Homemade Garden Art

Stepping Stones

• Stepping stones aren't only decorative, they serve a purpose as well. As your garden starts to fill in with the scents and colors of the season, your homemade stones will give you a place to step without accidentally squishing your beautiful blooms.

  You can buy stepping stone craft kits, but you can create the same effect using your own materials. You'll need masonry mix, thick rubber gloves, a sturdy plastic container for the mold, builder's sand, decorative items to be embossed in the stone and a trowel.

  Fill the container with damp builder's sand leaving enough space (about 2 inches) for your items and the cement mix. Add your decorative items such as pebbles, broken bits of colorful tile, shells or memory items such as old jewelry. Place the side you want exposed into the sand. Once you have your desired design, fill the rest of the mold with the masonry mix that you prepared according to package directions.

  Leave your stone to set and cure. Read the masonry mix package for guidelines, but assume you'll need at least 48 hours. Remove the stone from the mold and carefully scrape away the sand with a trowel.

Clay Pot Accessories

• The terracotta pots you can buy at any garden center are the garden equivalent of a painter's canvas. There are so many ways you can spruce up your garden using a basic clay pot. Using acrylic craft paints and a foam brush, you can add a variety of colors and designs to your clay pots. Keep in mind that you want to show off the plants, so use colors that will set off your plant choices well. Clay is quite absorbent, so you will likely have to do several coats to achieve the right color; let each coat dry thoroughly before applying another coat of paint. Once your clay pot is painted to your liking, apply a layer or two of clear acrylic spray to protect your work.

  For a more natural look, cover the pots with a mosaic made from pebbles, shells or beach glass. A clay pot that's halfway buried on its side also makes a perfect toad house; decorate the pot with pebbles to camouflage it and make it a welcome environment for your garden guest.

  Clay pots can also be used in structural ways. Fix several sizes of clay pots and a clay saucer together to form a birdbath. If you have a blank corner in your garden or near your patio that needs color without taking up much space, firmly affix a metal pole into the ground. Then feed increasingly smaller clay pots on the pole at different angles (each resting on the other to create a topsy-turvy effect). Fill the pots with dirt and plants of your choice.

Water Fountains

• To build a small water fountain for your garden, you'll need a few base pieces: a water pump kit, a base or reservoir to house the pump and for the water to return to and items for the water to emit from and trickle over.

  When selecting your pump, make sure it has the appropriate lift and gallons per hour for the size fountain you're creating. Ask for assistance at your local garden center when purchasing the pump. You'll also need enough tubing for the height of your fountain.

  The base can be a small, heavy plastic pond liner you settle into your garden---or you can let your imagination take over. A large clay or copper bowl would be attractive.

  Rocks, clay pots, wine bottles and many other items are suitable for the fountain to come out of and trickle down. Select items that will disguise the plastic tubing and are durable enough to withstand the elements.