INBUILT LANDSCAPE: Garden ornaments

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Garden ornaments

Fall season decoration with squash. Sherman Gardens and Library. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives

Halloween decoration against a palm tree. Sherman Gardens and Library. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives.

There are lots of garden ornaments to select, little sculptures, birds feeders, fountains, statues, wind chimes, bird baths, rock arrangements, pots, etc.

They give dynamism and color. Materials to choose could be mosaics, stone, wood, metal, glass... My favorite objects are wind chimes that are relaxing and hanging glass pieces that reflect the sun and partially illuminate leaves and flowers with the glass colors.

Birds bath with colorful mosaics popping up among the leaves. From the book Feng Shui Garden Design (by Antonia Beattie). Photo by Leigh Clapp. Personal archives

This last Summer a bird fell dead in my yard due to the high temperatures. Consider water containers for the birds, even elements from the kitchen as a sort of "DIY". They will reciprocate with their beauty and songs.

Just a shell in a cactus garden. Sherman Gardens and Library. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal Archives.

Asian garden ornament. Huntington Gardens and Library. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives.

Locate the ornaments in areas to provide "surprises" along trails, play with the idea of hiding them from view at times. Frogs and birds ornaments are nice to be seen next to a pond or fountain.

Two planters adjacent to an entrance staircase. See how overcrowded they look, the plants cannot be seen except for the larger ones on the left. Los Angeles. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives.

Do not overuse ornaments as the garden will feel cluttered. Areas of "nothing" are significant as well. Keep the arrangements simple, following an integrated idea or subject. Very elaborated objects are related to the Academy, to Classicism (generally speaking); a simple object fading along the years, rocks, are part of spiritual gardens, Zen gardens, that invite our minds to explore, meditate, relax.

Halloween season and Fall season garden decorations: all pictures taken by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives.

I discovered this ghost behind the Impatients. Santa Ana Zoo.

Jack O'Lantern semi hidden behind the bamboos. Santa Anta Zoo.

Just shiny and translucent pieces of fabric with flowers around. Santa Ana Zoo.

Flowers and squash display. Sherman Gardens and Library.

Flowers and squash display. Sherman Gardens and Library. 2020.

Sometimes the garden ornaments are the plants in pots themselves. I have been in an open house in Irvine a couple of years ago and took these pictures of the rear yard landscape and hardscape design, not an ornament, it is an integral idea:

Hardscape-landscape design. Orchard Hills. Irvine. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives.

We think of Christmas decor as the Christmas tree. But see how beautiful it looks when the decoration is extensive to other trees and even vines in trellis: