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Garden Décor: Ideas To Infuse Your Garden With Charm And Character

By Esmee McCornall

There is no limit to the prettifying and relaxing powers of avid garden decor. A terrace hived away in fieldstone that borders a cultivated garden; a footpath created of old brick that meanders between beds of flowers emphasized by elegant garden statuary; a summerhouse that anchors the center of a number of conventional flowerbeds - all these and several more decorative refinements can and will upgrade your garden from average to breathtaking!

You want an example? Well, strategically based garden lighting for example can bring your landscaping to life and make your evenings last longer. Consider applying tiny, bright chains of lights woven through the branches of trees to create a phantasy world feel or pathway solar lights shaped like lanterns to lend an Asian affect.

Garden furniture can be an immense component in garden decor design. Consider the different directions in which the silverish, raw tones of weather-beaten teakwood benches or the crimson of a span of Adirondack chairs would affect your garden composition. Accessories are crucial, too: integrating stone or alloy statuary, wind bells, birdbaths and bird feeders into your garden design will give it a extremely personalized spirit.

Although terraces and other seating areas support congregating and socializing, support structures such as trellises and lattices, gates, benches and stone walls provide definition for your garden. And although there are no strict rules for selecting and employing the components of your garden’s decor, these are a few hints for trying out different scenarios:

A place for everything and everything in its best place: When ranging your beds of flowers and borders, keep garden supplements in mind. Will your stone bench work better in the middle of your beds of roses or under an aging tree? Will your bronze armillary overwhelm the plants next to it? Should you buy an antique watering can to accent your wildflower garden? By decently placing an object, you can avoid having it look as it if was placed randomly in the garden.

Create focal points by placing decorative elements or functional pieces where garden paths naturally conjoin or in areas where they are a good fit: A frog statue looks great by a pond. Not on the edge of a patio. Birdbaths can fit into several different arenas, but benches and other garden seating work best when placed in a comfortable, shady area with a wonderful view.

Avoid making your garden appear 'junky' and rather 'cheap'. Remember that it's probably a better idea to use just a couple of large and themed decor objects (such as a statue, fountain, sundial, armillary, stone benches) rather than a large number of smaller garden objects spread all over the place. And one more hint: keep both the size of your garden and plants in proportion with the chosen objects.

Upgrading your garden from average to breathtaking is a matter of trying and (probably) re-trying. It's probably fair to say some re-arranging will be involved. Think and plan, but don't waste too many hours on it. There comes a point when you just have to get out there and get your hands dirty.

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Copyright by Esmee McCornall

Esmee McCornall is a 'Gardoholic' publisher and writer. She recently published a guide called "Tips and Tricks to Create the Garden You Always Wanted". You can download a FREE copy at http://www.gardensandflowers.net

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