Garden Art. Most people are usually on one side or the other: love it or hate it. I would be on the “love it” side – with some boundaries. Some people get carried away with garden art. Some can make it look more like a garden rummage. When done right, it can be the icing on the cake, a great accompaniment to your well-tended landscape.
Local Artist Wrought Iron
I have a fellow friend and blogger, Vanessa, who has quite a lot of garden art. I really like each of her selections, just not quite so many. (I do not consider her yard a rummage!) In the past, I have been very selective on what I put in my flower gardens. There are a few things to consider when choosing to add garden art to make it the finishing touches to your yard.
First, choose items that fit your sense of style. These items can be bought, recycled/upcycled, or even found. Style/feel options can range from: cottage, quirky, farm, whimsical, holiday or rustic. Secondly, they should blend or pair with something else in your garden. Consider a sculpture of cattails if you have a water feature, or a whimsical piece placed near airy plantings. Lastly, proportion is to be considered as well. Don’t put a tiny decorative metal bird in a mass planting where its “adorability factor” would be lost or a large piece that distracts your eyes from the beauty of the rest of the garden.
Other things to think about when looking for pieces to add to or accentuate an idea or feeling would be sound, color, focal point, structure, and even mementos. Structure ideas would be an archway, partition, decorative section of fence, or a bench. For sounds, there are bird recordings, water features, or wind chimes. Be selective and add one piece at a time. If you love your flower gardens, adding garden art is just the finishing details to your “room” to make it more complete.
I have bought an inexpensive bird bath and decorated it with colorful tile chips, a wrought iron dragonfly, a few wrought iron finial towers to add more interest in fall and winter, colorful pots for my deck, a sundial, and whimsical metal farm animals for my vegetable garden- just to name a few. Check out some websites like Willard & May, Garden Art, or Etsy for some good ideas. You can also find some nice local artists selling unique items at your local farmers markets or fairs.
Local artist wrought iron
The most trendy and popular items right now for decorating outdoor rooms are durable, like metal, water features, many, many things from recycled items, outdoor paintings and lots of COLOR. So, go for it. Don’t be afraid, begin to put the finishing touches on your outdoor room decorating!
