Decorate Garden With Gates, Statues, Fountains

It’s late June and you can now see area gardeners are putting their own stamp on their beds and plots with their favorite reliable plants, new flower varieties and preferred colors.

Beyond those preferences, green thumb enthusiasts also are getting creative with garden ornamentation, from custom-made iron gates to antique pots to splashy bird sanctuaries.

"More and more consumers are creating individualized outdoor hangouts for connecting to nature and gathering with friends and family and are definitely accessorizing with ornamentation from statues to lighting to fountains," said Colleen Carbott, a publicist for Lowe's. "Accessorizing is the answer for homeowners who already have their outdoor space (backyard or garden) in tip-top condition or are looking for some quick fixes to spruce it up and personalize the space."

Seeing the array of garden beauty in Oakland County got me thinking of a few of our first decorative containers that we purchased more than 10 years ago at t in Birmingham. Made of concrete, they’re still going strong as entry points to our home.

We’ve also spotted statuary shops galore along the back roads of Michigan. Not one to take main routes when traveling, my husband pulled into a flea market-style garden outpost along the Red Arrow Highway near Kalamazoo one summer afternoon and said, "You have 10 minutes (he’s not one to sit long, either), go find a pot."

The kids stretched while I strolled along rows upon rows of concrete containers, finally deciding to purchase one that had sculpted stars and cherubs along its edge. It now brims with magenta geraniums and asparagus fern.

From mainstream garden centers and flower shops to roadside flea markets, acres of garden ornamentations await your discerning eye.

Garden experts say statues, trellises, urns and more play an important part in your landscape design. Interior designers also report that these types of appointments lend instant curb appeal to a home.    

“When incorporating statues, fountains, etcetera, consider the piece itself and how it relates to the personality or likes of you, the gardener,” said Ryan Youngblood, president of the 13-year-old Rochester-based . “When the correct piece is chosen, it is much more enjoyable and meaningful.”

One way to see what works and doesn’t is to go on garden and home tours and see how clever homeowners and gardeners can be with their various adornments. Two upcoming tours that come to mind are the Troy Garden Walk (July 13) and the  Birmingham Home Tour (Sept. 15).

Sing a song in your garden

As for where to place your garden statuary, Youngblood suggests gardeners “create a sense of journey that takes you to the art or fountain or whatever ornamentation you have.”  Most ornamentation can be treated as a main element or make a statement, the Oakland Township resident said. “Use art as a check point or a destination within the garden and use sight lines to capture a dramatic approach to the art.”  

Youngblood compares music to garden art placement. “The band itself is crucial for the backup of the lead singer; however, the lead singer truly sets the tone and is what people remember. This is the same case with art in a garden.”

Gary Kohs’ “lead singer” has to be the wrought iron gate that leads visitors into the small sunflower garden off his Birmingham home. Kohs commissioned a restaurateur to create it. That’s right, an area chef named Umberto Piccirilli is as good with sauces as he is with scrolls, as in those that adorn his wrought iron masterpieces. The owner of in Shelby Township offers Italian craftsmanship.  

“It is absolutely incredible with regard to quality,” Kohs said. “Old-world craftsmanship at its finest.” The artist kept a sunflower theme in mind when designing it, which works well with the overall garden vibe.

Charm sprouts in clever ways

Gardener Connie Doherty of Troy wouldn’t place garden adornments among her gladioli, peonies and coneflowers unless they had meaning, just as every plant in her garden does.  

“What I put out there is special to me,” she said.  

A resin fountain that she received for Mother’s Day a few years ago fits the scale of her garden perfectly. “I like it because it's simple,” said Doherty, whose gardens complement a large in-ground swimming pool.  “The fountain looks like stone but is easy to clean and move around.”  

Her husband hard-wired it so there wouldn't be an unsightly, heavy-duty extension cord running through the garden. “I moved it this year because now that my peony transplants have taken hold and are blooming, they pretty much hid the fountain. Now it's closer to the house and fills in an area that isn't so full, at least earlier in the season.” Doherty says goldfinches love to perch on the top, where the water bubbles up, to get a drink.  “They are so pretty and their bright yellow really stands out against the gray," she said.  

Doherty also has an angel stake, another freestanding birdbath, a tiny "welcome to my garden" sign, and a “really cool solar crackle-glass globe that turns all different colors after dark.” A small, blue-glass garden stake with a sunburst design (“looks so pretty when the sun shines through it,” she said) and a small tabletop-size birdbath that has aged to a verdigris round out the ambiance. “It  sounds like a lot when I list everything, but spread out, these pieces don't distract from the beauty of the blooms.” 

Like Doherty, gardener Toni Grinnan of Bingham Farms only includes items in her garden that mean something to her. When she begins thinking about what she’s going to plant in her containers, she often takes into consideration various statuary that she places near her pots.    

Grinnan moved from a large Beverly Hills home with expansive gardens to a charming condominium a few years ago. With that move, she was inspired to change up her gardening style and begin a container garden. Peppered among her colorful vignettes are a Buddha ornament as well as a statue of a girl.  

Fashioning a European layout

Adornments on a larger scale complement the Fetsco gardens in Oakland Township. It was four years ago when landscape architect Youngblood created a plan for this European-style haven.

“When you have a strong design and strong visuals (such as two columnar hornbeam plantings that frame the iron arbor at the entrance), you don’t worry about things like plant color,” Youngblood explained. “Color is a matter of enhancement, but the design must be there first.” That design centers on archways, gates and gorgeous European-style statuary.

Consider art that ages well with the elements, adds Youngblood. Iron and metal designs add charm and a touch of artistry and blend well with the surroundings.