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| 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.
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| Solar Lights on backyard path |
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| 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.
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| 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?
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| Garden angel |
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| Painted metal lizard |
