Ornaments for the Garden

Plants are a very important part of the garden but there are many other objects that go into creating a beautiful garden. These objects give structure, mood, and character to the environment and provide interest even during the winter when most plants are on vacation.

Walls, fences and hedges:
They can be brick, stone, wood, plastic, metal, wattle, stucco, adobe or some other natural or man made material. They can enclose your garden space creating a cozy, restful, private environment, provide a backdrop for beds and borders, or screen out an unpleasant sight. They can be formal (brick) or informal (stacked stone, white picket). Many provide a great opportunity for growing vines.

Paths:
Paths provide a way for the visitor to pass through the garden. They also provide structure, help to integrate the various parts of the garden, and add to its over all character. Paths may be of dirt, pine needles, bark mulch, grass, gravel, brick, stone or rock. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and each will create different moods. The use of different kinds of materials for paths with different purposes will add variety and interest to the garden.

Edgings:
Keeping the distinction between the path and the garden bed can be done with style by using an edging. They can be made from terra cotta, brick, stone, metal, wood or plastic. They can be formal or informal, functional or purely decorative. They add structure as well as beauty to the garden and should be chosen to complement the style of other garden elements. Antique Victorian edgers have been especially popular and are now being copied. They are usually made of tile, wrought iron, or wire the latter being more decorative than functional.

Trellises, arbors and pergolas:
All of these structures offer great possibilities for growing vines and adding vertical elements to the garden. Wisteria, honeysuckle, morning glories, clematis, moonvine and ivy are just a few of the beautiful vines that will grow on them. And then, of course, there are climbing roses that make almost any setting romantic. You will find them in a variety of materials including wood, plastic, and metal. Arches are a fabulous way of focusing attention and providing a beautiful entrance to a garden room. Tuteur and obelisks makes a strong architectural statement with or without plants growing on them. Vine covered pergolas can serve as outdoor rooms providing shade and comfortable sitting.

Seating:
Benches offer a place to sit, rest, and enjoy your garden but they also add to the structure and character to the garden. They may provide a focal point or help set the mood. They can be made from a variety of materials including wood, concrete, stone, metal and can be formal or informal.

Water features:
Both the sight and sound of water is relaxing and soothing so having a pool or fountain in a garden adds to the over all pleasure. Pools with a small waterfall are especially attractive and can be stocked with fish. Fountains come in many styles and sizes and may be free standing, or mounted on or up against a wall. The only special requirement is a source of electricity nearby to run the pump that circulates the water.

 

The Crown Jewels
In this group, I place statuary, butterfly houses, birdhouses, birdbaths, sundials, gazing balls and any other decorative object not covered in the categories above. There is a statue for every garden; I have chickens, a rooster and pig in my vegetable garden, the goddess Hebe at the end of my crape myrtle allee, and various other animals like hedgehogs, possum, and rabbits living in my bosco. They are made of concrete and not fancy or expensive but they are a pleasure to encounter as I weed or mulch. Birdhouses can be functional or purely decorative and can provide color or be a focal point in a border. Birdbaths will attract birds and can be very decorative. They come in many different sizes and may be simple or very fancy. Sundials mounted on a rock or pedestal make a great focal point and recall a bygone era. The most easily available is the horizontal kind with a flat dial plate marked with hour lines, and a gnomon that is raised and casts a shadow on the dial plate. Equatorial sundials are larger and look like the skeleton of a globe. A gazing ball is another ornament that provides color to a garden and gives it a soothing atmosphere. Any of the brightly colored pots you see in most garden center can be effectively used to add color and interest to the garden with or without plantings in them. The biggest challenge is not finding beautiful jewels for the garden but rather finding places to display them all.