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Art
Can Turn
That missing element might be art. All the gardens
on this year’s Junior League Garden Tour were very different,
Adding art in a garden plays up natural features in the landscape. The hard surfaces of rock, metal, clay, glass and wood offer a counterpoint to the softness of plants, while plants slowly grow up around and modify the hard surfaces of the sculpture.
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You’ve
worked hard on your garden all summer -- adding new perennials and
ever-blooming annuals, providing the right amount of fertilizer
and plenty of water -- but your landscape seems to be missing something.
but
they all had one thing in common -- the liberal use of well-placed
artistic pieces. Garden “art” can be anything from a
birdbath to a sculpture. A garden bench can be called “art”
because gardeners never have time to sit on it. 
Garden
author and columnist Tovah Martin describes garden art as “punctuation
points.” 
The
easiest way to personalize your garden -- to make it reflect your
own imagination and taste -- is to add art. You could have a walkway
of stained glass Marshall stepping stones. Make a bold statement
by painting a bench sky blue. Save large pieces of broken pottery
or dinner plates and half-bury them in the soil beside a favorite
flower. Hang a collection of decorative bird houses in a tree near
your garden’s entrance. Decorate a weathered fence with all
kinds of things that reflect your personality.
Since
this year’s garden season is drawing to a close, you’ve
got all winter to think about what artistic pieces to add to your
garden next spring. When you’re out shopping or trolling antique
stores or flea markets, keep your eyes open for something that would
look good in your garden. And don’t forget to stop by Lavalette
Nursery and Garden Center, which has lots of unusual art and sculpture
that you won’t find anywhere else in the region.