There’s garden décor to fit all styles: classic, humorous, antique, exotic, retro and avant-garde, just for starters.
When you emphasize one or two of those styles, it makes deciding on décor (and plantings) easier. The pink flamingoes, despite being humorous and retro, just aren’t going to fly (so to speak) in your exotic antique-styled garden, with its wicker and other pieces evoking colonial India.
Your environment has probably already played a role in your garden’s style. It’s more difficult to get that dusty, terra-cotta tiled Mediterranean look in Maine than in Texas. Similarly, it’s harder to do English cottage style in Florida. If your garden art is going to fit with the plants in your garden, it’s usually best to coordinate climate and style.
Some styles — formal or whimsical, for instance — fit all climates, just in slightly different ways.
The trick is to understand your own style preference and then to see the areas around your home as outdoor rooms, needing your touch to make them your own. Do you want a romantic, old-fashioned garden? Or would you prefer one that evokes a 1950s modernist style?
Although there are likely to be eclectic elements in your mix, deciding on the style that you’re aiming for is key. It will help your garden feel well planned and pleasing.