Garden Statues & Decor

History

• Garden statuary has graced gardens for centuries. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the ancient Greeks and Romans constructed thousands of bronze statues in the likenesses of gods, heroes, statesmen and philosophers. Today, statuary creates eye-catching focal points in public and private gardens.

Function

• Garden statuary adds a decorative element to the landscape and highlights the architecture of your home. A cowboy statue in front of a ranch style house, for instance, augments the house's style. Garden decor also expresses hobbies and interests.

Usage Tips

• Place your statuary and decor in prominent areas of the garden. Also use statuary that is in proportion to your landscape, advises the University of Illinois. While an oversized statue may be impressive, it will look out of place in a small yard.

Fun Fact

• The pink flamingo is the quintessential lawn decor. The trend started in Florida in the 1920s when the Hialeah race track imported live Caribbean flamingos to add a tropical feel. Soon after, sculptors made bronze, metal and wooden flamingos to adorn the landscapes of the wealthy. They remained a status symbol until 1957 when Don Featherstone, a newly graduated art student, created a plastic version of the pink flamingo.