Judging from the activity under the big white tent on the grounds of the New York Botanical Gardens on Thursday, April 27, visitors were at the Antique Garden Furniture Show to spiff up their gardens and improve the landscape about their homes. “We had a very active preview, people came early and stayed late, and many of the dealers reported important sales that evening,” Catherine Sweeney Singer, show manager said. “All went very well for the three-day run of the show, we had a record gate and most of the exhibitors left the show in a happy frame of mind,” she said. About 4,500 people visited the show, not counting the preview gate.

The early preview opened at 5:30 pm, with the top ticket, the Grand benefactor, going for $5,000. That category included ten tickets, special tours, and reserve parking. Patrons were also admitted at the same time, for $300 per head, and general admission at 6 pm was $200. During the next three days a ticket to the gardens included a visit to the show and many took advantage to have a look at the attractive booths set up by the dealers. “One would expect that with such a combination ticket we would get lots of lookers, but that was not the case. Some serious buyers came in and some of the dealers made new clients,” Catherine said.

Standing tall in the display of Brennan & Mouilleseaux, Northfield, Conn., was a cast and hand formed windmill with metal blades, English, circa 1910, perfect for the small rock garden, and a cast iron settee in the rare bleeding heart pattern, English, circa 1870, had a wooden slat seat and was in old white paint.

Aileen Minor Antiques, Centreville, Md.

A large pair of cast iron urns, with three cranes around thebase, signed Fiske, New York, circa 1880, was at the front of thebooth of Francis J. Purcell, Inc, Philadelphia, and across the backof the display stood the Four Seasons, about 40 inches tall, ofcarved Vicenza stone, circa 1950. Dating circa 1900 was a handcarved, white marble, wall mounted lavabo of Italian origin with agrotesque head carved into the top section. A Fiske fountain wasamong the pieces sold.

If one were to buy the pair of conservancy windows displayed against the back wall in the booth of Avant Garden, Pound Ridge, N.Y., it would take 56 panes of glass per window just to replace the missing ones in the portion of the window under the arch. Another dozen or so, all curved, would be required for the top section. Better these circa 1880 French windows be installed as decorative pieces. The center of the booth was taken up by a large double-sided teak steamer bench, circa 1950, that was once on a ferry in Liverpool.

Total comfort, with plenty of head rest, was provided by a pair of Salterini “Peacock” chairs, original zinc finish, circa 1930, in the booth of Jef and Terri Steingrebe, New London, N.H. Dating from the late Nineteenth Century was a large armillary with a small weathervane depicting a lion mounted on the top and still on the original cast stone base. “This piece was found in a yard in Milford, N.H., and was covered in new black paint,” Jef said. With much effort he brought the surface back to its original orange-red surface with traces of gilt still showing.

“I don’t know what they are looking at, but most of the fish hang out on the left side of the tank,” Joan Bogart said of the school of goldfish she had put into her cast iron tank with a J.W. Fiske, Park Place label. This model, circa 1900, had an egret base. A large Victorian shadow box with a contemporary shell arrangement hung on the left wall, and a Victorian cast iron terrier in old gray paint, Fiske or Mott, Nineteenth Century, measured 22 inches tall. The Rockville Centre, N.Y., dealer also showed a collection of pots and planters that were once on the Geoffrey Beane estate.

Kate A. Alex & Co., Warner, N.H.

Unequalled in size was a pair of carved lions in mahoganydating from the first half of the Twentieth century. “These were inthe Thailand Pavilion at the Expo in Montreal,” Jeffrey Henkel ofPennington, N.J. said. Early into the preview red sold stickerspopped up on his large, and heavy, cast iron face of a lion, about15 inches in diameter, an architectural element dating from thelate Nineteenth Century. His life-size retriever in cast iron wasone of the best garden figures in the show.

The Galloway Pottery Company in Philadelphia was the maker of a large Minton bowl in repeated relief floral pattern, circa 1910, 14 1/2 inches in diameter, in the booth of The Thompson Studio Garden Antiques of Berwyn, Penn. A pair of cast iron acorn topped finials, 23 inches high, was tucked under a large table at the back of the booth, and a pair of cast iron hunting dogs, 13 inches high, American and dating from the early Twentieth Century, had sold tags attached to the collars.

The back wall of The Finnegan Gallery, Chicago, was not straight across, but a portion of it was set back allowing for the display of a large iron base table of French origin and dating circa 1871. The slate top, measuring 59 by 39 inches, was a large piece of slate that “came from the floor of a French cathedral,” Marty Shapiro said. Toward the front of the booth was a monumental cast iron tazza-form urn or fountain basin with decorated rim, 49 inches in diameter, circa 1870, of French origin.

“It is one of the largest and heaviest benches I have ever had, and it is in great shape,” Bruce Emond of the Village Braider, Plymouth, Mass., said of his Nineteenth Century marble bench with paw foot and rams head ends, facing both front and back. “It was originally on the Endicott family estate in Dedham, Mass.,” Bruce added. A pair of cast stone seagulls with lead beaks, early Twentieth Century, came from a garden on the Connecticut shore and sold quickly as the preview opened. A large marble and bronze fountain, signed Cipriani, was offered, along with a number of architectural elements in cast plaster that had been deaccessioned from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Joan Bogart Antiques, Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Many French pieces were offered by Paulette Peden of DawnHill Antiques, New Preston, Conn., including a tole chandelier,painted metal leaves, brass and iron armatures, early TwentiethCentury, that hung over a table at the front of the booth. A lateNineteenth Century frame, iron straps meeting a brass finial, 80inches high, and a birdbath of the same period on limestone withold patina were also offered.

“I love these geese, they are my favorite things,” Eleanor Billet of New York City said of the pair of cast iron figures standing at the front of the booth. The geese, white painted with a weathered crusty surface, were of French origin. With husband David, the couple also offered a two-part composition stone fountain with ribbon edge and ribbed base, circa 1930, French, measuring 46 1/2 inches in diameter. A pair of fluted terra cotta columns with swag trim, having the appearance of stone, dated circa 1910 and came from Cleveland, Ohio.

Linda and Howard Stein, Solebury, Penn., showed a large Vicenza stone figure, Italian, circa 1900-1910, along with a fine French wire birdcage, Nineteenth Century, in all original condition. Several wrought iron plant stands dated from the Nineteenth Century.

A spirit house, China, late Nineteenth Century, was shown by Vol 1 Antiques, Sharon, Conn., displayed on a late Eighteenth Century Chinese center table, unusual scale and form, with the original patina.

There always seems to be a large table in the booth of Michael Trapp of West Cornwall, Conn., and this year was no exception. This example was from France, marble top with iron frame, dating from the mid Nineteenth Century. A monumental marble urn on a limestone base, Nineteenth Century, was in the back corner of the booth, and across the back wall was a teak building façade, Nineteenth Century, from Java.

A pair of very decorative barn doors, Continental, circa 1910, with the original hardware and patina, filled the left wall in the booth of Joseph Stannard Antiques, Norfolk, Conn. A rare Seventeenth Century carved stone faun was in the middle of the display, and a balustrade of French origin, terra cotta, Nineteenth Century, enclosed a portion of the booth. A pair of French window surrounds, circa 1830, zinc over oak with the original finials and central medallion design, stood against the back wall.

Two large oil jars from Spain, late Nineteenth Century, on iron stands, were shown by Treillage, Ltd, New York City, each measuring about 46 inches high and 26 inches in diameter. Flowers flowed from a pair of large cast iron urns, Swedish, with flared rims and loop handles. The pair dated from the Nineteenth Century and measured 19 3/4 inches high.

Village Braider, Plymouth, Mass.

A cast stone stag, circa 1920, and a cast lead garden eaglethat sold promptly as the preview opened were in the booth of KateAlex & Co., Warner, N.H. “Both of those pieces came from theWyeth estate in Chadds Ford, Penn.,” Kate said.

A pair of cast stone table lamps, French, early Twentieth Century, white painted with black shades, were striking in the display of Joan Evans Antiques, Lambertville, N.J. She also offered a nice set of four designer iron garden chairs, circa 1960, with brass shells at the top of the backs.

Among the urns offered at the show was a pair in the booth of Aileen Minor Antiques, Centreville, Md., glazed terra cotta in the classical form. The urns, American and dating from the late Nineteenth Century, had drapery decoration and measured 21 1/2 inches high. A single French urn, cast iron with classical ram’s head handles and cherubs sleeping in a hammock design in relief on the side, was from the Nineteenth Century and measured 27 1/2 inches high.

A carved marble figure of Marie Adelaide de Savoie as Diana The Huntress, French, 1890, signed Hiolle après Coyzevox, stood on the barn wood flooring in the booth of Barbara Israel of Katonah, N.Y. resting in the booth was a pair of Coade stone greyhounds, English, circa 1913-33, and attracting interest was a large sign of wood hanging against the back wall. “It’s an English gardener’s watering clock with four dials to indicate the various times for watering,” Barbara said as she set the clock hands for different time of day. It dated circa 1900 and measured 74 inches wide, 251/2 inches high.

Among the best pieces of cast iron sculpture at the show was a pair of Labrador retrievers, lying down, with opposing heads at the booth of R.T. Facts of Kent, Conn. “I have had a single one, but never a pair and it is unusual to find them looking toward each other,” Greg Randall said. They were admired by many show visitors and their heads received many pats. Adding to the dog population in the booth was a pair of reclining greyhounds in cast iron with a fine surface, both looking in the same direction. Also from the Geoffrey Beane estate was a pair of early Nineteenth Century carved stone urns, Continental.

R.T. Facts, Kent, Conn.

Taking honors for the tallest object in the show were Judithand James Milne of New York City. Right in front of the exit fromthe tent to the Botanical Gardens grounds was a very tallweathervane with the scales of justice hanging from about themiddle of the supporting shaft. It was attracting great attentionand had an interesting history.

“This vane was on the courthouse in Lowell, Mass., and it was taken down and put into storage during a restoration of the building,” James Milne said. After World War II it was found in a basement by a custodian and it was later given to him when he retired and moved to New Hampshire. In later years it came on the market and spent many years in the garden of husband and wife antiques dealers in New Hampshire before moving on to the care of James and Judy. A circa 1930 stained glass window, a garden setting with two swans, a fountain and a pair of urns, was nicely displayed in the recessed portion of the booth. Along with a pair of swan planters, a cast iron trough functioning as a planter, and several other objects, the stained glass window had a red sold dot.

In addition to the preview, catered by Abigail Kirsch, the Botanical Garden runs a Collectors’ Plant Sale that evening, offering rare and choice plants that have been grown there. It takes only a matter of minutes before most of them are spoken for, and by evening’s end just about every plant has a “SOLD” sign stuck in the dirt. It almost seems as if the Botanical garden served up a pot of weeds, it would be bought by someone.

The popularity of this garden show continues to grow and each year we hear the dealers tell us that things are getting harder and harder to find. While that is true, of course, when show time comes around each booth seems to put its best foot forward, offering rare and interesting objects to enhance the outdoors. It is an educational and fun show to attend, and even more enjoyable when you find that something special that will make your garden grow more interesting.