Garden accents are the very last finishing touches to the garden. After all the prep work, the hardscape, the plants, the bark, the outdoor patio furniture have all been installed, it’s time for a little exterior decorating.
There are dozens of types of garden accents available at home improvement stores, garden specialty stores, and online, ranging from statuary, birdbaths,
containers, wall hangings, fountains, specialty screens, fire pits – the list goes on and on. And within each type of garden accent there are unlimited choices.
In deciding which garden accents to buy, the operative word is tasteful. We hate to see a yard ‘junked up’ with all kinds of little knick-knacks. A few special items will do the trick.
Following are some photos and brief descriptions of some of the more interesting garden accents we have seen and used in our gardens.
- Statuary – the following is a photo of an Asian lantern we used in an Asian garden a few years ago. It is important that the piece chosen fits the style of the garden. For example, this lantern would look out of place in a Mediterranean style garden.
- Birdbaths – there are as many birdbaths out there as there are birds!
Better to choose one or two really cool birdbaths than jamming in ten in a small space.
- Containers – Containers deserve a special discussion. Details Landscape Art is very cautious about the use of containers – container gardening (especially the use of smaller containers) can be challenging to the homeowner. First of all, pots or containers allow limited space for plant roots to grow. The plant tends to get root bound unless it is periodically dug up, roots pruned and replanted. Secondly, and, most important,
- watering plants in containers is a challenge. It is difficult to use drip irrigation. When a garden is mature, the drip system should run from 30-45 minutes every five to seven days depending on time of year, climate, etc. If an emitter is placed in a container and connected to a line that is running 30-45 minutes at a time, the pot will flood. There is simply not enough space in the pot to hold all that water. The container will overflow, or else leak out the drainage hole at the bottom, and stain the patio it is resting on. In time the area beneath the container will become moldy. Hand watering is a better option, but if the owner goes on vacation, someone must water the pot. We always recommend buying the largest pot possible – even commercial sized containers, so the roots have a little space.
- Wall hangings – less common, but available, wall hangings can add interest to a blank wall.
- Fountains – again there are so many fountains out there. The sound of running water is mesmerizing, so we do like a nice fountain in the garden.
- Specialty screens – screens act as garden accents and also serve to delineate or separate areas of the garden.
- Fire pits – really a key feature in a garden rather than an accent, a really nice fire pit adds functional and visual interest to a patio.
Remember, garden accents must be tasteful. Not too many, not too flashy. Tasteful.