Backyard & Patio Pick

Large Metal Kinetic Wind Spinner With Ground Stake, Burgundy

A 91 inch garden spinner whose two rings of burgundy petals turn a full circle in the wind and catch the low light while they do it. The movement runs on dual ball bearings, so it turns freely in a light breeze and does it silently, which matters for something that will be moving outside a window all day. The base is a pronged stake rather than a single spike, so it stays upright and balanced in a real gust instead of leaning out of the bed by the end of the week. The paint is a bright anti rust finish built to hold its color through a full season of weather. There are no plugs and no cords involved and it assembles from the instructions by hand. It is the piece that keeps a border interesting once the flowers are finished.

What you're getting

• 91 inches tall, with two rings of burgundy petals turning a full circle
• Dual ball bearing movement, so it turns in a light breeze and runs silently
• Pronged base stake that keeps it upright and balanced in heavy wind
• Bright anti rust paint made to hold its color through a full season outside
• No plugs and no cords, and it assembles by hand from the instructions

Why we picked it

A border in October is mostly texture and brown, and the eye has nothing to land on. Something tall that moves fixes that better than another plant would, and it keeps working in the months when nothing is flowering. The detail that decides whether one of these is any good is the bearing: a cheap spinner needs real wind and squeaks when it gets it.