Art in the garden offers a chance to express your style and creativity. Photo / Pixabay, Van3ssa
Kem Ormond is a features writer for The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s adding art in the garden.
Whether you’re pulling weeds from your veggie patch, trimming back overgrown shrubs, or simply relaxing in a favourite chair, a garden can be your private sanctuary, a peaceful retreat from the demands of everyday life.
It is a place where you can breathe, connect with nature, and forget about the overflowing laundry basket, dishes waiting in the kitchen sink or the meowing cat waiting to be fed.
But beyond the plants and paths, have you considered the role that art could play in your garden?
Whether it’s in your flower or vegetable garden, art has the power to elevate an outdoor space, adding beauty, character, and a touch of personality.
The best part is that it doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag.
Whether it’s a statement piece or something you’ve made yourself, art in the garden offers a chance to express your style and creativity in a deeply personal way.
Some gardens I’ve seen have gone all-out with dramatic, even extravagant pieces, like the unforgettable metal giraffe standing tall among well-manicured shrubs.
But equally impressive are the gardens that use simple, thoughtful touches to make a profound impact.
One of the most striking examples I’ve come across was an old milk can lying on its side, with a “stream” of succulents planted in front to look like flowing milk.
It was imaginative, playful, and incredibly effective.
During a recent garden tour, I was particularly struck by the creative representation of a woman in Victorian dress, crafted from chicken wire and intricately adorned with succulents.
Another memorable element was an old picture frame repurposed as a succulent planter and displayed on an easel.
This inventive use of vertical space shows how objects can add depth and personality to outdoor environments.
A single decorated pot placed on a pedestal or plinth can draw the eye and create a sense of elegance, while an old bicycle painted in a cheerful colour can add whimsy and charm.
Even the false front of a rustic shed can serve as a decorative feature, offering visual interest and storytelling in a small space.
While toiling away in your vegetable garden on a hot summer’s day, hearing the trickling water from a nearby water feature will take your mind off all that needs to be done.
Even handmade plant tags, birdbaths and a rustic bean support can add interest in your vegetable garden.
Recycling and repurposing everyday objects are a wonderful way to introduce affordable art into the garden.
After your grape harvest, for example, the leftover vines can be twisted into wreaths or used as natural plant supports.
Items such as barbed wire can be shaped into spheres, while old horseshoes might be transformed into sculptures.
And turning a favourite photograph, perhaps a quiet, cobbled street from an Italian holiday, into a weatherproof outdoor print can make for a unique backdrop on an unsightly fence or wall.
There are so many ways to bring life and colour into a garden.
Ceramic birds tucked among the flower beds, pottery flowers rising above the greenery, and twinkling fairy lights in the branches of a tree; these all add a magical touch.
Creating mosaic pieces to hang outdoors can be a fun and rewarding project, and for those who love wildlife, why not build a dovecote, complete with real or ceramic doves?
And of course, let’s not forget the classics.
The grumpy gnome, the seal balancing a ball, or the butterfly clinging to a garden wall.
If these bring a smile to your face, then they absolutely have a place in your outdoor haven.
Finally, garden art is not just about decoration.
It’s about enjoyment.
Whether it’s a luxury you indulge in or a necessity for your creative soul, art in the garden turns your outdoor space into something deeply personal.
It’s an extension of who you are, and that makes it worth celebrating every day.