As you know, we’re in the middle of clearing out the front portion of our yard – now that the weather has cooled down considerably, I’m hoping Denis and I can get out there and get rid of the last of the ivy. Then it’ll be time to make the whole landscaping area more presentable – brightly colored annuals, the rubber mulch, and some basic decorations.
One thing I’d be interested in is an address rock. I’m sure you’ve seen them – large boulders sitting among the front landscaping, with big bold numbers imprinted on there so you can easily read the house number from the street. Well, those boulders can be super expensive and so heavy that once it is in place there’s no way you’ll ever move it, even if you decide to change your landscaping in later years!
Enter Artificial Rocks Factory, a group that creates stone rocks that weigh only 50-60 pounds, and yet look like real boulders. And since they are not made of fiberglass or polyurethane they are more sturdy. You may worry about theft of these rocks, but ARF installs an anti-theft metal eyebolt inside every boulder they ship.
The 20 different models of boulders are hollow, about one inch thick, and open at the bottom. Of the twenty models, four feature front angles specifically engineered for address and welcome plaques. According to the website customers can pick any of these four models with a custom rustproof cast aluminum ivy oval address plaque or address sign for up to five 3″ letters or numbers, or up to seven 2″ letters/numbers in gold on a black background. These signs are then permanently fixed to the boulder.
What’s great is that if you wanted to order multiple rocks for a display, they can be ordered as a set and you can specify that the extra boulders be shipped without an address plaque or address sign. If you decide you don’t need a custom boulder, but just want something general such as a “Welcome” sign, those ship almost immediately and arrive in 7-10 business days via FedEx.
If you have a garden fanatic in your family, consider these boulders as a great gift this Christmas. According to their website, for Christmas 2007, November 29 is the last day to order the fake rocks with a custom address plaque in time for delivery by Christmas. The “Welcome” greeting rocks can be ordered as late as December 13 and still arrive in time for Christmas. For a limited time, these rocks are selling for $199 each (they are normally $299 each) with $50 for FedEx shipping. That’s a great investment and a unique gift to give this year!
As for me, once I get all of the old stuff removed from my front garden area, I can’t wait to get in there and completely redo the entire thing to make it as beautiful as possible for all visitors. And a “welcome” boulder may just be the thing!