Garden Ornaments Add Whimsy to the Outdoors

Enhance the beauty and warmth of your flower or vegetable garden with a few garden ornaments. Decorating the garden has become a popular pursuit and stores that sell garden supplies now devote large amounts of floor and catalog space to everything from wind chimes to ornamental windmills.

When accessorizing your garden, remember less can be more. Don’t overwhelm the natural beauty of your garden with too many ornaments. Here are just a few ideas for using ornaments to bring out the best in your garden.

Garden stepping stones are both beautiful and functional ornaments. Create a path through the herb or rose garden with plain or ornate stepping stones. For unique stepping stones, buy a kit at a garden supply or craft store. You can embed meaningful objects or imprints in these do-it-yourself stones.

Fountains and ponds are some of the more elaborate ornaments used in gardens. Most water features need to be connected to both a source or water and a source of electricity. Your local garden supply center can offer advice on installing ponds and buying pond supplies.

Gazing balls will add a splash or color and reflection to your garden. Place the balls on bases of varying heights. In an area of low green foliage place an ornamental ball close to the ground. Among taller plants and vines, set the gazing ball on high pedestal. One creative gardener created garden globes from old bowling balls he found at thrift shops.

Statuary has long been used to grace garden landscapes. The cold stone and soft, green foliage make perfect complements. Tuck statues of animals or children at play into surprising corners of your garden. Move small garden statues around during the growing season to call attention to plants at the peak of their color.

Metal ornaments that hang on fences or sit atop stakes are popular additions to the garden. Ornamental stakes can double as plant markers. You just have to remember that the whimsical metal rabbit marks the row of carrots.

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