Whether tucked into the flowers, nestled among the rocks by a water feature, or positioned as an eye-catching focal point, Scuzzy’s Concrete Statuary infuses a sense of playfulness into the garden landscape.

What started as a side-hobby seven years ago, has today turned into something much larger for founder Sue Coonradt and her boyfriend, Jeff.  Sue has been the custodian and paint manager at Skidmore College for 26 years, but in the summer, she can be found at Scuzzy’s everyday casting cute animals, mythical creatures, and whimsical accent pieces from poured concrete molds.

These solid, durable, weather-resistant statues give gardens personality and year-round interest.  Low maintenance stone planters, urns, bird baths, and benches add a more formal touch to landscapes and serve as long-lasting monuments in cemeteries.

The only items that Sue does not make herself are displayed in the front row of her lot on Route 50 in Saratoga. These statues are often acquired from statuary shows, like the one she and Jeff attended in Indiana that got her hooked on concrete artistry, and encouraged the couple to name the business after Jeff’s dog, Scuzzy, who was always playing in the mud.

Sue’s turtles, frogs, and rabbits are among her most popular items, but her mischievous gnomes, fantastical mermaids, mysterious sasquatch, and monstrous gargoyles also delight visitors that come from all over New York State, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to see her work. It’s meeting and talking with the people stopping by that she enjoys most about her job, she said.

Scuzzy’s also carries a small selection of equestrian-themed statues and Halloween-themed pieces at the end of the season. Anything that’s not in stock, Sue can usually find for a customer, if given enough time, she said. 

- Scuzzy’s Concrete Statuary, 2357 Route 50 South, in Saratoga Springs is open Wed-Sun, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. For updates, follow Scuzzy’s Concrete Statuary on Facebook.