Garden Decor

Garden décor is often the reverse of what you would consider for interior home décor. While house plants are part of your home décor, plants in your garden are the major attraction while furniture and other more permanent structures make up the décor. Garden décor isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. You need to find pieces to put in your garden that won't overwhelm it with size, but won't have the tacky feel of small items seemingly strewn about your garden. Each garden requires its own personalized décor, but remember a good rule of thumb is not to take anything too far in one direction. You'll probably want some permanent structures in your garden, but don't litter your garden with several items that don't go well with one another or your garden.

Garden Furniture and Sculptures
This is the main component of garden décor for most home gardens. Of course, garden furniture or sculptures can also be almost anything: garden benches, garden chairs, birdbaths, statues. There's no reason you can't have a small set of furniture with a small table. After all, you may want seating that accommodates a small contingent of guests with whom you can converse and enjoy your garden. Sculptures and statues are even more varied with options. Gnomes, angels, scarecrows, or more free form sculptures are all popular garden décor items. Don't be afraid, either, to choose something less traditional, but don't get frustrated or indecisive and choose three mismatched sculptures that will only create aesthetic confusion.

Garden Lighting
The most obvious and advantageous reason to install garden lighting is to extend the time you can see and enjoy your garden. Garden lighting can take all kinds of shapes and designs. You can string lights through your trees to create a surreal atmosphere in your garden or a series of lanterns can be the demarcation for your garden walkways. Bright outdoor lighting will make your garden look stark and full of light and dark contrast. Colored lighting can imbue your garden with a more playful feel—you can have a garden during the day and a floral painting full of color at night.

The number and type of lighting fixtures you have will have a serious impact on your garden décor as well. More focused accent lighting will create greater areas of shadow. Grazing lighting will blanket your garden with a softer, more uniform illumination. You probably think extension cords and other simple lighting hardware is tacky. Hire an outdoor lighting contractor and he or she can run wiring throughout your garden to make your lighting design blend in naturally.

Garden Ponds, Waterfalls, and Fountains
There's no substitute for water in your yard or garden. Visually appealing and relaxing, water works great in your garden. Garden ponds allow you to add water plants and flowers, fish and other aquatic life, as well as diversify the look and style of your garden. Waterfalls and fountains give a garden the distinctive sound of falling water. Instead of putting a meditation CD in your I-Pod, you can have the real thing right in the middle of your backyard. It's perfect for more active gardeners who like to constantly work outdoors. Needless to say, these installations are more expensive and more complicated than lighting and garden furniture, but they're often not as expensive as some homeowners imagine.