Other than a few large, rather attractive rocks that somehow migrated to my perennial beds (either during the last glacial event or when the landscapers didn’t want to hit them with a lawnmower), I don’t have any garden ornaments on display. As I garden in a public space, it’s probably not a good idea for me to pick what type of garden art everyone in the apartment complex should be subjected to – I’m sure I’d get it wrong in at least one person’s view. Like all art, opinions regarding garden ornaments are deeply personal, but as this blog post from Three Dogs in a Garden serves to illustrate, the line between huh? and what on earth?! is a fine one, indeed. I wonder what my landlady would do if I plunked Bigfoot down in the Shasta daisies…?
Your turn: what types of garden art/ornaments do you have in your garden? Feel free to post links to your photos/blog posts in the comments!
This little statue can be found in the Shakespeare Garden at the Silver Springs Botanical Garden here in Calgary. Photo taken in July of last year.
Flowery Prose 
Garden art can be fun. Most of my little ornaments have come to grief over the years. At the moment, I have two ducks in tact.
A couple of special treasures!
That is quite the link. We have so many squirrels and chipmunks that large one would be something like a nightmare for me, and I’ve never understood gnomes. 🙂 I have several rocks and quite a few pieces of wrought iron including one bottle tree which reminds me of time spent in SC.
I love that you have a few pieces that remind you of places you’ve been – that’s the way to decorate!
I’m definitely not a gnome fan, either.
Yikes–those “ornaments” you linked to are . . . not ornamental, in my view! Someone really believes that size matters! Myself, I have a variety of watering cans, some with plants, some not, strewn around. Simple, tasteful, no sex . . .
I’m baffled by the enormity of some of those ornaments as well…frightening!
I love your use of watering cans as decorations/planters.
I have a delightful little rusted steel squirrel who’ll sit forever with his tail curled over his back: at least, until he rusts away.
He sounds adorable!
I have all sorts of ornaments in my garden, but my special favorites are frogs. Nothing quite as “creative” as was shown on Three Dogs in a Garden. 😉
Frogs are fantastic! Over the years, I’ve seen some great frog garden ornaments – I love both the realistic ones and those with a bit of artistic whimsy….
Frogs and toads are my thing 😉
I have just one whichI inherited if you like when I cleared my Dads house. She is a sweet lady, just plaster and loooks after the rockery! I would love a stone lion.
Your lady garden ornament sounds lovely!
A stone lion is a wonderful choice, very regal.
When my youngest daughter was tiny she used to love looking at all the garden ornaments when we went to the local nursery/garden centre. Every now and then we’d get her a small one – a frog, a hedgehog, a fox etc – and she enjoyed putting them in the garden and moving them about. When we moved 13 years ago we packed them away in a crate and never unpacked them. We’ve only recently discovered them again and we aren’t sure where to put them. No photos either!
That’s so sweet, a great memory for both her and you.
Our little garden does have a stone bench, not sure if that counts as ornamental, some wrought iron birds, and we were gifted a small lion fountain
I’m partial to birds so if I didn’t garden in public spaces, I would be keen on putting some bird ornaments in my own garden. Your wrought iron birds sound like beautiful pieces, as does your lion fountain.
Sorry, I didn’t get done! This all sounds like a lot, for our small front garden but it seems to work, I think, so far only complements from the neighbors!
I’ve got a little rusty hedgehog with a sempervivum as a hairdo. No pictures….yet! 😉
That is delightful and fun! Love it!
I really had to think about this. I have a painting of a multicolored sunflower, done on the reverse of an old window. I know the artist. It gets moved around from year to year, but it is best viewed when you can look through it. Otherwise, I let the plants and flowers tell the story.
That sounds like a beautiful piece of garden art, and knowing the artist makes it even more special.
Okay, I’m back. That was something else. Several years ago there was a house a few miles from here with a fake lawn covered with life-sized Grecian goddesses. It was jaw-dropping, in a “what were they thinking” kind of way. I used to mentally re-do the garden in my head. Apparently the house sold, and the goddesses had to go. Thanks for the fun post, Sheryl.
That must have been quite the sight! Taste is truly subjective…. 🙂
It is indeed!
Oh my gosh, the garden art in that link that you shared made me laugh! What the heck?!?
Hope you are well, Sheryl. It’s good to be visiting WP today!
Definitely eye-popping, that’s for sure! Glad you got a chuckle from them.
I’ve been busy moving house and I’m grossly delayed in keeping in touch with everyone and their blogs (as well as maintaining my own) – I hope I can get back into the swing of things within the month. I hope you’re having a wonderful summer so far!
The garden art in the link was…interesting. 🙂 I have some massive rocks left by the previous owner of my manufactured home. It took 4 good sized young men to move them a bit and they will never be moved again. I may put a colorful whirligig out when the rains stop, but other than that, only a small plaque in the memory garden for my last dog. I so missed having dirt to play in when I lived in apartments.
I love having rocks in the garden – they can really complement the plantings. It’s beautiful and thoughtful that you have a memorial to your dog in your garden – a very meaningful gesture.