Decorative Elements Add Interest To Your Garden

Not every item in your garden, combination garden container, or hanging basket, has to be a living plant, shrub or tree. You have a lot of things depending on you ~ planted, or otherwise. Why not have a little something in the garden that’s just for you, that doesn’t require much maintenance while getting all of the attention?

Perhaps your hardest exertion is to decide where to place your garden delight. Blending into the surroundings naturally gives an easy style and creates a pleasant setting. Using available landscape and adapting to the area, just a few scattered accents are understated and effective.

Front and center would be a commanding area suitable for more ornate decorations that are intended to be a focal point for the garden. Fountains are ideal for such spaces and can become a launch point for other plantings and ornamentation.

Don’t limit brightly colored items to the front row. A shady corner is perfect for a brightly colored accent to add pop to the spot ! Wild birds and song birds for instance, prefer to rest, roost, bathe and feed in the coolness of the shade if they are given the chance. The animals enjoy all of the amenities that you provide, and you enjoy the addition of the item to help brighten the shady place ~ a beacon of beauty that you all share!

If you have ventured to any garden center, you know that the choices for decorating your planter or garden, deck or patio are practically endless. Garden space, wallet and energy dictate my boundaries these days, and not necessarily in that exact order!

So for this article, I have decided to focus on what I enjoy and put into practice. I have always liked to add whimsical elements to my plantings, whether it be a lazy lizard lounging at the succulents pot, or a surprised bunny at attention keeping things in order in front of the entry way. Imitation animal sentries, garden gnomes, and gargoyles stand guard to protect and serve. They serve to make me smile when I happen upon them while puttering around fussing with stuff I have planted.

Satisfy Yourself . . . At Least In Your Garden

I enjoy the wildlife that my garden and planters attracts. I realize that I am super fortunate that I do not have any major invader problems to deal with. No deer, no squirrel, I don’t vegetable garden so no real insect problems, and people seem to keep their pets happy in their own yards!

I try to do a little giving back to Mother Earth by helping out the wild birds. If you’d like to attract wild birds to your landscape, know that they give as well as take. They will eagerly take your seed from a suitable feeder, but they also take away pesky insects and grubs. But what they give is immense pleasure to me. The sight of them happily chirping and socializing tickles me to no end.

You can attract certain birds with specific seed formulations. Wild bird mix is inexpensive and it attracts, well . . . wild birds. Whatever happens to be in your neighborhood and is hungry for some sunflower seeds, millet and other yummy seeds. Remember, they are seeds and can very possibly sprout beneath the feeder.

There are as many styles of bird feeders as there are bird species. Thistle feeders are slimmer and smaller and attract the singing birds, which are entertaining dinner guests. Winter doesn’t have to stop the suppers either. Suet hung in decorative cages for this purpose keeps Tweety going in the cold months when food is scarce.

You can create a small sanctuary with your space and enhance it with whimsical elements. Accentuate a wildlife habitat by punctuating areas with items to adorn that also perform a function. Birdhouses, birdbaths and feeders add function and decoration to that carefully chosen spot in your garden landscape.

Never discount the value of a great trellis. Frankly, I like the look of them even empty! But as ‘empty space’ isn’t in my gardening vocabulary, all of my trellises are occupied and being highly supportive to me. :)

A trellis can come to the rescue of an area or plant’s shortcoming. They provide a plant its support and instills instant height whether filled out or yet to be. Some varieties of plants need very little coaxing to climb, while others may need to be weaved into position. Tendrilled species are the easiest to adapt to a trellis. For some varieties, you may need to aid their journey with string, wire or twist ties, just try to conceal your anchors.

Eeeek, a bunny is in the garden! Don’t worry, he won’t eat a thing. I love furry bunnies, squirrels, deer and kitty cats ~ don’t get me wrong. But for my garden, I’d prefer the artificial variety, thank you very much! They seem to be more welcome and do less damage than their hungry, grazing counterparts. Adding harmless statuary critters to the garden brings whimsy on a more natural note. Realistic or fantastic . . . they all can have their place in the sun (or shade).

Get spirited with Earthy decorative elements like hypnotizing gazing balls, melodic wind chimes, gothic gargoyles, try fairy village theme or the ever popular garden staple . . . gnomes.