Our Lighthouse Guides Us Home
By Alice on
A number of years ago one of my best friends was moving to another state to start a new job and to be near her family after her husband passed away.As I was helping her to pack her belongings she offered me this beautiful outdoor lighthouse she had just purchased for her husband the year before he died.
We argued back and forth about her needing to keep it but she said it would cause her too much sadness to look at it each day.She insisted it would be much better to give it a home in my yard where she could come back and visit when she was back in town periodically.So that is how I came to have this lighthouse in one of my side gardens.
This lighthouse stands approximately 5 foot tall and a little over 2 feet wide at the base.It has a light at the top much like a real beacon in an actual lighthouse.It is painted white with green trim and is built of wood.
The first job was to run electricity to the area so the light would work.My husband is pretty handy so he ran wiring underground from our garage.Then we decided to build a border around the lighthouse to make it stand out in the garden.We purchased a tree border made of treated wood from Lowe's which was about a foot wider than the base of the lighthouse.We placed the lighthouse on a set of patio stones inside this circle so that the base would not be in direct contact with the ground and possibly cause the wood to rot.To complete our project we filled in the area around the lighthouse and border with sand and then covered that with sea shells purchased in bags from the dollar store which gives it a real beach look.
As you can see from the picture it turned out quite well.During the holidays (Memorial Day, the 4th and Labor day) we like to decorate with American flags.Other times we will put out a wooden sailboat or a figurine of a sea captain around the lighthouse to give it a more nautical look.We put in a low watt light bulb so it just gives a soft glow the the garden area at night.We have it set on a timer to go on and off at certain times so it wouldn't be a magnet for culprits in the middle of the night.
I really can't find anything wrong with this lighthouse except to make sure to bring it in during the winter since the snow would do a number on the wood for sure.We've only touched up a couple of spots here and there to keep the paint looking like new.
I love this lighthouse and it's always a wonderful reminder of my dear friend.
I love that it really works like a lighthouse! How sweet of your friend, I'm sure she enjoys visiting her lighthouse when she can.
What a special gift. This is just perfect for the garden. I'm glad you have some security lighting for it. I'd hate to hear someone walked off with it when you weren't looking. Nice idea to decorate it with different holiday themes. Do you have a Disney theme for it?
Oh, my mom LOVES lighthouses! This would be perfect for her :0)
This is so lovely! I bet it's beautiful when lit! A great reminder of your friend as well!
I love your lighthouse! It is absolutely beautiful! What a nice friend that you have that she gifted it to you... I am sad about her husband... I do hope that she has found her peace.
I love it:) It just looks so homey and welcoming sitting there in it's nest of shells. You really have a great eye!
I think these are gorgeous. My father in law has actually built several of these. We have one that is now damaged due to a storm. My father in law has a very large one in his front yard still that managed not to become damaged during the storm and it is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
The sentiment behind the lighthouse & why you have it is beautiful Alice.
Nice custom look for another special place in your gardens.
What a great gift from your friend and I'm sure she appreciates how you take care of it. A friend of mine has a similar lighthouse in her yard - based on Cape Hatteras of course since we are in NC!