Whether you’re a total green thumb or just starting to learn about gardening, it’s fun to not only think about plants and the lawn in your yard, but also ways you can add flair to your outdoor spaces with décor items. A few carefully-selected pieces can really dress up even the tiniest or drabbest space, and have you wanting to spend more time in your outdoor areas every day. Read on for some tips you can follow when it comes to garden décor today.
Photo by Shutterstock/Grisha Bruev.
Make a Plan and Set a Budget
The first step to help you in your decorating journey is to create a plan for what you want to achieve. No matter the size of your outdoor space, it is helpful to think about things such as what you want each space to accomplish when it comes to functionality or effect, plus the contour of the land. If you don’t take the time to put a plan in place, you can find yourself with a strange mixture of items that don’t work together or achieve the overall look and goals you desire.
A lack of planning can also cause you to spend more money on your garden décor than you really wanted to. Even though you might only spend $50 here and $100 or $200 there on items, these amounts can quickly add up. As such, it pays to set a budget before you start buying goods so that you can keep track of your expenses.
Match the Interior and Exterior Style of Your Home & Personality
As you plan out the décor you’d like to add to your property, it’s important to try to match things to the interior and exterior of your home so that the style is complementary. You also want to ensure everything in your garden is aligned with your personality.
It’s wise to consider the architectural style of your home, the colors used on the exterior of the building, and the type of décor you have used inside the house, and match new purchases accordingly. By carrying the same kind of look from the inside to the outside and into the landscaping, you will create a home that looks and feels harmonized and cohesive.
Photo by Shutterstock/NinaMalyna.
Choose Items Suitable for the Outdoors
Of course, don’t forget when searching for the right pieces for your garden that everything you use needs to be suitable for the outdoors. While you might fall in love with an item, there is no point outlaying the funds to buy it if it will simply rust, decay, get moldy, or otherwise fall apart and lose its appeal after being outside in the weather for some time.
If you really want to add something to your garden that isn’t currently suited to the outdoors, you may be able to weatherize it. For example, some pieces made from traditional wicker, as opposed to all-weather wicker, can be sprayed with a marine varnish that will help them cope with the elements.
Be Kinder to the Earth with Your Choice of Products
Lastly, if you’re like many people, you’re probably keen to select garden décor products that are as kind to the Earth as possible. This may involve choosing eco-friendly pieces made from sustainable materials and using Earth-conscious production methods, or sourcing antique, vintage, or otherwise recycled and reusable items.
It can be fun to shop for pieces which have been reclaimed, done up, or kept around for decades or even centuries. Choosing second-hand, rather than newly-made products, can also add more flair to your garden as it ensures you’re not using pieces which are seen in lots of other places.
You can get as creative as you like with the items you use and how they’re incorporated into your garden. For example, an old outdoor drinking fountain can be repurposed as a planter that you add color to with some lovely succulents; an antique fishing creel can become an outdoor storage basket for umbrellas or gardening supplies, or be used as a unique planter for small to medium-sized shrubs.
Other ideas include adding some time-worn décor to your garden spaces with aged watering cans, lanterns, metal vent covers, grates, iron baskets, birdbaths, and anything else that piques your visual interest. You can also look at repurposing an old, worn garden bench into a place for a collection of container plants; a large broken pot into the base for an outdoor table; or a salvaged house window into a cold frame for tender sprouts and seeds.
Jackie is a content coordinator and contributor that creates quality articles for topics like technology, business, home life, and education. She studied business management and is continually building positive relationships with other publishers and the internet community.
