Adding Charm to Your Garden

Article: Garden Accents: How to Add Charm Without Adding More Work

7 Classic Garden Accents

• Birdbaths: Not only do birdbaths attract birds, they are also a great way to cover up bare spots where nothing seems to grow. You'll need to keep them clean and filled with fresh water if you hope to attract birds, but the small amount of work this requires is well worth the effort. To create a finished look, place a birdbath on top of a border made from decorative crushed rock or pavers, and then place pots of geraniums or marigolds around the base to add some color.

• Gazing balls: Use their reflective properties to "fill in" bare spots with the mirror image of surrounding plants, and bring light and color to shady parts of the garden. If you have small children or pets and are worried about the potential of broken glass, try a ball made from stainless steel or copper instead.

• Tree benches: A comfortable circular bench built around a large tree can make a big statement. It will give you a place to sit and relax, and it will also take the pressure off of trying grow grass (and mow grass) beneath a large tree.

• Arches and arbors: An arch or an arbor will give you height and provide a focal point in the yard without the pruning and upkeep required of a small tree (you can always go crazy and plant climbing vines next to it later on). Free do-it-yourself plans are widely available on the Internet, and most garden centers and home stores carry kits in a variety of styles that are inexpensive and easy to assemble.

• Dry Streambeds: A dry streambed is easy to make and doesn't require any of the maintenance of a full-blown water feature. Dig a shallow trench shaped like a gently winding stream. Lay down a plastic liner and cover it with gravel. Add large rocks and medium-sized stones to the edges. Sit back and relax. You've just eliminated another area to mow.
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• Tree stumps: If you have a protruding tree stump, it doesn't have to be an eyesore. With a little creativity, you can use it to your advantage. Add a mound of topsoil around the base of the stump and plant a few low-growing evergreens. Use the top of a stump as a pedestal to showcase a pot filled with flowers, a sundial, a small piece of statuary, or even a bird feeder.

• Garden stakes: Decorative garden stakes are both pretty and practical. From the sassy to the demure, use them to guide garden hoses safely around plants, remember what is planted where, support a floppy stem, or to insert a bit of color and whimsy into a garden bed.

Remember to Use Restraint

Adding charm with garden accents calls for a certain degree of tasteful restraint. Think of it like getting dressed, only your garden is the clothing and the garden accents are the jewelry. You don't want to ruin the overall look by "over accessorizing". Anything overdone in terms of garish colors or excessive numbers can end up looking tacky and detract from, rather than add to, your yard's character.

Tip: Make a "Cement" Garden

Put some fun inexpensive color and add interest to your home or yard with only a few dollars worth of paints and some cement! Go on a nature walk and gather some nice branches of whatever size you want to work with and paint them (I prefer spray paint and it is available in a large array of colors these days!)

Dig holes large enough to set your "tree" in cement. If you want to do a mosaic in the cement to use broken china or embed something you want to look at or show off! You could line a dull walk this way or in the back of the yard where it might be boring add perks of color and define your space. Indoors use pots and color that makes you happy and compliments your room!

You can hang a few things like small sun catchers or little chimes or perch a bird. You could even put the pretty tea cups you love and want to keep on display! Have a lot of fun "cement gardening" it takes a lot less work and money for this than the other kind of gardening and just as sweet to look at!

Article: Adding Character and Charm to Your Yard & Garden

Good gardens are simply beautiful, but great gardens are more than just beautiful, they have character and charm. They usually contain a number of "non-living" elements that are designed to add form and function to an already beautiful space. These elements add structure and visual interest without detracting from the living elements of the landscape. Here are a few classic ideas that will add instant character and charm to your yard and garden.

Bird Baths & Sun Dials

One of the great joys of gardening is being close to nature, and adding a bird bath or sundial is a simple way to draw in more nature to your landscape. Even if you don't feed backyard birds, offering a birdbath will entice birds flying by to visit your garden for an occasional drink or bath. The mere presence of a bird bath gives visitors the illusion that birds are nearby, and at the very least provides you with a miniature reflection pool.

Sundials add an ornamental, yet functional, element to the garden by representing the passage of the seasons and calculating local solar time. Flat sundials can be perched on the tops of tree stumps or placed on bare spots in the garden where nothing seems to grow. Tall shadow sticks or obelisks add height and visual interest.

Stepping Stones

Dressing up your garden walkways with a few well placed stepping stones is an easy and effective way to add interest to your outdoor space. Well-designed paths beckon to be walked along and lure curious visitors to places of discovery throughout the garden. Stepping stones come in many shapes and sizes. Most craft stores and garden centers offer a variety of do-it-yourself stepping stone kits that are easy to personalize. Add children's handprints, pieces of broken china, shells, leaves, or other odds and ends that have meaning to you.

Arches & Arbors

If you have an existing fence, hedge or border, consider adding some style to it with an archway or arbor. This gives your garden an instant focal point and creates strong vertical interest. Passing through an arch or arbor gives garden visitors a sense that they are entering a special place. Arbors can be rustic or formal in style and can used to create entrances or exits to places in the garden, or as partitions to separate outdoor "rooms." They also add space to your garden by allowing you to grow plants vertically.

Benches & Chairs

Benches and chairs invite you to stop and relax and take in the tranquility of the garden landscape. Having a place to "stop and smell the roses" also provides you with an outdoor seating area for quiet conversation and a place to go for inner reflection. An old wooden chair and small side table can transform an already beautiful garden into a functional outdoor living space.

Fountains & Water Features

Water symbolizes life, and nothing can transform a garden landscape faster than the addition of a water feature. Moving water soothes the gardener's soul and depending on the type of feature, can also offer the opportunity to grow new and different types of plants in the garden. Whether it's a quiet reflection pond, a cascading waterfall or a simple table-top fountain, the addition of a water feature will add a serene and magical aesthetic to your garden space.

The Serenity of Sound

Introducing an element of sound to your garden not only adds ambience, it functions as a way to drown out the sounds of a busy day. The rustling of tall ornamental grasses, soft wind chimes in the distance or the calming sound of trickling water all help block out neighborhood traffic and keep backyard conversations private. Eco-friendly gardening practices and native plants will invite singing birds, chirping crickets and calling frogs to your garden space.

Adding a few "non-living" features to your yard and garden is a great way to add character and charm without adding a lot of additional work. These elements can be used to create points of interest that compliment your living landscape, camouflage areas where nothing seems to grow, and provide another opportunity for you to let your own unique personality shine through in the garden.

Article: Add Finishing Touches with Garden Ornaments

Ornaments are a great way to add the finishing touches to your garden. Use them to add elements of color, shape, and texture that reflect your personal style. Whether whimsical or dramatic, garden ornaments don't need to be big in size to make a big impact.

Question: Adding Interest to Your Garden

Tips for adding interesting decor to your garden. Post your ideas.