The Well Appointed Garden

I heard someone say once, that “A garden without ornament is a like a sentence without punctuation.” In that case, here’s to dotting our i’s! I’ve always been interested in garden decor. It’s actually the first thing I notice about a garden. I find it more important than the actual flowers and plantings sometimes.

A friend once remarked after I said this, “Isn’t that kind of putting the cart before the horse..?” “Yes”, I replied, “how else is he going to push it?” Seriously, we all love beautiful objects and placing them among the flora adds life and dimension to nature’s already perfect balance.

This charming little guy always attracts attention. “The Little Teaser” cast by Florentine Craftsmen of Connecticut, is a classic balance of trickling water and humor. My friend Jean has this lead figure in her pond and he always brings a smile.

This cast lead cherub bird bath was converted into a fountain, and I now use it as central focal point in my Lewes, DE garden.

Garden structures themselves can be just as ornamental, like this gorgeous copper roofed tea-house folly.

Or this wonderful Gothic-inspired tool shed!

For the “horsey-set” this classic jockey hitching post is always in style. These iconic figures became symbols of gentrification and hospitality, and still evoke the aura of a more gracious era.

A well placed wall fountain is a perfect way to add trickling water where space is at a premium.

This enormous antique bird house adds stately charm to the roof of the pool house at my friend’s Lillian and Tim’s home in Lewes, DE.

For a beautiful selection of garden structures and decor be sure to visit Garden Accents in Conshohocken, PA. I stopped there several years ago and was blown away by the quality and style of their merchandise.

Happy Gardening!