Garden decor includes just about everything in the garden other than the plants and the functional elements. It includes yard decorations, garden sculptures, statues, bird feeder, birdhouses, fountains, and wind chimes, among other decorative accessories. Such accessories can be purchased or handmade. They made be fine art sculptures or collages of found objects. Whether they are bronze statues or old lobster crates, they serve the same purpose-to add interest to the garden area.

Many gardeners use decorative items to establish a theme for their gardens. No one will doubt the gardener’s devotion to everything nautical with old buoys, anchors, and rope tastefully assembled in the garden. Handcrafted sculptures of animals make it clear the homeowners appreciate wildlife and handmade and primitive art. Wagon wheels, horseshoes, and yokes for oxen create a distinctive western theme, whether the garden is in the west or the east.

Pergolas, trellises, and garden gates serve both practical and aesthetic purposes. They help define a space, support plants, control access, and create places to sit. Tastefully placed, they add structure and beauty to the landscape. While very different from these garden structures, steppingstones and garden paths also combine beauty and function. Brick, wood, natural stone, and manufactured stone are popular and readily available materials. Each gives a different feeling, from rustic to refined.

In terms of sensory delights, gardens are best appreciated for their visual appeal and fragrance. You can add the dimension of sound to your garden with fountains. The sound of moving water is at once soothing and stimulating. And you don’t need a lot of space for a water feature. Another way to add sound to your garden is with wind chimes. Like the plants in your garden, wind chimes are a dynamic element in the landscape, ever changing.

The majority of garden plants have a season or two of interest. A maple tree, for example, is exquisite in fall when the leaves are ablaze with colors. Roses are at their best when they are in full bloom in summer. Bulbs and many perennials provide spring color, while most annuals bloom later. Statues and other garden decor items take over where the plants leave off. They don’t distract from or overwhelm the plants; rather they provide interest when the plants are not at their most striking.