Using Garden Sculptures and Ornaments

Almost exactly a year ago my good and crazily creative, friend, Kay, showed my how to make a hypertufa planter. The stone trough which I created from this visit is a huge hit in my garden. So much so that I blogged merrily about the whole experience. How to create a stone trough. So when Kay suggested a return trip to have a go at creating more garden sculptures and ornaments – this time a willow chicken – I jumped at the chance.

However, four hours and two gin and tonics later, my willow chicken looked more like a dinosaur. I just couldn’t get the chicken’s head right. Kay’s was much much better, though if I’m honest, hers looked like a very angry chicken – bordering on an aggressive goose!

Despite my woeful willow-work, I still had the most amazing time, and I proudly brought my ‘chicken’ home with me. But, understandably, as I sit down to write, I don’t feel qualified to write a blog on how to make a willow chicken.

So instead I’m going to focus on the broader theme of how your choose and position garden sculptures and ornaments.

Why Use Garden Sculptures and Ornaments

To me a garden sculpture or ornament provides additional impact. Such pieces show personality, or underscore a gardening style. For instance, the magnificent weathered stone sculpture above, with moss and lichen growing on it, instantly evokes a rather old world, calm and restful gardening style.

Sculptures provide structure and interest to a garden. From this point of view they’re expecially useful in winter when there’s less going on. Take this semi buried head. It provides a surprise moment of interest and calm in an out of the way space that otherwise doesn’t really have a lot going on.

Garden ornaments and sculptures also encourage people to travel through a garden. They lead the eye through the space. For the same reason they can also divert attention.

Garden sculptures can help disguise a tatty area or add some va va voom to otherwise unimaginative planting. Or they provide a focal point. This handsome heron does this brilliantly in the garden of Pember Cottage which is in my village.

But remember, what you use doesn’t have to be a conventional ‘sculpture.’ For instance, my friend Denise, has cleverly used this rather sculptural and beautiful plant support below, planted up with wisteria, to provide a focal point in her lovely courtyard garden.

Equally I’ve designed the line of pots which arc through my garden to take the eye through the space.

How to Choose Garden Sculptures and Ornaments

Classic stone statues, modern metal artwork, carved faces, geometric shapes, urns, elaborate clay pots, cubes, wooden stumps, driftwood pieces – there seems to be an overwhelming choice. So how do you choose what to go for? For me the rules for choosing garden sculptures and ornaments are pretty straightforward.

Style

Firstly, from a style point of view, if you think something is attractive or if it means something to you that’s all that matters. I can’t abide the idea of ‘good taste.’ If you have something in your garden which pleases the ‘taste police’ but which you don’t particularly like, what’s the point? Your garden is for you and your family – and all the insects and animals which live in it. So Iong as it pleases you and nature I think that’s all that matters.

Size

When it comes to garden sculptures and ornaments, size matters. A really large piece may over power a small patio or roof terrace. Similarly a huge garden may swallow up a tiny sculpture. That said, its good to break rules sometimes. For instance, you might think a horse would only work in a huge setting such as above. Which is utterly breathtaking.

However, the aforementioned Kay has a driftwood horse in her front garden. The space is big but not huge, yet the horse – charging behind some glorious, wild planting – works well.

Kay’s clearly got a brilliant eye for what will work size-wise. But not all of us have this skill. So how do you avoid getting it wrong?

Well, ideally you’d bring the sculpture home to try it. But that often is just not possible. So, to help you visualise it in your garden there are some techniques.

For a sculpture that’s large – 6ft tall – ask a tall friend to stand in the space. For something smaller use a chair as an approximation. Piles of rocks or wood are also useful as a way to envisage a bulkier piece – either on their own or combined with chairs.

If you have done this and concluded that a sculpture is too small for your garden, but you’ve fallen in love with it, don’t forget plinths. These are a great way to provide additional height to a smaller piece of sculpture. And if you have lush planting growing at the base of the plinth they can be really impactful and beautiful too.

Material

The traditional materials for garden sculpture in the past were stone and bronze and these are beautiful and hard-wearing. Nowadays wood, glass and resin versions of bronze, aluminium and iron are popular too.

The one thing to ensure when buying something for the garden is that it will survive outdoors. This is especially important if the item is in a home furnishings store. For instance, interior pieces are often made of stone materials such as Ancaster and soapstone. Both may be subject to penetration by rain, which may freeze in winter and potentially split the stone.

If you are going for a clay piece, check that’s it’s frost-proof. And remember that wood, unless it’s treated, will weather, so it may not last very long. It will also discolour. I personally love the look of weathered wood, but if you are going for a very contemporary look, a weathered piece of wood will jar with that style.

Similar things like willow chickens (and dinosaurs) will rot. So you may need to be prepared to bring them indoors and store them over winter.

Many sculptors nowadays work in sheet metal, such as corten and stainless steel. It is virtually indestructible and can be finished in different colours.

Again on the basis that these items don’t have to be scupltures and can be practical too, I’ve seen very effective sheets of corten steel used to create decorative dividers. I think these could be impactful – and very long lasting – in the right setting.

Positioning Your Garden Sculptures and Ornaments

When it comes to positioning your garden sculptures and ornaments, a lot will be determined by what you are trying to achieve.

Clearly if you want your sculpture to be seen from the house, or even a specific room – that will drive your positioning of the piece.

Corners

Corner spaces are often unused empty parts of a garden, which is a shame as our eyes are naturally drawn to these areas. As a result I’d recommend you consider whether a creative element such as a large statue, a fountain, or sculpture might work in the corner parts of your garden. With such spaces being typically quite neglected it will be a lovely surprise to a visitor if you have something beautiful in such an area.

Emphasising Features

Garden sculptures and ornaments also work well near steps, framing a view, in alcoves or at the end of a feature such as an archway, line of trees or rill.

For instance, at the end of a rill at this wonderful Ampney Crucis garden is a very handsome figure of a dog.

I’m guessing a treasured pet. From a distance you can just pick it out of the darkness. enough to intrigue you. And that’s the point. It makes you want to take a proper look. It’s a highly personal, if very handsome touch which you truly enjoy when up close.

Empty pots in the same garden act as brilliant ornaments. They show how practical items can be decorative. In the picture below the pot is livening an area, providing a powerful punctuation point.

Whereas this urn below, its shape beautifully emphasised with planting, provides a focal point in a patio area.

Garden Sculptures and Ornaments Adding Structure to Planting

In my own garden, I’ve used an empty pot which you are meant to use for growing strawberries, as an ornament. It provides a bit of structure next to an otherwise rather wild area of planting where a nepeta is running riot!

Plain Areas

Sculptures can also enliven quite plain areas. For instance the edge of the pond below is next to a large expanse of lawn. There’s no planting or trees to enliven the scene. However such a blank canvas provides a real opportunity for the sculpture of ducks to be shown in all its glory. The scene is perfect for the ducks and the ducks give life to this large but drab scene.

But you can’t expect a sculpture to solve all your gardening problems. This immense metal sculpture below is providing a distraction from an otherwise very dull garden. It even distracts the eye for a moment from a truly unattractive green chair. But the overall effect is not lovely.

Little Moments of Magic

This brings me neatly to my next point. Garden sculptures and ornaments don’t have to be big to have impact. I think smaller items tucked into beds, or popped onto patios can be wonderfully effective.

I’d rather like to come across a wild woolly sheep like this one below, when bimbling around a garden! In fact I might be able to find some old bed springs, I wonder if I could make one with Kay! Kay, don’t panic, only joking.

Seriously though, I hope these tips and tricks for creating impact with garden sculptures and ornaments are useful…I’ll leave you with an amazing video of driftwood birds around my friend Bo’s gorgeous pond. These were positioned as part of an art exhibition but I think they look beautiful. They vivdly illustrate how powerful art and nature can be when put together.

Happy, chicken-free gardening!