Big-time weirdness

Sage Merritt / News Virginian
Published: July 1, 2007

Now, the huge flowerpots and watering can at the junction of Greenville Avenue and Coalter Street - along with the other oversized metal sculptures scattered around the city - will dazzle outsiders from the pages of a new book, "Weird Virginia - Your Travel Guide to Virginia's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets," by Jeff Bahr, Troy Taylor and Loren Coleman, released by Sterling Publishing.

"The sculptures are very surprising to outsiders who come upon them," said Doug Cochran, coordinator of customer service for City of Staunton. "They are out of proportion, of course, and very large and very well-done. They delight people who discover them as kind of a treasure of the town."

"Weird Virginia" is part of the "Weird U.S." series, a group of books chronicling strange phenomena, offbeat landmarks and bizarre local legends around the country. The idea originated with "Weird U.S." creators Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran, who began the series in their home state of New Jersey.

"Weird Virginia" features ghost stories, ancient wonders and odd landmarks from all corners of the Old Dominion. Other area items chronicled in the book include the story of eugenics proponent Dr. Joseph DeJarnette, director of Staunton's Western State Mental Hospital from 1905-43. But Staunton's oversized metal sculptures, chronicled in three pages of a section called "Roadside Oddities," proves to be Augusta County's greatest contribution to "Weird Virginia."

The emblematic watering can, as well as the giant book located at the Staunton Public Library and the oversized plow at the intersection of Statler Boulevard and New Hope Road, were all made and donated to the city by Ferguson Metal Fabrication, which also features a rotating exhibition of sculptures in the building's lawn at 765 Middlebrook Avenue. The watering can was installed at its current location in 1999.

"There was quite a bit of controversy with the watering can when it was first put it," Cochran said. "Some people liked it and some people didn't. Now, though, it's quite a marker, quite an identifiable part of the city - it's such a distinctive thing. And I don't think you could find any detractors now. It's really grown on people."

Part of the eye-catching appeal of the watering can and flowerpots is the flora; the sculptures are landscaped year-round by Staunton's city horticulturist and arborist, Matthew Sensabaugh. Vincca, elephant ears, sweet potato vines, lilies, petunias and other warm-weather plants currently accent the sculptures.

"I'm hoping that the elephant ears are going to get really big," Sensabaugh said. "Six feet, so they'll be in scale. Usually we try to compliment the watering can and flowerpots and not be so overwhelming that you lose the effect of the sculpture. The fun thing about it is that I get to use tropical plants and other annuals that get really big. You wouldn't have space for them in a normal bed."

Contact Sage Merritt at 932-3559.

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