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Adding decorative touches to your garden

by M. J. Joachim

Interesting Ways to Decorate Your Garden

Can't you just picture it? It's a wide open canvas with nothing but the imagination of the artist to fill it in. And of course, this is no ordinary canvas because it grows and moves with the wind, sending fragrant aromas through the air, and being attended to by butterflies, birds, and all sorts of little critters eager to see what you've made for them. How can you possibly add to the beauty nature has already created here, in your garden?

You can't! But you can accent it with just about anything you can think of. With a little imagination, you can highlight the intricate features of each plant you placed in the ground. You can even plan to add decorative touches to your garden before planting anything at all.

Raise the Beds

You can create a multi-layer garden with fun decorative touches that will show off your plants, sparkle in the sun, and be easier to manage. All you need are some borders that stand up a foot or two. Outline the bottom portion of your garden with the border. Fill it in with dirt. Add another section of border in the middle, and fill that in with dirt. Add a third and fourth section, until you have as many sections as you want. Plant your plants, and enjoy your multi-level garden, cascading like a waterfall onto each layer below.

Paint the Backdrop

If you live in an enclosed yard, add a mural to the wall or fence that will complement your plants. You can even make a mock gate, and attach an overhang with side trellises for added interest. This will create the perception of depth for your garden.

Invite the Animals

There's nothing like a little running water to add atmosphere to a garden. Bird baths and fish ponds have been used to decorate gardens for years. Fountains can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes, and will add decoration to any garden. If you're not into water features, think about getting a tortoise, some chickens, or even a bunny.

It's true, these animals often eat the plants, but you can pen them off and still use them as an unusual decoration for your garden. Animals have the added benefit of eating yard waste and producing fertilizer. They're quite beneficial to any avid gardener.

Enjoy the Trinkets

Handmade plant markers, stepping stones, antique doodads, and all sorts of other items have been used to decorate gardens. You can choose to follow a theme, or be completely abstract when adding miscellaneous items to your garden. Wind chimes and bird houses are always a good bet, but so are random rocks that create a path to nowhere.

There is no right or wrong when you choose to add decorative touches to your garden. Personal preference is all that is required, and yours is the only one that matters.

Helium, Inc.
200 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 USA