Garden Sculpture Ideas

Plant Sculptures

• Plant sculptures are one of the cheapest way to go when choosing sculptures for a garden, especially if you have existing shrubs or low-spreading evergreens. Junipers, boxwoods, hollies and other dense shrubs work best as living sculptures. Many of them remain green throughout the winter, and they replenish themselves quickly for faster shaping and a full, solid look for sculptures. If you're experienced with shaping shrubs, simply start snipping. If it's your first time, try a topiary form. These wire forms fit easily into shrubs and offer cutting guidelines. Start shaping shrubs in early spring, and remove no more than four inches of growth at a time. It may take several weeks to two months to complete a larger sculpture.

Junk Art

• Some of the greenest gardens not only contain homemade compost and tons of edible plants but also works of art created from "trash." Cut holes in the seats of old chairs and place potted, vining plants in the holes. Guide the vines over the backs of the chairs. Create an entire "tea party" seating area this way. Connect and bend old copper pipe into dozens of different shapes. Make an original rose arbor or a set of long, tangled wind chimes. Attach old jingle bells to tireless bike wheels and mount them where they can spin freely. Paint old bowling balls to look like lady bugs or hedgehogs or mosaic them with broken pieces of mirror and china. Transform old floor lamps with bowl-shaped shades into a place to hang plants.

Cast Sculpture

• Casting concrete sculptures is a bit more expensive than other sculpture solutions, but it provides more choices for sculpture theme and shape. Choose anything from cherubs to leaf imprints to Easter Island heads. Smaller sculptures work best for this medium, especially if you're not an experienced caster. You'll also need casting molds and the means to mix cement. Simply mix the cement and pour it into the mold. The cement should set in 24 to 48 hours. Enhance the sculpture with colorful paints or use a brown wash to give it an aged patina. Always apply weather sealer to cement sculptures to prevent erosion. To achieve an aged look, try mixing bits of moss with yogurt in a blender and smearing the mixture on the sculpture; moss should begin to grow within days.