by Susan Hibberd

Created on: December 30, 2008   Last Updated: February 20, 2012

Adding decorative touches to your garden can do more than make it a pleasant place to sit. An impressive garden can add as much as $20,000 to the value of a home on the open market!

Adding those little magical touches that make a garden really special can be quite simple and inexpensive. The creativity that you bring to the project is the key to success. Think of your garden as a canvas, plan how you want it to look, and don't be afraid to experiment.

Mirrors

Mirrors are used all the time by interior decorators to make rooms look larger, and the same trick can be used in a garden. You don't have to use a new mirror, and sometimes an old mirror in a decorative frame has a better effect. Tuck the mirror away, half-hidden behind a hedge or tree, so that it tricks the viewer into thinking there is a break in the bushes where one can go through into another part of the garden. Try to cover the edges with greenery so that there are no hard edges showing.

Vintage Tools

Vintage tools look great in a country style garden. You can pick these up very cheaply at garage sales as people are generally looking for modern tools. Display them in neat rows, lay them around as if they have just been abandoned, or arrange in corners in sets of three.

Pots

Plant pots are a quick and easy way to introduce color into a garden, and link the planting with the hard surfaces. Depending on whether you are creating a traditional or a contemporary garden, place your pots in rows or groups. If you have large pots, leave them on their own in the middle of a patio or lawn for maximum effect. Use brightly colored glazed pots of metallic finished in a contemporary setting, and muted colors in a vintage garden.

Trellis

Trellis work adds interest to bare walls, and is very quick to erect. You can place the bottom of the trellis into a pot or trough if you want plants to grow up it, or decorate it with fairy lights and faux greenery. If you have a strong color theme to your garden, then paint the trellis to match.

Stepping Stones

Stepping stones, either bought or hand-made add subtle interest to a garden. choose ones as decorative or as sober as you like, and add them between borders or boldly across the lawn. See my other Helium articles on making your own stepping stones.

Border Edging

Border edgings come in a range of materials, and should be chosen to fit the theme of your garden. A modern garden would suit a metallic, moulded plastic or carved wooden edging, while a country garden would better

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