'Sprinkled with love'

Passersby may notice more than colorful flowers and plants growing in the Triangle Garden at the intersection of Tiffin and Fostoria avenues these days. Findlay's Doug Couchot created a handcrafted sprinkling can sculpture that was installed in the garden this week. The can is made from galvanized metal, while the spout and handle are fashioned from copper — all recycled materials. Couchot, 55, said he created the piece to recognize the efforts of the Men's and Women's Garden Club of Findlay. Its members have been designing, planting and caring for the garden at the intersection of Ohio 12 and U.S. 224 since 1985. He said he was inspired to do the piece for the club because he drives by the site several times a day. "And I see the individuals out here working and making this a really wonderful site for the community." Couchot, who owns Couchot Mechanical and does heating, plumbing and custom sheet metal work, started crafting metal into flowers, watering cans, butterflies, pigs and even turkeys several years ago. "And I would always just give them to someone, a friend that you can see they just put a ray of sunshine into other people's lives. I see them within businesses out in the community, and they've just always got a smile on their face, always upbeat," he said. For his daughter's wedding two years ago, Couchot make nine metal roses, one for each bridesmaid and the girl who caught the bouquet. When COVID-19 struck the area and business dwindled, Couchot decided to use his extra time to make an art piece for the gardeners. He said the sprinkling can is an evolution of the creation. The can features a plain sheet metal seam,while a dovetail seam secures the spout. "The curved part of the spout is another challenge to try to create," he said. Couchot said he has learned a lot about metalworking by reading books and researching online. "It is incredible how much detail goes into it, how big the holes need to be according to how you want to water. I never realized how much was actually considered in a sprinkling can," he said. He added a sprinkler head for visual interest. "There's really a lot of details I try to put in an item. And it is my stress therapy," he said. "And I say it's cheaper than a doctor. And it's really a lot of fun to create." Couchot added a monogrammed "F" made from copper to signify Findlay. His name and the date can be found on the underside of the handle. He also stamped in the words "Sprinkled with love." The piece took about 10 to 12 hours to complete. His motto: From the heart through the hands, made with love in mind by materials left behind. Couchot said anytime he attempts a new design, he gifts that piece to his wife, Miracle. He said it was his frequent trips past the Tiffin Avenue garden that convinced him it would be the perfect spot for one of his creations. The can is attached to a stake at an angle so it looks to be watering the plants below. "All I'm trying to do here is enhance what the garden club members have done to this site and other sites around," he said. "It's just kind of recognizing them and bringing attention. This is no more than a flashy something to show what is really below." Although people have asked, Couchot said his metal creations are not for sale. Sometimes he donates flowers for fundraisers, but more often he gifts them to friends or people in the community. "It's gifted to worthy people in the community that I encounter," he said. "There's lots of people that do a lot of worthy things in the community and a few of them are recognized. But there are a lot of people who do a lot of stuff in the community really, they don't get the recognition. They do it because they're passionate for what they're doing." Wolf: 419-427-8419 jeanniewolf@thecourier.com