YARD ART
Handmade in London, these cheerful ceramic teacup bird feeders brighten up the garden.
Fun, fanciful, free spirited
YARD ART ADDS STYLE TO OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES
A good word to describe summertime, with all of its potential, is whimsical and your yard can reflect that fanciful feeling with well-chosen pieces of art.
[To attract bees and butterflies, add a butterfly puddler or bee oasis to your garden.]
Whether you’re entertaining outdoors or spending quiet time alone, yard art can enhance the experience, says Janine Glover, manager of A&M Garden Centre in London.
[A collection of one-of-akind signs. Found items can be repurposed to add interest to the yard.]
“Garden art can be made from all types of products, such as wood or metal, and is found in many different sizes and shapes and colours - from wind chimes to large sculptures,” she says.
“It could also be a vintage item you found at a local antique shop – an old garden gate, wind spinner or a beautiful water feature. Use your imagination.”
[Brighten up your landscape even before the flowers start to bloom with colourful items.]
A&M Garden Centre has lots of vintage signs to beautify your yard and garden. Combined with candles, flowers, antique watering cans and containers or other outdoor items that catch your eye, vintage art can help create a display that evokes fond memories of summers past.
[Some statuary and décor items add an exotic flavour to outdoor living spaces.]
Christine Buchanan, manager of Featherfields, The Bird and Garden Store in Hyde Park, says what you choose for your outdoor décor can be striking and wildlife friendly. “Our main focus is to keep it natural…for all creatures.”
Like A&M Garden Centre, Featherfields has one-of-a-kind outdoor art pieces. This season, the latter offers brightly coloured pottery teacup feeders for birds, handmade in London. And for the bees, the store has a handmade pottery bee water dish, called a bee oasis, which has ceramic flowers to allow bees to perch above water level. It provides fresh water for bees to help these necessary pollinators to increase flower production in your garden, Buchanan says.
[Illuminate the garden with colourful glass, birdthemed solar-powered garden lights, handmade by Kitras Art Glass.]
Solar garden lights are popular choices that can bring beauty and ambience to your yard at night for evening gatherings or sitting under the stars. At Featherfields, the handblown glass solar stakes are in the shape of birds.
[Garden statuary adds vertical visual interest in the yard.]
Other good yard art choices include artisanal urns, colourful benches, decorated garden stools, statues and lanterns.