design and moved the focus away from the garage.
It took less time to install, needs fewer lights and cords, and doesn’t take much maintenance (fingers crossed). This is also due to my investment in outdoor splitters and a power-strip timer.
I focused on building larger flowers and creatures and spacing them out so they don’t crowd each other. The dark area in between them creates contrast and creepiness.
This year, I focused on quality over quantity. I spent time on a bold new sign I can use in future years. The wood stakes and nail gun saved me time hanging wires. Instead of coming from above, the creepy elements are anchored in the ground.
WHAT’S WORKING
- The new Creepy Garden sign
- Garden hardware
- Stapling eyes to leaves (as opposed. to hanging them)
WHAT I’LL CHANGE NEXT TIME
- I’m not sure, yet.
Below, I briefly reflect on what I’ve learned throughout the years. (I don’t spend too much time on the tools and supplies, but a BIG SHOUT OUT to hot glue, staplers, nails, wires, crimpers, ladders, hole punchers, binder rings, sealant, splitters, and extension cords.)
How to Turn Spiders into Cats 2020
I’m happy with my first year because it set this all in motion. I figured out how to rig lights and run extension cords through the yard. It served as a general introduction to how to situate a composition on the three-dimensional canvas of the yard. See more of the 2020 installation on my blog post “How to Turn Spiders into Cats.”
WHAT WORKED
- Fluorescent chalk on the driveway
- The theme of How to Turn Spiders into Cats
- Working with recycled materials
- Orange indoor lights
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
- A lot of maintenance daily to keep elements from shifting
BOOtanical Garden 2021
In 2021, I made many different types of flowers. Check them out (they all have names!) on my blog post about the BOOtanical garden flowers.
WHAT WORKED
- The green lights against the garage door and the deep black inside the archway
- The big-leafed plants
- Trying out different flower shapes and fluorescent color combinations
- Working with different materials
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
- Smaller, detailed flowers took a lot of time to make but didn’t pack a big, spooky punch
- The garage door looks cool but took a lot of time, maintenance (the grass kept falling), and technical support (as far as lights)
Creepy Garden 2022
In 2022, I made new creepy insects and tried out green spotlights. I also made a Halloween wreath that you can learn about here. It has eyeballs, bunny ears, and frog legs. I also wrote a brief post regarding changing my garage door decorations from a gate into silhouetted letters.
WHAT WORKED
- The soda can spider legs
- The dragonfly
- The use of negative space on the garage
- The flower type for Creepy Garden
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
- A lot of maintenance for the garage
- Difficult. to take photos that capture the vibes
What’s great about building on this idea each year is that I can develop the creepy world with the benefit of hindsight and the anticipation of future iterations.
Coming Up In Future Posts
The process of making some of the creatures (and more):
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