Garden ornamentation and decoration - hints and tips

 

Lovely ornamentation can transform your garden into an outdoor, alfresco living area that you will want to use throughout summer. Garden ornamentation will give your garden an air of sophistication and also provide focal points. Ornaments can reflect your own personal taste and add to the general theme of your outdoor areas

 

Hints on choosing garden ornaments

When choosing garden ornamentation there are three basic styles:

Classical - statues, water fountains, sun dials

Natural - beautiful rocks, natural springs

Whimsical - gazing balls, fairies, scarecrows

 

Choose items that blend with your outdoor theme, not those that compete with it. If you have a native, bush garden you should not consider a classic Greek statue.

Think about whether your ornamentation needs to have a dual purpose. For example a birdbath can be used to feed and water birds as well as simply looking decorative.

Before buying garden ornaments ensure they will withstand weather conditions. This sounds obvious but it is surprising how many products on the market are simply not suited to being left outdoors.

Less is best can very often apply to garden ornamentation. One of two well chosen items can often be far more effective than many random items that can sometimes simply make your garden look cluttered.

Consider how you will see your ornament from various positions around the garden and from within the house. If it is something very special it might be nice to see it from within the house during winter. Consider what will be directly behind the ornament. If you are thinking of buying a white statue it would be senseless to place it directly in front of a white flowering shrub.

Ensure that your garden ornaments have no sharp edges or corners.

Water features are good if you want to attract birdlife into your garden.

If you buy something expensive that will be in clear view in your front garden then you must ensure it is firmly secured so that thieves don't attend. On our front verandah we once had two extremely heavy gargoyles which a drug addict was busily attempting to steal one day. Yes we did apprehend him. He managed to get away but the Police eventually caught up with him. Those gargoyles would have weighed 60 kgs each but it goes to prove that some people will have a go at stealing anything.

For those of us who are budget conscious try re-using items such as old wheel barrows, an old boot to grow a plant in or maybe a discarded milk urn. Salvage yards often have suitable items for little cost.

 

 

Helpful web sites:

Magical Garden
Unusual ornaments

Hire a wishing well
From this Perth, WA business

 

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