Bulb pots puzzle collectors
Spring means gardens again have bulbs in bloom. Crocuses, daffodils, tulips, narcissuses and other bulbs need weeks in cold weather to start to grow and flower. But even the warm Southern states now have bulbs blooming that were kept in a refrigerator for a time before they were planted.
Our 18th-century ancestors understood how to force bulbs and grew them in their gardens and in pots in the house. The most popular bulb pot was made with many small openings. It was filled with an inch or so of water, the bulbs were dropped into place and soon each bulb sent leaves and flowers up through its own hole. The result was an attractive arrangement of a mass of blooming flowers. Because bulbs shrink a little after they bloom, it is possible to fish out the spent bulbs and store them for another year.
The multispout vases are unfamiliar to many collectors and their use is a puzzle. Bulb pots were popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, then lost favor. A few reproductions of old pots are made for museum stores. Originals were made of porcelain, delftware or bone china by makers in Holland, England, France and Germany.
Q: I bought a Lee L. Woodard Sons rocking chair for $5 at a garage sale. It has a heavily worn one-piece brown vinyl tufted seat and back. The frame is bent metal. I love the chair, but it’s in pretty poor shape and I’m wondering if I can have it re-covered without hurting its value.
A: Lee L. Woodard was one of three sons of Lyman E. Woodard, who founded a furniture company named Woodard Brothers in Owosso, Mich., in 1866. Until the 1930s, Woodard made caskets, wooden doors and bedroom sets. In 1935 it started manufacturing wrought-iron chairs and tables for outdoor use.
The company was reorganized in 1938 and named Lee L. Woodard Sons Inc. It’s still in business today as Woodard Furniture and makes wrought-iron, cast-aluminum and wicker furniture. Woodard lounges like yours, but in excellent condition, sell for $500 to $600. Go ahead and have the metal frame cleaned and the upholstery re-covered. The chair will certainly be worth more than $5 once it’s spruced up.
Tip: When moving furniture, always tie drawers and doors in place. Use soft cloth tape.
Terry Kovel’s column is syndicated by King Features. Write to: Kovels, (Las Vegas Review-Journal), King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.