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Garden OrnamentsGarden ornaments are items intended primarily for decorative purposes and displayed in parks, gardens and formal grounds. They include statues, planters, urns, birdbaths, water features, sundials and wind chimes.

China and Japan  The Far East has a three-thousand-year tradition of formal

gardens, often incorporating ornaments. Water features and miniature Terracotta Mountains decorated classical Chinese gardens, while the Zen garden became popular in Japan, with simple ornaments such as pure white stones used for decoration.

  Ancient Rome  The Romans, influenced by the Greeks, Egyptians and Persians,

created the first decorative gardens in the western world in around 60 BC. Ornaments featured prominently with urns, sundials and statues of deities becoming popular as well as dovecotes, arbours and fountains. Centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire the era influenced 15th century Italian Renaissance garden design, which in turn inspired the French Renaissance and English gardens.

History

Wind Ornaments Stone Ornaments Garden Planters Garden Water Features

Product of Garden Ornaments

WIND ORNAMENTS These are garden ornaments which harness wind energy to create sound or movement. They include wind chimes, spinners and kinetic sculptures. Wind chimes are usually made of suspended wood, metal or bamboo tubes which produce sound when the breeze causes them to collide with each other or a central clapper. Other designs include small bells, or found or recycled materials such as shells or cutlery. Kinetic garden sculptures are ornamental artworks where the whole or parts of the form are moved by the wind to create interesting visual effects. They often have polished surfaces so that they reflect light as they move.

Stone OrnamentsRoman statues and urns were sculpted from stone and the material remains popular for garden ornaments to the present day, with modern production techniques including molding ornaments from composite stone. Typical stone ornaments include statues of animals and lions, eagles and stags are among the most frequently represented. The gods were popular subjects for stone sculptures in Ancient Rome, and replicas of these statues are still produced. Ornaments can be displayed on stone plinths or pedestals, used as gatepost finials or mounted on walls or balustrades. Stone ornaments are also frequently incorporated in fountains and water features.

GARDEN PLANTERS

While their primary function is to house flowers and foliage, garden planters can be very ornate in their design, serving an ornamental as well as a practical purpose. Popular shapes include rectangular troughs, circular bowls and deep vases. As with stone statues, decorative planters are often displayed on pedestals or plinths, or in pairs flanking the head or foot of stairs. Planters are produced in a wide range of materials including terracotta, resin, wood, metal and ceramics. Stone is frequently used for ornamental planters in classic Greek and Roman inspired designs.

GARDEN WATER FEATURES

Water features have been an important element of garden design since the first formal grounds were created, and continue to be a focal point in many gardens today. Designs range from the humble pond to ornate tiered fountains. The majority of water features are powered by electric pumps, with some contemporary designs using solar panels as an energy source. Modern water features are not usually plumbed into the mains, instead recycling water from a sump. Stone, favoured by the Ancient Romans, remains popular for classical water features, but other materials including steel, resin and glass are also used in contemporary designs.

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