By Kristen Hannum –
Trust Your Taste If a fountain, sculpture, mural or quirky little wooden hedgehog in the pansies makes your heart smile, it’s right. It may even be art. Think of garden décor as an opportunity to build your confidence in your own personal style. Just because a critical friend doesn’t like your Buddha statue or your giraffe theme doesn’t mean it’s not exactly right for your garden. It’s just not right for hers.
That said, if you have qualms, trust them, too. Put the piece (or pieces) in question in the backyard instead of out front. And if it turns out that the planter you repurposed from a wrought iron bed makes you feel annoyed or self-conscious rather than joyful, make it the star of your next yard sale.
Overwhelming Décor Garden décor, whether humorous or classic, gives our gardens distinction, just as the décor inside our homes does. Don’t let it become clutter. Just about every town has an example of garden décor gone overboard. Use that as a touchstone for what’s too much. Garden décor should please the eye with its beauty or be a whimsical surprise. It shouldn’t overpower its surroundings.
Inspiration is Everywhere Don’t just flip past the magazine page with that brightly painted wooden chair that makes your heart flutter. Tear it out and add it to your gardening scrapbook or begin a Pinterest board with ideas and inspirations. Your scrapbook, whether on Pinterest or on paper, will probably reveal a pattern of what you love. That’s your style. Whether it’s mostly whimsical, formal, Southwestern or English cottage, you can use it to give your garden a theme that will hold it together.
Work Your Magic Do your best to see your garden with an artist’s or photographer’s eye. Infuse yourself with some of those ideas from your inspiration scrapbook, slow down and, when it’s time, take a look at your garden as if for the first time. This spring, you will create a unique sense of place, a garden that will be like an outdoor room with your own personal style. And no one else can do it better.