What does your garden say about you? Is it a reflection of your personality? Are you a traditionalist? Are you whimsical? Are you orderly, outrageous, or a little zany? Your garden should be unique to you; an expression of who you are and an oasis for reading, rest, and contemplation.

Customizing your garden should be fun. Take a stroll through your neighborhood or the local garden center for inspiration. Keep a scrapbook of ideas and pictures you love from your favorite gardening magazines.

You should design your garden’s layout beforehand; incorporate your favorite plants and colors and consider the yard space you have available.

Use unique materials and hand paint signs that identify plant species. Flat rocks labeled with the plant name can easily be tucked into beds and pots. Use chalk paint on popsicle sticks for a fun, reusable option.

Utilize yard art. A weather vane can create a folksy and functional look - just don’t forget to add a penny as it is supposed to bring good luck. Look for uncommon and unusual objects that have special meaning to you, your environment, or a little treasure you picked up on a vacation.

Consider cast iron furniture which resists the elements while looking pretty. Cast iron is durable and versatile and comes in a myriad of styles that are decorative as well as functional.

Make a statement piece by painting a bench a vibrant color or create a quiet place for contemplation with a more subtle hue. Tuck your bench amid fragrant roses, use a café table to accent your patio plants, or place a baker’s rack with small pots of various types on it.

Also consider obelisks. They are elegant climbing supports that make enchanting focal points in cottage gardens or formal beds. Place them in large containers and plant with Clematis, Mandevilla, or Morning Glory for a beautiful addition to your garden.

Gazing globes have returned to fashion and come in a great range of colors and sizes. They reflect images of the landscape in shiny surfaces when displayed on pedestals, in birdbaths, or grouped together among low-growing plants.

 

A wide choice of outdoor, hanging décor is available to create a focal point on an otherwise uninviting expanse of brick or wood. From hanging planters to tiles, and masks to wall sculptures, they can bring a definitive touch to a boring space.

Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits have become increasingly popular. When placed center-stage on a patio or in the garden, they become natural gathering places. Try burning aromatic wood or add some fragrant herbs to the flame in a Mexican chiminea.

Trellises are an excellent way to dress up a small space. Acting as screens or dividers, and draped with flowers and foliage, they add an uplifting effect.

Whimsical statuary and classical sculpture have long been mainstays in formal and cottage gardens. These pieces can enhance your garden making it uniquely your own. Use architectural salvage materials such as porch columns, doors, and windows as garden sculptures as well.

Wind chimes sing soothing songs in the garden. Whether you want to create the ambiance of a tropical paradise or add a cheerful tune to a cottage garden, wind chimes ring in as an enchanting finishing touch.

Collections of butterfly and bird houses offer accommodations for our winged friends and encourage their visits to our gardens.

Try gardening in pots. Called container gardens, they are mobile if you enjoy rearranging periodically for a fresh look. Feature a favorite plant by placing on a pedestal, or position complimentary colors in groupings that can be changed with the seasons.

Make use of the unusual when selecting planters. Weathered pieces or old, castaway items lend a certain allure when used in moderation. Try a collection of old watering cans or metal tubs.

Gated entries and arbors can be used to separate one style or section of your garden from another. They also serve as focal points; providing a feeling of security and privacy.

 

WATER FEATURE OPTIONS

Use fountains in your garden. Water gardens date back to the Babylonians and Egyptians who used them as focal points in their courtyards. Aquatic garden features have continued in popularity in current times.

The sound of running water from a fountain or waterfall can be soothing or it can add a dramatic effect. Choose from formal to fanciful; the choice is purely personal, and the selections are endless.

Opt for a water wall, a wall fountain, a tabletop fountain, or a garden fountain. Consider pond-spitters or rain chains where rainwater flows down copper channels producing a pleasing sound from the eaves to the ground.

A water highlight can be made even more enjoyable with the addition of a bridge, gazebo, or pond side patio. Water gardening is so much more than aquatic plants and fish. Water flows over a fall, gurgles down a brook, or rushes from an ornate fountain, adding movement and music to any garden.

Today, most ponds are made with sheets of rubber liners or with preformed fiberglass pools. Garden centers carry a variety of these preformed pools in graduated sizes.

Dig a hole the size and shape of your pool configuration and set the form into it. Fill around the formation with dirt to enclose it tightly with no loose areas and as compactly as possible, to avoid any movement of the structure when adding water to it or when rainfall may become heavy causing a shift in the encasement.

Add water plants, Koi or smaller species of goldfish or other pond fish, along with a frog or two. If your waterfall-fishpond feature is too small to accommodate Koi, you may opt for the enchanting Japanese Fantails. Less pricey and a smaller than Koi, Fantails are beautiful.

The sound and presence of trickling water will create an idyllic setting and will become a soothing place of respite for you and your family. Expect that it will also become an attraction for a variety of wildlife. Birds, butterflies, and frogs may stop by for a visit.

You can expect other visitors to your little corner of tranquility - raccoons love a dip in the pool and an evening repast of fantails and water lilies.

One lovely, mid-summer afternoon, my husband was checking the pond and felt the presence of something gazing over his shoulder beside him. A large crane was hoping to enjoy a belly full of fantails at his newly discovered, and now-favorite lunch spot. Consequently, and to replace the fated Fantails, we purchased a handful of goldfish from the local pet store and they have tripled in size over the years.

In her book, “The Perfect Garden,” Sunniva Harte remarks: “The smallest of ponds adds depth of interest to a garden, making it feel more balanced and more in harmony with the natural world. Designer plants placed around a pool perimeter, or planted in the pool itself, give it a personality and transform it into an object of sheer beauty and delight.”

Think of your garden as an opportunity to express your creativity and give your garden some pizzazz by adding art that is meaningful to you. Trust that it will enthrall and entertain you for many years to come.