O R N A M E N T F O R T H E G A R D E N by Tovah Martin
Gardens rarely are planned as period pieces. Millstones are mixed with modern sculpture, cisterns paired with contemporary lighting. Still, some conventions are reliable. An Arts and Crafts house fairly begs for an arbor. A stone trough goes with a converted barn. Garden ornaments aren't expected to conform to a narrow idea of time, but they do lend character. They also suggest age: even a newly planted garden looks settled, given a weathered ornament encrusted with
lichen and moss. And a fine ornament can do for a garden what art does for a home.
Fill your garden width too many ornaments, however, and before you know it you have a miniature golf course. Don't' think of garden ornament as full "interior decorating": one or a few simple, effective accents are all you need. Tracey Young, who owns The Elemental Garden in Woodbury, Connecticut, goes further: "If your budget is $1,000, buy one important piece. You don't want to overpower the plantings," which already represent a large investment. The statue, fountain, or obelisk should not steal the show (unless you are an antiques dealer).
An ornate fountain probably won't be discreet beside a humble cottage. But a prosaic, mushroom-shaped staddle stone might be just the ticket. A bungalow is an ideal venue for even a funky arbor. Kitsch may give you a chuckle while you pull the weeds behind your cottage garden, but it's best in small doses. There's a fine line between whimsy and cliche. When it comes to gazing globes, gnomes, whirlygigs, and other "cheap and cheerfuls" proceed with caution. Same with cute.
You're safest with traditional garden ornaments. Some are rooted so deeply in garden convention, they immediately establish a mood. Nothing transports as English-style perennial garden like a sundial -- it brings it back in time. Sundials have been used since
