Jazz Up Your Garden With Fun Features
Surprise elements can turn your backyard into an inspiring landscape of magic and delight
Try something wonderfully unusual – think a moon gate, art-bedecked boulders and colorful trellises – to give your garden pizzazz. Daring to be a bit out of the ordinary can be richly rewarding. These head-turning ideas will take your landscape to the next level.
Outdoor windows. Like hidden ruins stumbled upon on a walk in the woods, a garden wall complete with windows makes a striking garden feature. It also provides an excellent wind block, making it a great place for a sitting area.
Moon gate. If you want to cultivate a mystical, Zen-like mood in your garden, a moon gate is what you need. The curved shape fits harmoniously in landscapes of all kinds and makes entering the garden a memorable event.
Colourful trellis. Why stick with plain wood when you can have glossy purple, chartreuse or fire-engine red? Make a bold colour choice with your trellises and watch your garden come to life.
Bean teepee. Beans grow quickly and are easy to grow even for beginning gardeners. If you are thinking of planting beans, there’s no need to keep them along a fence in neat rows – try a teepee instead.
Pick up a dozen or so bamboo or willow poles at your local garden centre and drive them into the ground at even intervals around a circle in the dirt, leaving a gap for the entrance. Plant a bean seed at the base of each pole and train the beans onto the teepee as they grow. When the plantings fill in, this will make a stellar playspace for kids.
Pick up a dozen or so bamboo or willow poles at your local garden centre and drive them into the ground at even intervals around a circle in the dirt, leaving a gap for the entrance. Plant a bean seed at the base of each pole and train the beans onto the teepee as they grow. When the plantings fill in, this will make a stellar playspace for kids.
Hanging birdbath. Love birdbaths but need to keep your feathered friends away from the felines? Try a hanging birdbath. The birds will love being out of harm’s way, and the hanging bath will provide visual interest.
Birdhouse and bee house tuteurs. Set atop colourful tuteur-style bases, these birdhouses and bee habitats are as beautiful to look at as they are beneficial to the garden. Grow climbing plants around their bases to integrate them into your landscape.
Art boulders. A huge rock (or three or four) can do wonders to bring focus to your garden – define a zone, add interest to a grassy area or accent your favourite spot with just one great big rock. Plain boulders are beautiful on their own, but painted ones are another option to consider for an artful twist. You can either purchase rocks with painted designs or create your own.
Suspension bridge. If you have a creek or pond on your property, make it into a destination with a striking bridge like the one shown here. A suspension bridge is unexpected in a backyard and adds architectural interest.
Bench with a view. What garden is complete without a bench? Before positioning yours, take the time to consider both what you will see from the bench and what views you will have of the bench from elsewhere in the yard. Consider a view of a water element or vegetable garden, or position a bench at the end of a winding path that can be seen from the house.
TELL US
If you could add anything to your garden, what would it be? Share your dreams in the comments section below.
TELL US
If you could add anything to your garden, what would it be? Share your dreams in the comments section below.