Outdoor Garden Decor - Part 2

Howdy! Welcome to the second article in our series on garden decoration. We have a lot to cover so let's get rolling…

The first thing I want to talk about in this segment is the need for outdoor planter stands and garden paths. Now, if yours is a very small garden, say just an accent area on the side of your house or something to take up the part of your small backyard that your deck doesn't cover, you probably don't need a path. However, you may want to consider putting one in any way, simply as part of your garden decor. So hang on and…

Let me lead you down the garden path

If your garden is in the front of your house, the garden paths can be the first thing that your guests run into. If it's in the back of the house, and part of a large garden, it is every bit as much a part of the landscaping is anything else.

I want you to think of your path is not just something utilitarian and functional, but as a real garden decoration. There's a couple of things if you need to consider:

• How does it feel? I hope that you're going to be spending a lot of time in your garden in the spring and summer, and if you're lucky like me you live in a warm part of the country. Therefore, you get to be barefoot. Texture will be important. Another thing that's almost never considered but can be very important is whether or not your design will have " edges". By this, I mean will there be separate distinct stones or blocks with edges that protrude above the surrounding material, whether it is grass, gravel bedding or something else. This makes a difference if you are going to be barefoot because those edges provide a surface against which to stub your toe.

• How does it look? If the rest of your garden is going to be full of Greek statuary and other formal lawn and garden decor, you don't want a path made of cut down railroad ties. Try to go for a cohesive look. What is correct for an informal rustic garden that is primarily a place to have keg parties is not going to fit in a garden built on a Japanese or Italian theme. Think about this little bit before you go out and buy your materials.

• What about the seasons? If you are going to have to use your garden path as a real route to get to different areas of your backyard, for example your garage or workshop, then you need to take into account the effect that the seasons of the year are going to have on your path surface. If you live in an area the country where it gets icy or where there is significant snow in the winter take that into account. As an example, you may like to look of a gravel path with inlaid flagstones. However, how easy is it going to be to try to get snow off that path? Your shovel is coming at the edge of the flagstones and you screw it up -- meaning your shovel and probably your garden path.

• The final consideration when it comes to your garden walkways is, believe it or not, how they sound. Yes, I know, that sounds a little wacky. However, stop and think about it for a second. Some surfaces, like pebbles or gravel will let you know if someone is coming. Every surface has its own unique aural signature.

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An Introduction to Garden Decor - Part 1
Garden Decoration - Part 3
Outdoor Garden Décor - Part 4

Your fence marks your garden's boundaries. Think of edging is being the boundaries between different segments of your garden. The kind of edging you use is as much a function of the types of surfaces or decor that you're separating as anything else. Like all the other aspects of your garden decoration, your edging has to fit into the overall theme.

What you use is limited only by your imagination. The first thing that many of us think of -- and this is not a bad idea at all -- is using the garden itself for edging. By this I mean something along the lines of running a row of mums on either side of a gravel path to help keep the gravel in place and to provide separation from the gravel and grassy areas. Other ideas might be natural objects from your area like rocks or pieces of driftwood. You can also use recycled objects like old landscape timbers or even discarded railroad ties. If none of these tickles your fancy there are certainly enough commercial products made for this purpose available at your local garden center.

Well, this is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. Here I am at the end of part two and I have a feeling that this is going to be something like a five-part series, before I am done with it. If you hang in here with me, I can assure you that I will cover just about every aspect of your gardens decoration before were finished. We will talk again in part three.