For customers who have enjoyed strolling through our display garden over the years, these pieces will be quite familiar. Some may even remember how you reminisced and shared your memories of “the good old days.” For us, it has been surprising at the number of ladies who have said “Daddy used one of these or Grampa let me ride his horse while he plowed with one of these.” Those of you who have visited B & D Lilies know the story about how these treasures started as part of Bob’s collection of horse drawn farming equipment over 20 years ago, but ended up in Dianna’s display garden. The organizer of the family, Dianna, said “let’s build a garden around this stuff instead of having it sit all over the farm” and a new garden was born. Taking nearly three summers to design and plant, the display area was first plowed, and then tilled. After leveling, Dianna spent hours on a riding mower following an elaborate design made on her computer. Early mornings would find her standing on the stump of an old Big Leaf Maple about 6 feet off the ground, clipboard in hand, sketching changes. A few minutes later she’d be using a grass rake to smooth out the previous day’s tire marks and start all over again. Our garden show patrons who are familiar with Dianna’s award winning “best in show” designs, will understand the care and detail that she put into making her perfect garden. She spent so much time surveying from that stump, that Bob wrote a parody of ‘Yertle the Turtle’. “. . .Then a low moan was heard from the bottom of the stack, it was the turtle named Bob, who just strained his back!” Eventually the garden design was finalized with hundreds of little white planting stakes lining the shape of every island bed. The second summer a grid pattern was placed over the top of her design for installing the irrigation system followed by the setting of Bob’s treasures. Dianna’s next step was to declare, “I need lots something from the field that is short.” After what was then 26 years of marriage, Bob knew better than to ask “what for” and the ever important “why lots?” and simply replied ‘Little Grapette’. Three days later, 1200 plants had been dug, trimmed, and divided for outlining every bed. In the fall of the third summer, lily bulbs, peonies, Culvers Root, Leycesteria Formosa, plus a dozen so called “dwarf” Lavatera (that all grew to 6 plus feet), along with deciduous azaleas, and an array of other perennials and shrubs were planted. Now, 12 years later the garden is overgrown and everything needs to be dug and divided. Those of you who know Dianna realize that this means an entirely new layout and garden design – another 3 summers? With years of “I should-have-done” tucked away in her head, this will not be a one season project. A new garden also requires the moving of a dozen pieces of horse drawn history, BUT it also gave Bob the idea that this was his chance to maybe acquire his dream of a small steam powered tractor. A deal was stuck with Dianna; sell the pieces in the garden and “we will talk” about the tractor. Hope springs eternal! Dianna has contributed the “Heron by Lance” as her contribution to Bob’s future steam tractor and the search is on. Listed here are the pieces that have been featured in our garden. The photos were taken in early December after the garden foliage had died back, allowing for a better view of each piece. ALL prices are for pick up at the farm, you haul. Want the entire collection for a large landscape project? Let’s talk. Bring a flatbed for the larger items and Bob will help you load. Some pieces are historically important such as the Austin and Russell Graders, as well as the significant patented engineering advancements of the rare Dowden Potato Digger which probably should be in a museum. As garden display features, all will add a unique flavor to your design, be it Rock, English, Water, or “Wild”. For more information or to schedule a time to inspect a piece before purchase, please email garden@bdlilies. We are about 1.5 hours northwest of Seattle. So, here is your change to enjoy and treasure nearly 150 years of farming and road building history in your garden. |
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| This is a very rare circa 1880 Austin Horse Drawn Road Grader. This grader was first owned by the city of Walla Walla, Washington and was used to build and maintain the fast growing city's roads. Operated by two men with a team of horses originally, a hitch was latter welded to the tongue so that it could be tractor pulled. The Austin Mfg. Co. of Chicago, Il was formed in 1859 and merged with Western Grader in 1901. I found this grader at a fruit stand in Hermiston, Oregon, the prized possession of the stand owner. There it held a place of honor amongst a very fine collection of horse drawn implements collected in E. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Stopping a number of times to "ohhh and ahhh" the collection as well as buy fresh produce, this grader was coveted for many years. Then one summer a notice showed up on the property announcing that it was going to be the future site of a motel. I asked the owner about his collection and the grader in particular. A deal was stuck and two weeks later, the grader was moved to the center of our display garden and has been admired by many visitors over the past 14 years. One gentleman referred to it as “Cinderella’s Carriage." This unique and one of a kind - just try to find even a photo on the web - piece of Washington State road building history will make the perfect centerpiece for your garden or as display for a heavy construction business. Shown here in the winter garden, in summer it has lilies, daylilies, and assorted herbs other plants growing up through it. Originally brought home on a 12-foot flatbed trailer, it would fit much better on a 14-footer. $1595.00 | |
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| One of the great advances in farming. With the introduction of the Sulky Plow, rather than walk behind his horse all day plowing a field, the farmer could now ride behind a pair of horses and also plow a great deal more land each day. A previous owner painted this in "sort of" John Deere colors. Paint can be easily stripped for a natural weathered look or for restoration. An interesting and not often seen type of horse drawn plow. From a farm in North Dakota, this plow was part of a collection from Montana. Plow has its original seat if restoration is your interest. John Deere is a registered trademark of the John Deere Crop. $195.00 | |
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| The oldest plow in the garden collection, this rare old Emerson still has part of a wooden tongue attached. Dating probably to around 1890 to 1895 est. it is a rare example of the old Emerson line. Two of the plow parts are cast with Pat. July 25, 1890. The spring type seat is missing (probably sold to a seat collector) and one of the control levers is bent but could be easily straightened if you are looking at a restoration. Surrounded by daylilies and Culvers Root in our garden, this has always been an unusual conversation piece. SOLD | |
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| This is the muscle man of the collection. An early tractor pull plow that was built for the toughest of jobs. With about an 18 to 20 inch cut, the farmer could really plow up some real estate. This puppy is heavy, around 1000 pounds, maybe more. Still has some residue of the original paint showing its Oliver red and green color scheme as well as the original 'Oliver No. 21 Two Way' stencil on each side. I have only seen two other examples of the Oliver #21 and neither had the wheel nubs left on them but had been completely worn off. This plow is in excellent condition and would be an easy restoration project if that be your intention. From North Dakota via Montana. SOLD | |
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| A twin to the painted model also available, this plow is in a more natural state. A marvelous advancement from the single bottom or sulky plow, this innovation allowed for a great deal more work to be done in the same period of time. When your horses reached the end of the row, you lifted the blade out of the ground, turned around, dropped the opposite blade and headed back. It still has part of an old wooden tongue in place and has always blended beautifully into the garden with the surrounding peonies and daylilies. A great garden piece. For anyone looking towards restoration, it is missing the operator's seat and the right hand lifting leaver is bent but can be easily straightened. From Eastern Oregon. John Deere is a registered trademark of the John Deere Crop. $165.00 | |
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| A marvelous advancement from the single bottom or sulky type plow, this new innovation allowed for a great deal more work to be done in the same period of time. When your horses reached the end of the row, you simply pushed down on the appropriate foot lever, pulled back the hand lever and then released the foot lever to lock the now lifted plow blade in place. He then turned his team around, pulled back on the opposite hand lever, unlocked the blade with the foot lever, dropped the now opposite blade into place and away you went for the other end of the field again. The two way plow allowed you to plow in both directions as you no longer had to waste time or "horse power" returning unproductively to the other end of the field to start your next furrow. Painted by a previous owner in "sort of" John Deere colors. Paint can be easily stripped for a natural weathered look or for restoration. This plow has always looked great sitting in a bed of peonies. It still has part of an old wooden tongue in place. From a farm in North Dakota, this plow was part of a collection in Montana. John Deere is a registered trademark of the John Deere Crop. SOLD | |
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| As our country moved into the Roaring 20's, the Russell Grader Company was at the center of our nation's road construction projects. Many of these early tractor pulled graders were pulled by 'Cats' in the 1920's so Caterpillar purchased the Russell Company in 1928 to start their own line of road graders. Larger than the 'Russell Jr.' horse drawn models, the 'Standard' was built for the big highway jobs of a growing nation and its expanding interstate highway system. This particular grader and its twin were owned originally by the State of North Dakota. Upon his retirement, one of the operators was able to obtain both graders. After his death, his daughter inherited the graders and sold this one to an antique dealer in Montana where we found it. There is a 7 ft. iron/steel drawbar used for pulling the grader that was attached by a chain. The first links of the chain were cut to remove the drawbar for transport and it will fit comfortably on a 16-foot trailer. Though not nearly as rare as the Austin Grader, this is still a unique and fascinating piece of machinery and would be a highlight of any landscape or on exhibit in front of a heavy construction office. $1095.00 | |
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| This plow has ‘Canton, ILL’ cast into the lift arm parts on each side of the plow and the previous owner felt it was most likely an early model International Harvester which purchased the Parlin & Orendorff Co. of Canton, IL in 1919. In searching this plow from top to bottom looking for the familiar IH inside of a C stamp of International, it was a thrill finding the P & O casting thus dating this plow to before the IH sale in 1919. Many of the parts have ID numbers for "left and right" and were undoubtedly produced for an assembly line operation than casting each part as the plow was built also leading the previous owner to believe this was a "newer" IH production model. Still has the original seat and is an excellent candidate for restoration. $225.00 | |
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| Of the 5 potato diggers owned, (we actually still use two on the farm) this is the most interesting and historically important. From the Dowden Mfg. Co. of Prairie City, Iowa, it was their potato digger that the company is best known for. After receiving a patent for his potato digger, Ashford Dowden's digger soon was known as the foremost potato digger in the country. Advertised as being "built for 4 horses but strong enough for 6" and "It's the digger that gets all the potatoes, little and big, whether they lie deep or shallow and puts them on the surface un-bruised, whole, and clean". Shown here without the potato-lifting belt, I do have all the links but have never put them together. This machine does not have the rear extension option. More than 100 years ago, in 1896, the Minnesota Horticultural Society reported the value of a used donated Dowden Digger to their “potato machinery collection” at $120. A report by the Chicago Public Library shows potatoes at .39 cents a bushel in 1900 so the purchase of a ‘Dowden’ was no small investment for the turn of the century farmer. There are no dates of manufacture or serial numbers on this machine. The gentleman in northern Idaho who’s collection this Dowden came from said he believed it to be pre 1895 based on what some of the “old timers” had told him, making this one of the earliest models. This actually should be a museum piece. $1295.00 | |
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| Probably from the mid to late 30’s, this plow was on rubber rather than steel wheels making it easier to transport from field to field at a time when country roads were finally being paved. In need of new rubber this plow is still fully functional. Both plow lifting arms are stamped with the IH inside of a C logo for the company. SOLD | |
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| A beautiful example of a horse drawn, circa 1910 - 1920, ground driven potato digger. The large paddles on the iron wheels would dig into the ground and as the team pulled the digger down the row of potatoes, the paddles would turn the wheels that drove the belt lifting the potatoes out of the ground. Also has an early "stem roller" that is not attached. With this type of digger, usually Dad or eldest son would have led the horse team while a son would sit on the digger, raising and lowering the tongue as needed as well as kicking apart the clumps of potatoes as they passed along the belt under his feet. An OSHA nightmare with open gears just waiting for a careless finger or foot! In excellent condition, this digger has always been of great interest to our garden visitors and makes for a very unique garden ornament. For any interested in restoration, this digger still has its original seat as well as the optional tail extension. From Eastern Washington. SOLD | |
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| Manufacture unknown. This is a wonderful and early example of "modern technology". With this machine, again, the farmer did not have to walk along behind his horse drawn one or two row cultivator but now could ride and cultivate 5 or 6 rows in one pass making better use of his time and horse(s) as well as allowing one man to produce much more food each season for his family. In our display garden this cultivator was surrounded with daylilies, peonies, and true lilies. If interested in restoration, it is missing the back two cultivating plates. From Eastern Oregon. $225.00 | |
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| One of the early “gas powered horses” this is a wonderful example of an early walk behind tractor. Manufacture unknown, we believe this to be from the mid 1930’s. I found this machine sitting in the middle of the parking area for a small roadside antique shop looking like it had been dropped there out of disgust. After inquiring about it the woman in the shop told me it was her husband’s and did not know if it was for sale. She said, “If it is running, probably not”. She told me he was out in his shop and where to find him. Upon finding the husband and asking about the machine, it was indeed for sale and he readily offered to help load it. Seems it would not run for him at the last two shows he attended, but as soon as it was home again, it would start right up. After being embarrassed by it at the last show, he no longer wanted it to be seen in his collection. I have never tried to start it and it sits, as it was when we loaded it. For the restorer, the gas tank has rusted through at the bottom (it still had had gas in it when purchased 10 or 11 years ago and the hand crank disappeared a few years back. As a garden art piece, this old tractor has always looked fantastic in a large bed of daylilies. $395.00 | |
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| This is our earliest potato digger dating to the mid 1800's. A simple machine, you hitched it to your horse, and adjusted the iron guide wheels on the front to straddled the row. A slap with the reins and off you went with the plate on the back digging under the potatoes and pushing them up over the back bars by the force of the next mound of potatoes, leaving them on top of the soil to dry. This was then followed by the back breaking work of walking the rows and picking up your crop. Overall for its age, it is in very good condition. The curved portion of the right handle is broken off. Pictured here in mid December, this piece was set among toad lilies and other perennials. SOLD | |
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| Probably from the 20's or early 30's, this simple tool was a mainstay on every family farm. In excellent shape, it makes for a great smaller accent in your garden and it is ready to hitch to your horse to work your own little patch of veggies but Dianna thinks it looks best in the landscape. SOLD | |
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| Probably from the late teens to late 20’s, this potato digger was converted over so that the belt would be powered by a gas engine. When we found this digger, it had a huge 12 horse Wisconsin crank start engine mounted to drive the lifting belt. With the Wisconsin running the belt, the digger could then be pulled by a small tractor. This was used up until the mid 80’s by a daffodil grower. Back in 1993, our son removed the old Wisconsin and with a couple friends lugged it off to his high school small engine shop class. Now a class project, it was taken apart, put back together and drove their instructor nuts as it would not start. Everything checked out and was in working order, but it was no go. Our son Doug learned firsthand that you do not hold on to the magneto wire when someone is cranking over the engine to see if it is firing! Originally the steel wheels had lugs on them so that as the horses pulled the digger in the field, the wheels would drive the lifting belt. Though with the addition of a new gas engine, this machine could become fully operational again but, as is, it makes an interesting conversation piece. SOLD | |
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| We purchased this Garden Art Piece back in 1996 while attending the Boise Flower & Garden Show from ‘Lance’ the sculpture. Known for his highly detailed work and unique “one-of-a-kind” designs, this Heron Sculpture stood for years in the shallows of a pond and then was moved later to a ‘dry pond’ bed in our display gardens. The circle surrounding the herons is an old wagon wheel rim from the 1800’s and measures about 39 inches. The cattail sculptures stand about 50 inches. The two fish in one cattail group are cut out of copper, the other two fish out of steel. We don’t know where ‘Lance’ is now but he branched out in to a more mass produced look using stainless and or brushed steel which we felt was a mistake. Rust blends into the landscape, brushed stainless steel shines like a mirror when the sun hits it. This Heron sculpture was one of the finest pieces he did. Each piece is hand cut or forged making this truly a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of art just waiting to highlight your water display. $1250.00 | |
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