10 Stunning Garden Decorations!

Linda Gray breaks down some options. Whether you're playing games in the garden or preparing for winter bulbs, give a thought to decorating your outside space. There are lots of fun and interesting things you can do without spending tons of money...


1. Wind-Chimes - There are some beautiful wind chimes on the market, and you should be able to find some that suit your style and budget. However, you could go one step further and make your own. Study how they are made, and get the kids to join in! Wind chimes are soothing and very compatible with gardening, so position your chimes well.

They must be in at least a slight draught, which you should be able to find outside with ease. Also, they can scare the birds away from your fruit bushes. Hang them on the patio and in the vegetable garden.

2. Lights and Lanterns - For those smooth hot summer nights. Choose candles for calm nights and opt for lanterns if there's a breeze about. Solar powered lights are a good choice as there aren't any cables, batteries or plugs to worry about. They must be in sunlight during the day to re-charge though. Large garden candles will burn for many hours and are available in all sorts of aroma-therapeutic scents.

3. Garden Furniture - Invest in some comfy chairs for the garden. We don't spend half as much time as we should outside, simply because we don't feel comfortable. Look at unique ways of furnishing your garden. Do you have a couple of trees a hammock could be strung between? Or how about a park-type bench with comfy cushions set under the shade of the apple tree? Whatever the style or size of your garden, look for relaxing furniture so you can fully enjoy your outside space.

4. Fake Flowers - Well, hey, we don't all have mature gardens and fresh flowers blooming all year round! If you have to resort to a little 'deception' who cares if it looks good? Hang some pretty silk flowers on a wall, or low roof or even in a tree! If nothing else, you'll keep your visitors guessing :-)

5. Colour it up - If you still need a bit of colour around the place, get the kids involved. No, I don't mean let them loose with a tin of paint and brushes... what they could do is draw some great pictures of trees, flowers, animals etc, and you can pin them around the patio area or 'blu-tak' them to a tree or two. Remember to rescue them if it rains!

6. Cut down on Big Toys - Children's outdoor toys, such as swings, slides etc; can take up loads of room in the garden, and they're not always very attractive. Look for something a little less permanent. Maybe separate items you can load away in the shed at night, or go for something completely different and build a giant chess set. Or if you really feel creative, what about a tree-house? They can always go to the park for the swings!

7. Containers - Collect large pots and grow plants you can move around the garden, every day if you like! Grow herbs and flowers and position sweet smelling plants on the patio or round your seating area. Strawberries grow very well in containers as do other useful plants. Make sure the pots aren't too heavy for you to move, or invest in a garden trolley if they are. If you grow colour co-ordinated flowers, a wonderful display can be created by positioning your pots well.

8. Wild Corner - I know this may be hard if you like a neat and tidy garden, but leaving a wild patch can be very entertaining and visually very pleasing. Nettles and other wildflowers attract butterflies and bees, and it's often suprising how delicate and colourful wildflowers can be when allowed to grow in their own space. If you're still unsure, how about building a little fence around the area and making a wooden plaque declaring it a wildlife zone...well, it was just an idea!

9. Water Features - are becoming more and more popular and also more affordable. Create a water feature that will suit your garden. Try not to be persuaded by an over-enthusiastic sales assistant trying to sell you a system that will be far too big or even too small for your outside space. Do some research before you start. There could be a fair amount of physical work involved and you should arrange some strong arm help. You could go for a full waterfall and pond or perhaps a simple water feature on your patio.

10. Rock Gardens - Rock gardens can take on different themes and colour schemes throughout the year with a little careful planning. There is again some heavy physical work involved when you're putting together your rock garden but well worth it in the end. Make sure you can get to all areas for weeding, watering etc; Try out different rock plants and flowers until you feel happy with the overall view, and even then you can change it. Nothing's set in stone!

These are just a few ideas. Let your imagination free and decorate your outside space with love. Read through the Garden Decor and Garden Ideas pages on the Flower and Garden Tips website for more ideas and resources.

About the Author

Decorate your home and garden with style! More ideas and places to visit can be found at Linda's website, Flower and Garden Tips. Drop in on the home and garden page and wander round from there - Bring a cuppa! Home and Garden

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The Elegant Beauty of a Butterfly Garden

There are a number of different garden types, with the most poplar types being vegetable and flower gardens. There are also hundreds of flower varieties which you can plant depending on your taste and the climate of your area. There is also a type of garden where gardeners plant flowers that are known to attract butterflies. Have you ever seen a butterfly garden before ?

My grandmother had a butterfly garden in her backyard before they became popular. When I was a child, I used to sit patiently near her garden as she worked, waiting for the butterflies to come along, and fly among the flowers. However, I was often disappointed because at my young age, I did not realize that while these gardens are designed to attract butterflies, there would not be hundreds hanging out there all the time.

I can’t exactly recall the specific flowering plants that she planted in her butterfly garden, but I can remember that it was beautiful. My grandmother paid as much attention to it as her vegetable garden, and would sit out there in her spare time to enjoy the result of her efforts. Butterflies were indeed attracted to her butterfly garden, and I was inspired to have one of my own.

I don’t have one yet, but I’m planning to start making one next year. If you are also interested in making your own butterfly garden, you can get information about it on the Internet. You can also talk with an employee at any garden shop, and they would be able to give you some information about the flowering plants that should be included in your garden.



If the butterflies are slow in visiting your butterfly garden, you should consider looking for other ways to attract them before you surrender. Milkweeds are known to attract Monarch butterflies. Monarch larvae eat the leaves of this plant, and attach to it when they make their cocoon. If you can get some of this plant nearby, your butterfly garden will soon be teeming with Monarch butterflies. You should also consider the location of your garden. If it is near a busy highway, or where children play often, the butterflies may not be attracted to your garden.

About the Author:

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Butterfly Garden. Visit our site for more helpful information about Butterfly Garden and other similar topics.

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Garden Art Ideas -- How to Make Your Planters Into Beautiful Garden Art

Garden stores have so many different types of garden art for your to choose from – there are beautiful water features like ponds and fountains, as well as statues, wind chimes, birdhouses, and so much more. But why not go ahead and make your own garden art? Why not make sure that your garden fully reflects your own personality, and nobody else’s ?

When it comes to making your own garden art, there are so many different possibilities as to what you can do that it can almost be overwhelming. That is why I am going to focus on just one type of garden art in this article: planters. Check out these fun and unique ideas for your garden pots and planters:




The Spilt Planter

Add a little humor to your garden with a “spilt planter.” Find an ordinary pot or barrel and tip it on its side in your garden. Fill the planter part way with soil, and then spread the rest out in front of it as though it has spilled out. Choose a few of your favorite flowers and plant them in the spilled-out soil. Warning: this fun and whimsical idea is one that may have do-gooders coming up and trying to fix the spill… until they see that the plants are actually planted in the ground.

Bathtub Planter

Find a bathtub (a clawfoot tub, preferably) at a thrift store, garage store, or even from your remodeled bathroom. Fill her up with good soil and then plant a small garden! It can also be fun to use a bathtub as a pond. It is even possible to find a way to hook your garden hose up so that you can have water coming out of the bathtub waterspout.

Thrift Stores Gems

There are many other things that plants can be planted into (besides planters and pots… and bathtubs). Why not go to an antique shop or a thrift store and see what you can find! You can plant a pair of cacti in a pair of cowboy boots. Why not plat a snapdragon in a tea cup? You can use vases, pots and pans, tires, helmets, and so many other things as planters. You may not know what item can double as a perfect garden planter until you go out and find it.

Pottery By Your Own Hand

Why not sign up for a pottery class and make your very own planter! Granted, you may make a pot that is only large enough for one petunia, but it is so much fun to create your own shapes and to glaze your pot in whatever color you want. Homemade pots with a flower in each make excellent gifts, as well.

Pot makeovers

If you already have a pot that you like, why not just dress it up a bit? Go ahead and glue a ribbon around the rim or even add sequins, buttons, scrabble letters, or other items! You can also completely makeover a pot – you just need some Mod Podge (a wonderful, glue-like substance) and some magazines. Cut or rip out some favorite pictures from magazines (or use photographs, newspaper, brown paper bags, tissue paper, etc.) and Mod Podge them all over your pot. Use a weather-proofing finishing spray to top it off.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on gardening and garden art, please visit Garden Art.

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