Homemade Ideas for Outside Decor Around the Flower Gardens

Statuary

• You need not be an artist to create appealing statuary for your garden. Cast a cement sphere using a large rubber ball anchored in a bowl for the mold, and then place the cast on a large rock for a plinth. Search out old farm implements or interestingly-shaped gears, springs or other metal objects or old mill stones. Even a collection of vintage bowling balls or old bottles arranged carefully among mossy ground covers or vines make artistic focal points along paths.

Water Features

• Water attracts butterflies, bees and other pollinators to your flowers, so having a small body of water in the garden is useful as well as pretty. You can create a pretty lily pond in a half whiskey barrel; or line a shallow, hand-dug hole with vinyl and disguise the edges with rocks or vines before filling with water for a mini pool. A large ceramic vase will make an attractive fountain with the help of a tiny recirculating pump such as those used in aquariums.

Natural Ornaments

• Sometimes the most effective ornaments for the flower garden come from nature. Look around your landscape for interesting rocks and vines. Raid the vegetable garden for gourds or dried grasses. Transform flexible vines and grasses into wreaths for hanging on fences or walls. Turn gourds into hanging planters or birdhouses, or line paths with lichen-covered rocks. An old stump, piece of driftwood or a bare branch with last year's empty bird nest attached becomes impromptu sculpture.

Harmonious Displays

• No flower garden is complete unless it engages all the senses. Eye-appeal, touch and smell are obvious components, but few people think to include sound in the garden. This is where wind chimes play a part. They are easy to make by drilling holes through found objects and stringing them from fishing line. The tinkle of glass or tuned metal pipes as they blow in the wind add distinctive charm and blend harmoniously with the buzzing of bees and bird songs. The clatter of bamboo above drifts of grasses and wildflowers adds a rustic ambiance.

Other Ideas

• Create a mural on a section of weathered fencing for an outdoor painting. Top an old stump with the saucer from a large clay pot and use it as a bird feeder or bath; or put a vintage metal sundial on a tall stump in full sun for practical decor. Put a wide board across two large stones for a rustic bench or shelf for pots. Plant flowers in whimsical containers like old teapots, watering cans or the basket on an old child's bicycle. Hang stained glass sun-catchers from trees. There are a million fun ways to make homemade garden decorations when you let your imagination go.