Have a unique mailbox

As individual as the garden in which it resides, aemblems and rendered images depicting the
uniquely conceived, well-crafted mailbox canowners' interests -- ranging from botany to the
punctuate a landscape with just the right amountrailroad locomotive.
of panache. Designed and constructed withAnd today's mailboxes can become tomorrow's
various combinations of wood, stone, plastic,mementos. Designing and maintaining a mailbox
metal, tile and paint, an artful mailbox can enhancecan become a genuine part of the love and
the architecture and landscape which surround it.dedication a good gardener pours into the
The mailbox, standing sentry at the front of thelandscape. Rose Tourje, whose Pasadena garden
garden, can provide a glimpse into the minds,garnered the Golden Arrow Award, presented by
hearts and souls of those who reside inside thethe Pasadena Beautiful Foundation, has two
house behind it.mailboxes. She has a standard box for receiving
With the abundance of home and gardenmail and an antique box that was preened over
megastores, neighborhood nurseries andby her father 60 years ago. As a boy, he was
Web-sited manufacturers, available resources forcharged with annually applying flesh coats of paint
boxes have multiplied, and mailbox art has takenand restenciling the family name onto the metal
on new life. Ohio landscape architect, Patrickstructure. This proud relic now holds an honored
Cloonan, says that his clients have "a lot more funposition in the family's patio garden. Even with
with mailboxes these days. The possibility ofdecades of rusted and patinaed finish, the Tourje
creating a custom box is usually mentioned duringname is clearly identifiable.
initial conceptual discussions, when material forThe price tag on a custom mailbox is less than
architecture and landscape are reviewed." Moreone might imagine. A quick check among
often than not, Cloonan states, "the design willmanufacturers represented on the World Wide
reflect those elements, but in many instances, itWeb places the average cost at $99 and up,
has relevance to a client's hobbies, careers ordepending upon the complexity of design and the
special interests."materials used. Dozens of novelty boxes are
During the course of a recent landscapealready standard in most product lines, making the
commission, in order for his client to pay homagechance of finding an appropriate expression of
to the beloved "stogie," Cloonan was instructed toyour interests quite likely, without further
design a mailbox that would incorporate a sculptedcustomization. Another resource for locating a
hand. Strategically placed between two of thequality manufacturer is the American Society of
sculpted fingers was a cigar.Landscape Architects, which sponsors a Directory
"But styling often seems trendy and it revealsand Buyer Guide of recommended products.
itself in spurts," Burwell says. Some months, theAs for the placement and size of the box,
bulk of his thriving manufacturing business islandscape architect Cloonan says "almost anything
consumed with the construction of replicas ofgoes." In checking with the postal service, one
beloved pets--dogs, cats, cows and pigs. Then auncovers only general guidelines. A curbside
"shift toward more rusticated product might takemailbox, for instance, should be 40 to 48 inches
place, with a demand for redwood boxes." Thisoff the ground. Openings should be wide enough
type of mailbox can contain elaborate carvings offor mail to be placed inside with one hand
animals, and this work often leads to additionalmovement by a postal delivery person. And at
commissions for garden carvings of totem poles,minimum, a mailbox should be approximately 19
ship figureheads and angels.inches deep, 6-1/2 inches wide and 8-1/2 inches in
Clients arrive at The Mailbox Factory in variousheight. Further information relating to approved
states of preparedness. For those with only aspecifications for mailboxes can be obtained
sketchy idea of the finished article, Burwell and histhrough the local post office. A representative will
team of multi-disciplined artisans provide theconsult with customers on guidelines for box size,
requisite expertise to complete the design andstrength and quality of construction.
fabrication of the mailbox unit, which is comprisedNow imagine you're outside toiling in the front
of the mailbox itself and a post onto which thegarden, wiping perspiration from your forehead
mailbox is secured. Other clients might arrive atand reveling in the inspirational quality of such
his shop with fully developed drawings and specifichard, but loved labor. Then give some thought to
material selections and requirements. Over thethis object that could be a focal point for those
years, completed products have left the factorywould-be admirers of your landscape endeavors:
in the shape of golf balls, popular cartoonthe mailbox.
characters, Tudor houses, family crests and