Being the classic and almost stereotypical English antiques dealer for a good many years, when I think about garden decoration my mind immediately conjures up visions of ornate marble statues, large white painted plinthed urns and huge pairs of limestone lions laid guarding the lush grounds of large stately homes.
Fortunately there's a whole lot more to it than that, don't get me wrong I think classic garden decoration plays a very important role in garden design but unless you own a stately house or want a garden that resembles a graveyard, variety and colour is important. I really enjoying seeing classic pieces mixed with contemporary or colourful bright pieces both outside and in.
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| A Pair of English Late 19th century Majolica Garden Seats. Offered By; www.yaleburge.com |
Once the English upper classes began travelling into Europe they became fascinated by the antique garden statuary & decoration especially the vast amount in Italy and wanted to have copies of the original examples reproduced for their estates in England. This in turn triggered a flourishing trade in Italy producing reproductions carved in white marble.
Composition stone was another material used, this stone was first invented by the Romans but not used until the 19th century for garden ornaments. The technique involved moulding rather than carving and enabled many of the same copy to be produced. Once the figure is established in a garden it becomes very difficult to spot that its not a carved original.
Probably one of the most common pieces of garden decoration today is the urn and the variety of antique examples is huge as is the materials their constructed from being anything from composite stone to marble and bronze. Traditionally urns were positioned in the gateways of grander houses and frequently depicted family coats-of-arms. Today urns are often planted out and form part of the decorative scheme of the garden. A similar decoration is a finial, also originally used to decorate gateways and often confused with an urn but the main difference was being solid these were purely decorative and are used today solely for their decorative qualities.
When it comes to garden décor I think colour and individuality is key. Its the perfect opportunity to let your imagination go into overdrive, try feeding it from your influences of travel, places you've visited, favourite colours etc. I also think finding pieces that may not necessarily have originated for the garden and using them is great fun and adds an interesting and an unexpected twist to your great outdoors.
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| A Late 19th century French Birdcage. No Birds ?? This would look great filled with plants.. Offered by www.vintagealamode.com |
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| A Pair of Japanese Lacquered Hibachi (Braziers) fitted with the original copper liners that held hot coals. Offered By; www.jamessansum.com |
Well I do hope you've enjoyed and maybe learnt a little during my series of garden postings, I do feel however though that I've only just scraped the surface of an enormous subject, so maybe one day I'll have another crack at it, but until then here's a few more pieces of decoration that I've come across and love...
Garden Accents(such as sculptures, birdbaths and stones) help draw the eye to a specific place in the garden. They help highlight a pretty plant and make your yard feel like an extension of your home.
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