You can decorate the garden with any sculpture you like. Classical and modern, realistic and abstract, religious, national, family, personal. The main thing is to harmoniously fit it into the natural surroundings and present it in such a way that it gives pleasure not only in itself, but also enhances the overall impression of the plant composition and garden. We will tell you how to choose and place the sculpture correctly on the site.
The tradition of decorating gardens and parks with sculptures came to us from Ancient Rome
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Style variety of landscape gardening sculpture
Classic statues
This category includes statues of ancient deities, female figures, angels. First of all, they are suitable for a regular style of landscape design, but also look quite appropriate in landscape gardens.
Classic statues are located in the ceremonial area, in secluded shady corners of the garden, next to a fountain and a pond. Paired figures decorate the main entrance, the foot of the stairs. Rose-entwined arches and trellises are suitable for framing statues of children and angels.
If there is a gallery on the site (a narrow covered or covered with plants passage between parts of the garden), it is appropriate to place the stone statue in the opening behind the pergola so that the attention of people walking along the path is focused on it.
Life-size statues made of marble or other natural stone are suitable for large gardens. If the garden is small, it is better to choose a smaller figure.
A white statue located in a shady corner of the garden makes it visually lighter
Sundial
The sundial is a column with a gnomon mounted on it – the simplest device that allows you to determine the time by the shadow cast from the sun. They are installed in an open area, usually in the center of the site. Of course, no one today uses a sundial for its intended purpose, but as a garden accessory it looks original.
Garden sundial on a pedestal
Classic vases
Another type of garden sculpture is classic plant pots in the form of a bowl on a leg or a goblet. They are made of stone, concrete, bronze, cast iron, leaving a natural color or painting in natural tones – gray, bronze-green, gray-blue.
Classic vases are installed at the front door, at the foot and along the stairs, along the perimeter of the terrace, patio, at the intersection of garden paths, on fence posts and retaining walls.
Classic vases add elegance to garden design
Animal figurines
To decorate lawns, flower beds, reservoirs, small plastic is widely used – figurines of birds, animals, characters of the folk epic. And while large sculptures serve as focal points and visually enlarge the garden, miniature ones, on the contrary, help to place accents and bring it closer. The eye slides from one figurine to another, picking out the most interesting parts of the plant composition.
When choosing such sculptures, do not chase after quantity. Gardens filled with gnomes, frogs and rabbits are tasteless. Place the figures of animals taking into account their natural characteristics – butterflies in a flower garden, a sheep on the lawn, ducks by a pond. Avoid overly realistic images – styling almost always looks much more interesting.
Such a sculptural group will surely make your guests smile.
Abstract compositions
Abstract sculptures perform the same task as classical ones, but they do not depict a specific object, but a conceptual representation of it, an idea. They consist of geometric shapes, lines, volumes and can be of artistic value in and of themselves. In this case, the plants are selected so that they enhance the impression of the work of art without drawing attention to themselves.
Abstraction is the prerogative of modern gardens, but some art objects are used in other styles of landscape design, such as landscape design.
Such an art object is suitable for both modern and landscape gardens.
Sculpture as a way to stylize landscape design
Garden sculpture with a pronounced national or ethnic flavor is used to stylize landscape design.
A Japanese-style garden is hard to imagine without pagodas, tsukubai, bridges, and Buddha statues. But the most popular and recognizable elements of this trend are stone lanterns. They can be pedestal, from 1.5 m in height, and small secret, round, square, with a roof. They are installed along paths, in flower beds, next to tsukubai, suspended from trees, and in the evening they are used for decorative lighting of the landscape.
The Mediterranean style is highlighted by fragments of columns, fragments of old sculptural decorations, vases in the form of amphorae.
The Dutch gardens can be recognized by wooden carts decorated with flowers, small stylized mills, cast iron water columns.
Inalienable attributes of the Scandinavian style are elves, gnomes and other fabulous inhabitants of the forest.
Stone lantern and tsukubai give the Japanese corner an authentic touch
Balls, stones, unusual driftwood
An interesting monolith, an unusual driftwood, a stone ball can also play the role of a sculpture and decorate a garden. Since these objects themselves are part of nature, they look especially harmonious in landscape landscapes.
Large stones and boulders can be used in different ways – carefully fit into the natural environment, giving the impression that they have always been there, or, conversely, make them the focal point of the composition, complementing 1–2 plants.
Stone balls also look spectacular in the garden. Their correct form contrasts with the naturalness of the vegetation landscape and immediately attracts the eye.
Stone balls as garden sculpture
Wood sculpture
Sculptures, carved from a single piece of wood, woven from branches, assembled from knots, are usually used in natural and rustic gardens. But this is not an axiom. It all depends on the nature of the composition. After all, it can be a straw goby tied to a wattle fence, and a statue of an ancient Slavic deity, appropriate in a forest corner of a garden, or an art object that can become the center of a modern composition.
Wooden sculptures of horses in the garden
Forged Products
This type of garden decor includes forged figurines of birds, animals, people, fantastic plants. Thanks to skillful forging, such products look elegant and harmoniously fit into the surrounding landscape. They are often used as a stand for flowerpots.
A forged bicycle is one of the recognizable elements of a Provence-style garden
7 rules for the location of sculpture in the garden
If you decide to decorate the site with a sculpture, here are some simple rules that will help you better cope with this task.
- Respect the proportions when choosing a sculptural image. Remember that the larger the statue, the more distance it needs to be viewed. Do you have this distance? Then buy. Too small figures are also not worth buying, they will get lost in a large garden and will not fulfill their decorative role. Everything needs balance and a sense of proportion.
- The size of the sculpture affects the visual perception of the garden. Large sculptures are suitable for focal points, small figures for accents.
- Arrange garden accessories so that only one decoration is visible from each viewpoint. This will allow you to combine compositions of different stylistic directions. For example, make a Japanese corner in a landscape garden.
- The sculpture should emphasize the winning corners of the site, attract the eye to them, but not overshadow everything around. A simple form often makes a better impression than something fancy.
- Give preference to materials that match your style. It is better to abandon the classic statue altogether than to put a fake of plaster.
- Before installing a sculptural image, consider how appropriate it is in this particular part of the garden. If in doubt, it is best to look elsewhere.
- When choosing what to plant next to the sculpture, decide what effect you want to achieve. Plants can complement the figure, serve as a background, contrast with it. Also consider how the composition will look throughout all seasons.
And one last tip. Don’t get carried away with something fashionable that everyone is putting on. Choose a sculpture that is in tune with your worldview and that pleases you.
