The Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale is celebrating 20 years of fine garden antiques this weekend, and the dealers have pulled out all the stops. I just got back from taking a walk around, camera in-hand, and I noticed a few really cool trends. While dogs and bunnies and horses are all present in myriad materials, there’s a new hot animal on the scene this year: birds. But not just any old birds (and I’m most definitely not talking about pink plastic flamingos from Leominster, Ma., though flamingos have flocked to a few booths), these are avian exotics, with a few domestic foul thrown in for good measure.

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I just got back from a walk around the Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale, and boy are my arms tired! No, no. I didn’t fly over to the Conservatory and back, but I did impulse purchase a rather heavy cast concrete statue for my very own garden that I had to carry back to my cubicle. The Show is chock full of all sorts of gorgeous things, so I thought I would throw together this highly subjective slide show of some of the fascinating pieces that caught my eye.

I noticed one big trend: Bunnies are hot. Maybe it’s because it’s the Year of the Rabbit? Maybe it’s in the hope that placing one in your garden will scare the real ones away? I just can’t say. One thing I can say though, is don’t forget your checkbook. Many of the vendors cannot accept credit cards. Oh, and don’t worry. You won’t have to carry your own purchases as far as I did. The vendors are happy to hold onto your garden goodies until you can bring your car around.

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The Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale runs Friday, April 29 – Sunday, May 1; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The show is held in the tent behind the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. To get to the show, enter the Conservatory through the Palm Dome, then exit at the opposite side. Entrance to the Show is included in your All-Garden Pass. Happy shopping!

You’ve got heirloom vegetables, decades-old peonies, and compost that dates back at least several years . So what are you doing putting the latest tchotchke from the megamart in your garden? Come get inspired to decorate your garden with a vintage touch at the 19th Annual Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale–the country’s original, largest, and most important venue for showing and selling authentic garden antiques–at The New York Botanical Garden. The show is held under the Conservatory Tent behind the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

The show and sale kicks off on Thursday, April 28 with a Preview Party and Collector’s Plant Sale from 6-8 p.m. offering exclusive access to the sale before the public opening, as well as cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. (For information and tickets, please call 718.817.8775.)

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the show is open to the public and will feature 35 vendors, a welcome lounge with snacks and tea, afternoon wine tastings, and a host of experts on hand to answer all your questions and to offer tips for designing a beautiful garden.

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To get a taste for the amazing garden antiques you’ll find a this fascinating show and sale, check out the video below.

Leading Dealers Showcase Exquisite Pieces