![]() |
| Wind Chime |
7/9/11
Gardeners do a lot of planning to get just the look and layout they want each season. We plan for plant height, color combinations, fragrance, foliage, and fresh flower cuttings to bring inside our homes. We plan for sun, shade, trying new plants and native plants, and discarding rejects. And we accessorize our gardens. Accessories give a final, personal stamp on our designs. Many gardeners put much effort into ornamenting their gardens. I have seen gardens with complete fairy villages tucked in among the plantings. Some gardeners design an area of their garden or yard for their grandchildren and embellish it accordingly.
There are a few ornaments in my garden and yard, but I have not given a lot of thought and planning to accessorizing. I have always wanted to have a sitting area intergrated in my gardens or out in the yard. But I have only had decks or patios attached to the house with seating. A gazing ball is another item I would like to try, but I have never had a garden where it would "fit." I do possess a large, heavy wind chime, but I had to take it down. It is so frequently windy here; it was clanging pretty loudly most every day. I was afraid it was disturbing the neighbors, and the constant clanging was starting to bug my husband and I. There is a small, quieter one out in the yard.
![]() |
| Solar Lights on backyard path |
![]() |
| Solar star |
Lighting provides a dramatic touch to a yard and garden at dusk and at night. I have solar lights lining my backyard path, and a single solar star with changing colors that provides interest in the flower garden at night.
Some of nature's own handiwork can be used as ornamental touches in the garden. There is a large boulder that sits in the center of my flower garden. It is outfitted with hidden plumbing, so it is also a water feature. Water comes out the top and flows over the sides when a switch is turned on.
![]() |
| Boulder water feature |
There is a variety of garden decor to choose from: decorative stakes and planters, fountains, statues and sculptures, spinners, stepping stones, birdbaths, topiary frames. Here are two more photos of my limited garden ornaments. What do you have in your garden?
![]() |
| Garden angel |
![]() |
| Painted metal lizard |
Beautiful garden accessories. All of them. I really liked the Garden Angel. But if I were actually present in your garden, I'd perhaps vote for the water feature. The sound of water flowing in a garden is very soothing. I haven't invested any accessories in my garden, because it's a really small rooftop garden. But my even smaller balcony garden has an abandoned hornet's nest, which I'd like to think of as an interesting garden accessory.
ReplyDeleteAnita
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comments. Flowing water is a very soothing sound. I would say an abandoned hornet's nest, part of nature's handiwork, is a garden accessory.
I like your garden ornaments and pretty solar lights. I love garden ornaments. I have fantazy figurines such as toads, frogs, ducks, swans, wind chimes, water fountains and even a wind whirligig.
ReplyDeleteAutumn Belle
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting. You seem to have ornamented your garden with lots of wonderful things.
You've thoughtfully incorporated an intriguing range of ornaments, enhancing your spaces for sure. The effect makes me feel at home.
ReplyDeleteLee
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice comment. Thanks. I think we gardeners do arrange our gardens to make us feel at home.
I love your garden accessories, Lana. Love the way your garden looks with the solar lights lining the path. I too have a lot of solar lights throughout my garden (including several color changing ones), and I have three fountains at different areas. (Your water feature is gorgeous!) I also have a gazing ball, a stainless steel one with an aurora finish on it. I took it off the stand and just put it on the ground in one of my flower beds and really like it there, it looks amazing when the sun shines on it. I also love windchimes and pretty containers, even use pretty rocks as accessories in my garden. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt was thoughtful of you to consider the neighbors might tire of your big wind chime. The solar star is interesting, I've not seen one of those. I am always intrigued by unique water features and I am wild about stones.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog.
Sherry
ReplyDeleteThanks for your nice comments. I never thought of putting a gazing ball on the ground. Nice idea. You sound like you have a lot of wonderful garden ornaments.
Nelljean
ReplyDeleteThanks for your nice comments. I have never had a stone as a garden ornament until we moved here to the desert. They are used quite commonly here.