Garden stacks or totems are a collection of sculptures arranged by theme - such as a sealife stack with fish, turtles, etc. The items' color palette will use complementary colors to create a pleasing array of color combinations for your final piece.

Each garden stack will have a hole cut all the way through every piece except the top or the finial, which will allow the stack rod to go through. You can rearrange the order to your liking, with, of course, the exception being the finial, which must be on top.

If you purchase the rod and rock from me, the rod will be exactly the correct height to fit the number of pieces in the sculpture. The height is dependent on the number of sculptures on the stack

Yes – sort of. This is not an exact science, but the stack needs to be developed keeping in mind how it will be anchored and constructed so it is not top-heavy. If you are using my foundation rocks, I would not go higher than 3 to 4 feet with larger items on the bottom. If you are going to drive the rod directly into the ground, you will want to drive it in further; the higher you build the stack. A minimum of 18 inches into well-packed soil would probably support 5 feet of sculpture. You will need to assess the stability of the sculpture once established.

Yes, I have had sculptures in the San Antonio heat and the Missouri winters with no ill effects. Obvious precautions are - don't put anything that will collect water where it will freeze and break the sculpture. Garden stacks will generally not hold water due to the hole in the center of each piece. After many years in the sun, glaze colors may fade, but frankly, I have sculptures that have been in the Texas sun for more than 4 years without any notable color shift.

Typically, my garden sculptures are made with a clay called Soldate 60 and are fired to cone 5 or 6. Soldate 60 has a lot of grogg or sand, which allows it to be more tolerant of weather extremes. My snowmen line of sculptures is made from porcelain (no grog) and is designed for indoor use. The exception is my 3-foot Frosty the Snowman, which is made of the above-mentioned sculpture clay.

The cost is completely dependent on the number of sculptures, the size, and the complexity of the piece – meaning the time it takes me to create it. Generally, each piece is going to range from $35-$75. $35 for a fish and $75 for a large sea turtle. Given that I have trouble keeping them in stock, it seems like they are priced fairly.

You can buy a 5/8 inch threaded rod at Lowe’s or Home Depot. They come in 3 or 6-foot lengths. You may also use other types of rod, such as rebar, depending on how tall you are making your stack.

You can drive the rod directly into the ground and not use a base, but that means your bottom sculpture is in direct contact with the ground, which may or may not be ideal. I have one customer who has the skills and tools to drill a hole through a naturally occurring rock in her yard. When I first started, I used a patio foundation block with a hole drilled through the middle and a washer and nut on the bottom. Basically, anything you want, but make sure the weight of the foundation can withstand the height of the sculpture so it doesn’t topple over.