If gardening is an art form, frugal garden decorating is the canvas!
We all want healthy, beautiful gardens that delight the senses. But there should also be an element of fun tucked between the greenery.
But when adding decorative elements to your garden, a shopping trip to the local gardening store may cause severe shock to your checkbook. Some of those precious gardening gnomes really need to come with their own pot of gold. You may be able to afford one, but several? Not so much.
This is when a frugal gardening ‘shopping trip’ around your home and yard may come in handy. Or you may want to check out flea markets, garage sales – or maybe even sneak a peek into your friends’ or families’ stash of goodies.
I have used everything from a simple birdbath made from overlooked objects. A small shallow glass bowl was glued to a painted glass luncheon plate. The bottom of a standard floral glass vase was glued to the underneath side of the plate. The vase slipped easily over a piece of rebar, which was spray painted.
I added a few small pebbles to the bowl and added water. Birdseed was sprinkled on the plate. Not only did I add a bit of fun to my garden, it helped to attract bees, butterflies and some beautiful birds.
My dad loved the color, texture, and shape of rocks. Throughout his travels, he would often pick up a larger one. Over the course of time, he had enough to place around a small flower bed on his deck. When he passed away, my daughter claimed the rocks as hers, as she wanted to use them to outline her own small flower garden.
At the time, she was young, so I ended up with them. As I was building my herb bed, three of the larger ones were used to anchor one side of my bed to accent a clump of lavender. The smaller ones were added in other areas to hold a small ceramic bird, or as decorative additions.
You would be amazed at what would look good as decorative elements in your garden. Just look around, test it out, and find the next thing.
Pots are also a great way to add a decorative touch to your garden. Place a tilted pot in your garden. (Anchor it underneath so the ‘tilt’ will rest on smaller rocks or a brace). Fill with dirt and plant some type of trailing plant. Thyme, mint, and vining petunias work well.
Or you can think ‘whimsically elegant’ – which anywhere else besides a garden that phrase might be considered an oxymoron. If you don’t already have some, head to garage sales or thrift stores and find purses of all shapes and sizes. Punch drainage holes in the bottom and fill to 1” deep with small gravel. Add soil and plants. Then place strategically around your garden. Be sure to elevate some on rocks or pedestals to add more fun and interest to your garden! And I dare you to pick up some cheap costume jewelry to add a bit of bling to those purse planters!
It may not fit into the whimsically elegant category, but you can do the same thing with old boots, suitcases, and even the drawers from an old cabinet. My attitude is, if it will hold soil and plants, more than likely it can be used as a planter.
And don’t pass up those old andirons – the iron pieces used to hold wood in a fireplace. Put a board or piece of expanded metal, cut to size, across the andirons. Place colorful pots on the metal, and plant with flowers, herbs or even garlic (the blooms on garlic are amazing!)
Victorian Fire Grates are also perfect to use as a garden decoration. These are heavy cast iron pieces that held coal. At one time, they were fairly common at flea markets. They are also the perfect size for three small, or two medium size pots. Paint it a cheerful color and add contrasting flowers. I painted mine white, and placed pots of bright red geraniums in it.
There are endless ideas you can use as art pieces in your garden. You can use rusty pieces that will no longer work for anything else. Almost any metal item that has rusted or has holes may be perfect as either a planter or decoration.
Hang a watering can from a metal hook. Thread the holes with fishing line and string each one with crystal beads. Use a small enamelware bowl and place it on a flat rock. Fill with marbles and add water. A short metal stool is perfect to hold a pot, a birdbath or even a piece of sculpture.
If you are scouring flea markets, see if you can find an old pump stand that no longer works. You can create a small garden around this piece alone! Paint it a fun color, or just leave it rusty. Either way works great!
Nothing says gardening art form like nature itself. Find a piece of a tree stump in the height and circumference that works for your space. Top it with a colorful pot and plant.
And here’s a fun idea. Use a glass lamp shade. Invert the shade, so the small end is at the bottom. Using wire and a piece of screen, gently fold the edge of the screen around the fluted end, and secure with wire. It doesn’t have to be tight and smooth. This will just prevent the dirt from falling out. Add a thin layer of small pebbles in the bottom of the shade, then enough dirt to fill. Now you have a cute and unusual planter!
But here’s something to consider. Anything made from glass probably won’t withstand cold weather. You may want to use it for annuals or be prepared to bring it inside before the weather turns cold. And as glass can break, ALWAYS be careful using glass objects in your flowerbed. These won’t withstand the impact from lawnmowers and weed trimmers. Place any glass objects you use in a well-protected area.
Another fun piece of garden art is the traditional scarecrow. You can make a smaller version and place it in your garden.
You can also use rusted farm equipment. From gears, hay hooks or cotton scales, almost any rusted and unused piece of farming equipment can be fun and easy additions to your garden. Use hooks to hold hanging plants, and large gears as a backdrop.
If you happen upon a great piece of metal art, a cement bunny or even an old garden gnome, grab them before they get away. These are perfect when peeking out from between the greenery.
If it is weatherproof, fun, and low to no-cost, most anything can be used as frugal garden art. Learn to think outside the box. View the items in your shed or barn from a gardening perspective. Take your gardening art form to a whole new level using frugal garden art as your canvas. Now, head outside to do some ‘shopping’ and add some fun and whimsy to your garden!
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