Good garden art can be the key to giving a stylish third dimension to an outdoor space whether you have traditional or contemporary tastes. Garden art in the form of traditional sculpture, a modern vibrant wall hanging or even a creatively painted fence can keep your garden looking interesting and attractive whatever the season.
There are many forms of garden artifacts and designs to choose from. Probably the most popular and easiest to obtain are garden ornaments, such as sculptures, statues, urns and figurines that add extra character to your garden. Classic garden sculptures look beautiful and elegant in traditional gardens and those made from stone will, in time, become weathered and blend into the surroundings. Alternatively, modern or abstract sculptures in shiny materials, bright colours and interesting shapes can stand out amongst the greenery to make a super-chic visual statement in minimalist or urban gardens.
Another type of garden art are water features and these can bring a sense of balance to your garden and appeal to ears as well as eyes. Fountains gently cascading over pebbles or a narrow modular pool lit dramatically can bring a beautiful aesthetic to your outdoor space.
Garden art can come into its own on walls. Think of your garden wall as a blank canvas and let loose your creative side. Go large with a freehand garden mural for a touch of the dramatic, or more controlled with a subtle design to create an amiable background scene for entertaining. Why not paint a wall with a block of colour and hang up a set of planters at different levels in contrasting colours? Or perhaps just a simple garden wall clock in a tactile material is all that's needed for a harmonious scheme.
Treat your garden art as if you are choosing art for your interior. Think about the environment it will be set in, the materials you'd like to use and the space that you have. Garden art can be used as a focal point to brighten up a bland patio or perhaps be cleverly positioned to offer a pause or stopping point.
The right garden art and garden decoration ideas can provide an individual finishing touch, so take a look at our stylish ideas that will help you transform your outdoor space.
Garden art metal flowers in modern decked garden (pictured)
Display metal garden art windmills in pots of verdant ferns for a minimal (and care-free) flower garden. The painted wall and monochrome fabric work two big trends - grey and geometric - giving the scene an urban and contemporary feel.
Windmills
Blomus at Iqinox
1/10 Garden art metal flowers in modern decked garden
Display metal garden art windmills in pots of verdant ferns for a minimal (and care-free) flower garden. The painted wall and monochrome fabric work two big trends - grey and geometric - giving the scene an urban and contemporary feel.
Windmills
Blomus at IqinoxDedon at Leisure Plan
2/10 Garden art using traditional sculptures
Urns and statues can be used as garden art, giving spaces a grand and formal ambience, reminiscent of the great gardens of England. This sophisticated design is smart and symmetrical with a simple lush lawn framed by a cohesive border of all-white busy Lizzies. Facing each other at either end, an urn and Buddha function as lawn art and are the key elements that lift the space to a new level. A stylish wooden bench completes the look and is set centrally for symmetry and balance.
Similar Buddha
The Garden Statue Shop
Similar bench
Greenfingers.com
3/10 Garden art using trellis and clock
Garden art doesn't need to be bold and ostentatious. Subtle additions to your garden can create stunning results with a 'less is more' attitude. This small patio has been given 'Hamptons' style with a defining pale green trellis and stylish potted box balls. The finishing garden art touch is the elegant, open-skeleton garden clock in a 'rusted' metal finish - it looks like a real vintage market find.
Similar clock
Primrose
4/10 Garden art with graffiti wall mural
Bring bold artwork to a garden wall and create a modern statement - try it yourself or commission an artist. This garden wall art graffiti combines an urban attitude with leafy shapes in glorious summer colours and lifts a simple seating area out of the ordinary.
Sofa
Worm Furniture
5/10 Garden art using water feature and spheres
Water can become garden art in its own right if used imaginatively to create different moods. Geometric pool shapes work well in modern and urban gardens. Here a tranquil art installation in the form of a shallow square pond in the patio features a mix of natural stones, colourful glass spheres and underwater lighting.
Similar spheres
Primrose
6/10 Garden art using topiary
Topiary is garden art in plant form. Look after it well and it will look good all year round. Box hedging can provide structure and style to a space and only needs a once-yearly trim in spring or summer. A decorative feature in its own right, this living garden art is wildlife friendly and can be clipped into formal balls or spirals, artistic birds and animals or more abstract shapes.
Similar topiary shrubs
Box Trees
7/10 Garden art wall with draped fabric
Bring an artistic touch to an outdoor space with painterly patterned fabric. This patio has been turned into a statement seating area with a mix of exotic ikat-inspired designs. Using a single tonal palette of purple allows this mix of contemporary and traditional designs to work well together. The panel and mirror behind give the space an encapsulated and intimate feel more usually associated with interiors.
Similar daybed
Persham Nurseries
Seat pad fabric
Jim Thompson
8/10 Garden art patio with suspended pots
Make a cool garden art wall using potted flowering plants suspended from canes and wires. Not only is this a great use of space, but the colour combination of purple, aqua and yellow creates a vibrant Mediterranean feel. Update the look now and again by introducing different plants, such as kitchen herbs.
Similar bistro chair
Habitat
Similar exterior paint
Dulux
9/10 Garden art chair in urban garden
Use a vibrant orange chair as garden art - this urban terrace is fun and fresh. The sparse use of foliage and furniture creates a chilled-out atmosphere and allows the bright dog-shaped chair to function as sculpture. At the back of the garden, a fabulous ornate mirror stands out against its grass wall mount and is key to the look, creating a visual link to the chair and increasing the sense of space and light in the small enclosed area.
Puppy chair
Pink Apple Designs
10/10 Garden art using pendant lighting and word art
A row of faux-grass lettering functions as word art in this modern space. Spelling 'Keep off the grass' the lettering adds a fun touch to a white wall that is perfectly in keeping with the quirky nature of the patio garden. A hanging table lit with wire pendant lights makes an interesting alternative to standard garden furniture.
Bench
B&Q
Hanging baskets
Garden Beet
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