Landscaping Detroit - Decorative Garden Accents

Decorative Garden Accents

Think of your garden like you would a room in your home. After planning the shape, tilling the soil, choosing the right plants the last step is to add those personal touches. And just like indoors this is accomplished with accessories.

What type of accessories or accents you add will depend on what you like and what type of garden you've designed. For example in a formal type garden you probably would not add whimsical looking birdhouses or a regal looking statue would look out of place in a cottage style garden.

That being said, nothing is written in stone just as indoors the garden should reflect your personality. Which simply means if you love something use it.

The following are examples of some of the accents that can be used to dress up your gardens.

Gates: Whether they are part of an existing fencing system or just free standing, a gate will add an architectural detail. Wooden, iron, plain or whimsically decorated let the gate reflect your personality.

Gazing Globes: Beginning in Victorian times gardeners have tucked these decorative spheres into their gardens. Available in a wide array of colors and sizes ranging from 10 to 14in, place one on a pedestal and watch how suddenly things begin to look magical.

Decorative Planters: Terra Cotta, Stone, Metal or Resin ? Plain, Colorful, Textured or a Whimsical piece.

Placing decorative planters filled with beautiful flowers within your garden adds interest and a focal point. These can be moved around the garden or replanted later in the season with new plants.

There are so many types of planters to choose from, just have some fun with them. Also, any container you happen to have whether it's an old watering can or one lone rubber boot can be made into a decorative container as long as it has some type of drainage.

Statues: Choose from Cherubs, Religious Figures, Lions, Birds or Frogs. They can be large or small made of marble, stone or resin. Adding one or several give interest and whimsy to any size garden.

Furniture: Place a bench in or near a garden and it immediately says, "Sit, Relax and Enjoy".

Choose materials ranging from Cedar, Pine to Metal, buy something new or scrounge around your attic or basement for an older piece not being used anymore.

Birdbaths: A functional and decorative focal point. Most commonly seen birdbaths are shallow simple basins that sit on a pedestal, usually made of cement, porcelain or plastic. Mini versions are becoming popular for placing on patios and walkways.

Fountains: Water is a necessity in the garden; therefore having a fountain just seems natural. They provide a soothing sound and become a beautiful accent. The most common styles include; wall mounted, free standing, single basin and multi-tiered.

Birdhouses: Found at nurseries, home improvement, discount stores and flea markets, this is probably the easiest of accessories to add. They can be simple square wooden boxes to elaborately detailed versions; you might even try your hand at making your own.

Mount or hang them on a tree, place on top of a pole or simply sit one on an old bench or chair. If your also hoping for them to take on tenants, make sure to check dimensions as different species of birds prefer certain sizes.

On two trees that sat back away from the house we attached simple rectangular shaped wooden houses with small entrance holes in the front. Each spring we were rewarded with two families of beautiful Blue Birds making a home in those houses. Watching mom and dad first preparing the inside then little heads peeking out and finally the first flight was marvelous.

Sundials: Here's an accent that may not be common but has been around since early civilization. Of course in the beginning their sole purpose was to measure time. You can still mark time with them but what a unique decorative accent they'd make in your garden.

Stepping Stones: Another fun way to accessorize your garden. Even if you don't use them to walk on one or two placed amongst your plants look wonderful. Plain or decorated with a picture, pick whatever suites your garden.

I've used simple terra-cotta color stones around colorful flowers, light colored cement ones with embedded pebbles and bits of ground glass that sparkle around shrubs. Around shrubs or flowers that attract butterflies or hummingbirds find stones with a print on them to match the theme of the plant.

Whether it's an elaborate water feature, a simple resin turtle or something just for fun, keep in mind it's just like dressing a room in your home. After all the main elements are in place the final touch is to embellish and personalize with decorative accents.

This is a share ware article. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice. Copyright Š 2005 bonnie carrier.

Bonnie P. Carrier is the creator of Savvy Home Decorating & Savvy Outdoor Decorating. She is the mother to two grown daughters and a very spoiled 4yr old Blue Merle Sheltie named Toby. Stop by for information and ideas for both inside and outside your home.

http://www.savvy-home-decorating.com http://www.savvyoutdoordecorating.com

Car Insurance Rates | Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 | 2 |

Rock Gardens - A Different Kind Of Garden
Planting a Rock Garden is a great alternative to the normal flower and vegetable garden.Where Should This Garden Go:Typically an ideal spot for a rock garden is on a slope or naturally terraced area with ro...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

How To Find And Work With A Porch Swing Contractor To Install The Porch Swing Of Your Dreams
You've found a great Porch Swing and you know exactly where you want to put it, and it's not on the Porch. If you're a Do-it-Yourselfer, no problem. All ...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

Buying A Lawn Mower
Anyone with a lawn, no matter how small will at some point need to cut the grass, up root any weeds etc. Like most people, I normally manage to do this at weekends. Unfourtunately for me, recently, the cable on my lawn mower was cut when trimming the grass at the weekend.This of course led me to go any buy a new mower (had an excuse now!). For what its worth, I would recommend anyone with a small to medium size lawn to purchase a lawn mower that comes with a grass gatherer attached- you will wounder how you managed to live without it!.On a saftety point of view, 'power plugs' only cost around Ł10. They immedialely cut the power from the p...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

How To Create A Zen Garden
When you hear the term "Zen Garden" the picture conjured up is of a dry landscape with rocks surrounded by carefully raked gravel which invites you to withdraw from the noise of the world outside and to enter into silent meditation. Some say that zen priests adopted the dry landscape style in the eleventh century...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

Secrets Of Growing Killer Tomatoes
Tomatoes have always been my favorite garden vegetable to grow and to eat. I have had success with the other standard garden vegetables, such as cucumbers, bell peppers, cauliflower etc. but tomatoes became my specialty over the years.I start my seeds indoors approximately 5-6 weeks before the last expected frost date. I use a commercially available starting flat that will hold 72 seedlings. I prefer plant the Tomato Park's Whopper? Cr Improved, VFFNT Hybrid which can be ord...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

Gardening Is Good Therapy
Many of us garden just for the sheer joy of it. But did you know that all over the country the healing aspects of gardening are being used as therapy or as an adjunct to therapy?Although this might sound like a new concept, garden therapy has been around for decades...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

Pond Filter
A pond filter is one of the most important components for your pond, without one your pond water would get really mucky. The kind you need depends on its size and whether or not you have any fish.Filters come in different sizes and varieties. You can get external, submersible, bio and others. They range in price from 40 or 50 dollars, all the way up above $1500.00 and more.Having a pond filter is not the only thing you need to have nice clear water. You also need a UV filter and plenty of pond plants, especially in the summer when it gets really warm. The t...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

Co2 For Free
We've all heard that there is no such thing as a 'free lunch'; well the process described in this article may be as close to one as you get. Most of us already know the benefits of CO2 enrichment for photosynthesis. To maximize indoor growing and greenhouse potential, CO2 is supplemented to maintain an approximate level of 1500 ppm, this can require frequent trips to an industrial gas supplier and/or a lot of propane or natural gas use, and related costs. It is ironic that many indoor farmers are exhausting CO2 to the outdoors from home heaters and hot water heaters while simultaneously releasing or generating CO2 for an indoor grow room or a greenhouse.Propane and Natural gas burn clean enough that small non-vented gas devices have been approved for indoor use. These gas burning devices all use ox...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

How To Grow Cooking Herbs
Grow your own cooking herbs to add fresh zest and flavor to your menus year-round!Is It a Cooking Herb or a Spice?The first thing to know in selecting which herbs to grow is the difference between cooking (culinary) herbs and spices. The cinnamon stick you put in your hot chocolate or apple cider is a spice while the parsley on the edge of your plate is an herb. 1.Cooking herbs are usually the fresh or dried leaves of plants while spices are the ground seeds, roots, fruits, flowers, and/or bark. 2.Herbs grow very well in temperate zones, while spices generally come from tropical areas. 3.Herbs add subtle flavor, whereas spices are generally more pungent and add more robust flavor.Herbs run the gamut of about 70 cultivars, broken into categories of medicinal, ornamental, and aromatic as well as culi...(related: Landscaping Detroit)

How To Win The War Against Slugs And Snails
Slugs are one of the most hated of garden pests. You may have spent time carefully planting out your seedlings into the bed, but when you return next morning, you find chewed leaves, the growing points nibbled away and a mass of slimy trails all around. All clear evidence that garden slugs, or sometimes snails, have been enjoying a nocturnal feast at your expense.Slugs thrive in moist temperate conditions and feed at night when temperatures are greater than 50°F. They ...(related: Landscaping Detroit)