New Alan Lorence wood sculpture for the front yard

Fellow garden blogger Alan Lorence of Saint Louis, Missouri not only writes a blog I've been following longer than almost any other, It's Not Working, It's Gardening!, he's also a woodworking wizard. A couple of years ago he started selling a variety of outdoor furniture products through his company Nimble Mill. I have two of his Whorn stools/tables, which I reviewed here. To be honest, even though I got them for use on the backyard patio, they've never left the house because they look great indoors.

Now Alan is selling four different cube sculptures through his Etsy shop (as well as a few new ones that aren't on Etsy yet). They're made of cedar cubes joined by galvanized steel rods. I was particularly taken with the Solo Cubes Tower and decided to order one.

It arrived as a kit consisting of just a few easy-to-assemble pieces. Alan provided detailed instructions but I didn't really need them. Even I, mechanically challenged as I am, was able to figure out immediately how to put it together.

I always appreciate a warning when something has sharp edges: 

Another nice touch: Each sculpture is stamped and hand-signed, just like a piece of art (which, in its own way, this is).

Here is the assembled piece (11x11x48 inches) from slightly different angles:

I had originally envisioned placing it in the larger of the two mounds in the front yard, between the Mexican fencepost cactus and the palo blanco tree:

It does look good there, and I may leave it there for a while. 

Ultimately, however, I may move it to the bed inside the fence. I'm going to redo it in the fall with new plants and two large square Corten planters for agaves. 

Check out these posts on It's Not Work, It's Gardening! to see Alan's cube sculptures: Sneak Peek and New sculptures. Alan's designs are clean and contemporary, and his workmanship is impeccable. I can't wait to add more pieces to my own garden in the future.