Garden accents and accessories

Gardens are an oasis in our lives, places that give us a connection to the wild with all the comforts of home. The décor of your garden can make it comfortable and appealing. A garden accent is any object that has visual impact on the garden, and there are many items to choose from in your decoration.

Garden planters

One of the most popular options to spice up the garden is to purchase several different planters. You are limited only by the size of the plants you buy and your own gardening skill. Some people have made their own planters out of discarded shoes, rubber boots, bathtubs, and even used rubber mats from cars. You don’t have to build your own pot, of course, as there are plenty of options in stores.

Terracotta pots are the most classic planters and they come in all different sizes. They can also be stacked for visual effect or even broken into pieces to create mosaic art pieces or walkways. Cedar slat baskets can be planted with flowers for the patio or placed in your herbal garden as a stylish way to harvest your plants and carry them back to your house. You can keep these baskets outdoors throughout the seasons, but keep in mind that cedar wood will weather and change color over time. All planter prices depend on the size and material of the planter.

Cedar planters

If you have a rock garden and you don’t want your planters to clash, rock planters can be used in any garden. These planters are made of pumice, which is extremely porous and lighter than actual stone.

Window boxes

Window boxes can accent the house as well as the garden. Consider them to be an extension of your garden to your home. Window boxes are popular because they are solid and can hold a variety of plants, including vegetables.

Copper boxes will endure weathering to become a natural green shade over time. Copper is a natural solution for any house that has a problem with slugs crawling into the planters and eating the plants. Copper gives the slug a slight electrical charge, deterring it from getting into the planter.

Bird feeders

For a really natural garden, you’ll want to have some animals around. Bird feeders are an extremely popular option, but sometimes they attract bigger creatures, like blue jays and squirrels, scaring the little songbirds away and eating all the food. A specialized bird feeder for songbirds for songbirds will cost around $200.

The Royal Bird Feeder is a viable option that not only feeds the birds, but also has a Victorian birdcage design that looks beautiful and classic, with ports and perches for the little birds. It’s also extremely functional because it’s squirrel-proof.

Duncraft Sonata Songbird Feeder

A birdhouse is a cute accessory that can be a practical way for birds to make safe nests in your garden. You can also get a bird nester, which is a cage filled with nesting fibers so that the bird can easily build its new home.

Critter keepers

Small creatures may be creepy crawlers to you, but for your garden they work wonders. You can get a butterfly house to encourage butterflies to live and breed in your garden. The house has little slots in it that keep predators away but allow the butterflies to enter and exit with ease. Position these among the flowers, especially asters, marigolds, sunflowers and snapdragons, which attract these beauties. The houses rattle when you pick them up because they have twigs and bark for roosting butterflies. Butterflies find these abodes especially useful during their winter hibernation.

Butterfly houses

You can also consider purchasing a toad abode or two so that these beneficial creatures have somewhere to go. They will try to nest in cracks and crevices around your house during the day and hunt for those pesky insects at night. A toad abode is made of glazed stoneware pottery and it can be placed anywhere in the garden. Toad abodes, bee skips and wooden birdhouses and wooden birdhouses are typically less than $50.

Garden fountains

The sound and appearance of flowing water in a garden fountain adds a restful, therapeutic element that will truly make your garden an escape. In addition, the shallow basins of water in a fountain or birdbath will do more to attract birds and other wildlife. Simple garden fountains are available as self-contained units that recirculate the same water, so you do not need to connect them to your pipes.

You can choose a material that fits your taste; fountains are available in stone, terracotta and even fiberglass. Garden fountains can be freestanding or wall-mounted, depending on the location of your garden. You can obtain a medium-sized garden fountain for anywhere from $50 to $500.

Freestanding garden fountains

Other garden décor

There are many more garden accents you can shop for, including sundials, arbors, benches, sculptures, gazebos, wind chimes, weather vanes, and even scarecrows. Keep in mind that the size of your garden is important because there is only so much that you can fit in it before things get too crowded.

Shopping for garden accents

Garden accents are sometimes art pieces, and those pieces will cost you. Then again, a lot of accents can be made using found materials and are therefore very inexpensive. You can get simple supplies from discount stores like Walmart and Target, or online at retailers like Gardener’s Supply Company, Garden Fountains, and so on. Spend some time nurturing your garden and spice things up with some cute accents!