Lawn Ornaments & Yard Art

Lawn Ornaments

• Lawn ornaments are commercially purchased lawn decor. They can range from the kitschy -- think pink flamingoes and garden gnomes -- to the subtle. Some common examples of lawn ornaments are fountains, bird baths, steel gazing balls, statues and signs. Sometimes, lawn ornamentation has religious meaning, such as with a Madonna statue placed in the garden.

Yard Art

• Yard art differs from a lawn ornament in that it is made by hand rather than commercially produced. While you can purchase yard art from an artist, it is often made by the homeowners or residents. Examples of yard art include tree stumps and other wood carvings, metal sculpture, topiary and found object sculpture.

Seasonal Decor

• Some yard decor is strictly seasonal. Yards are commonly decorated for Christmas and Halloween, with outdoor lighting and lawn ornamentation representing the holiday. Nativity scenes, either commercially produced or hand-made, are frequently displayed from December through early-to-mid January. Some homeowners like to rotate their yard ornamentation according to season and decorate for holidays year-round, including Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Independence Day.