For many people, the garden is an extension of the home; a living area to be beautified just as they would want to decorate the interior of their house. Much of the beauty, both in their eyes and those of the passer-by and visitor, comes from the garden layout, the plants and flowers, the trees, the terraces, and the lawns. Such beauty can be brought to life by the birds and butterflies that visit the garden. It can also be further enhanced by the choice and use of garden decor.

Types of Garden Decor

There are many types of garden decor that you can consider when designing or improving your garden. The use of the word 'decor' is traditionally used for the decoration of a house interior, incorporating everything from the furniture to the paint on the wall, and the fabrics used for curtains and bedding. There is no reason that a garden, an extension of the home living space, should not also be considered in the same way.

You could argue that all the flowers and plants in a garden are decor; in fact, I would not even argue. You are trying to create a beautiful entity in which you can spend leisure time, and which gives aesthetic pleasure as you look out of your window, relax in the summer sunshine, or arrive home from a concrete jungle on a summer's evening.

However, for the purposes of this article, we will consider garden decor as the decoration added to the garden plants, shrubs and flowers for both functional and aesthetic reasons. Once that is done, then garden decor falls into a number of popular types or themes, and all are worth considering.

Fountains and Waterfalls

The use of water in a garden with no natural water feature can greatly enhance it. Most people appreciate both the sight and sound of water, and it is definitely an aid to relaxation. I know I am not the only person in the world who finds it relaxing sitting or strolling by water.

Artificial garden fountains and waterfalls can make an impressive difference to your garden, either as standalone features or as part of a larger water garden and are well worth considering to help turn your garden into a complete outdoor haven.

Garden Statues and Ornaments

With a long historical background, statues have stood the test of time as a popular decor item. While classic statues may have been on a grand scale, and for public sites or stately homes and country mansions, they have found their own niche as garden decor in the modern and smaller garden.

Garden statues come in many styles and designs, some of them following ancient and classical traditions, such as cherubs and angels. Other popular subjects include animals, such as domestic cats and dogs, and wild animals such as lions and frogs.

Small statues, which some may call garden ornaments, can also be found for those of us with small gardens, and no scope for the great sculptures you may see in large country gardens.

Garden Containers or Planters

An important feature of any garden, especially those with patios, terraces or little visible soil, can be the containers or planters used to house some of your plants. Container gardening is a type of gardening in its own right, and you will find many books on the subject to choose the best plants to grow in a confined planter.

When it comes to the planters themselves, then you will find, as with statues, a wide range of designs, made from a choice of materials. There are attractive containers in concrete, fibrestone, fibreglass and plastic; if you like the reddy colour of terracota, then that can be used successfully in a formal or informal garden.

Planters, used carefully, can add height and shape to areas of the garden that may seem barren, and they can certainly bring a terrace or patio to life.

Other Garden Decor Possibilities

Really, there is no end to the possibilities of what you can use to decorate the garden. For particular holidays, such as Christmas and Valentine's Day, you may find ornaments and decorations to hang outside or stick in the ground. Then there are other types of decor that may be multi-purpose, with a functional or decorative use. Examples of these are decorative bird houses or garden lighting.

Allow your imagination some leeway as you design your garden, observe from visiting public gardens, plus what you see online, in magazines and around you, and I am sure you can come up with a unique mixture of garden decor and plantings that will be the envy of your friends and neighbours, and give you pleasure as long as you live there.

This garden decor article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Gardens and Decor web site.