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The perception of most people is that the garden is a place that is a combination of lawn, patio & plants, & although that is not far wide of the mark, the missing elements of drama, mystery & fun are often ignored. The easiest way to include these things within the garden is to introduce the ubiquitously named ‘garden features’. This catch-all term is used in books & television programmes without any real weight given to those elements that can really bring your garden alive. Over the next few months I’ll be trawling through my archive to show you the vast range of differing elements that you can introduce into the garden that are above & beyond the usual garden centre fare. Among the different components I will look at are – water, lighting, furniture & this month statuary & sculpture.
Sculpture or garden ornament can include water, can be enhanced by light, or can be treated as furniture, but here I’ll look at the actual pieces themselves & what they can do for your garden. This is a very subjective part of the garden design, as much as someone likes the humble Gnome, others will recoil in the face of such a ’tasteless icon’ (& I’m quoting someone else here), but there are facets of buying & placing sculpture that apply to most pieces. Don’t think that ‘sculpture’ consists entirely of the range of cement & resin comedy animals available from your local garden centre, but consider what could be achieved within the range that starts with making your own for next to nothing to the commissioned art of a local (or international) sculptor. There are commercial sculpture galleries that will exhibit pieces that can be released into your garden for up to a few thousand pounds so you can view them in their ‘natural habitat’ & which can give you inspiration on siting even if you don’t actually buy. The bigger flower shows like Chelsea & Hampton Court are a superb source of ideas, as they have no end of artists & artisans demonstrating their craft (& giving you an idea of prices). Scale is one of the most important considerations, a 15ft bronze horse in a 20ft square garden is achievable but not sensible, as you would have a focal point that filled the whole garden. It is often advisable to decide on placement before you choose a piece or at least select the position to suit an existing piece. Sometimes small-scale plaques & shapes can have as great an impact as the ‘discovery’ of sculpture can be part of the overall pleasure. A carefully crafted wooden plaque partly obscured by planting creates a rustic ambience & particularly in a small garden where a larger piece would dominate. Bear in mind that sculpture needs to be seen so a position where it can be viewed from a path or patio is essential. If yours is a large garden with a network of pathways, you can lead people around using a series of pieces that come into vision as they approach the previous sculpture, leading them subtly from piece to piece & around the garden. Sculpture in full view can create a focal point whilst placement at the end of a path forms a destination that draws the viewer towards it. Many of the great gardens in large estates have sculpture to add perspective & scale to paths & avenues, so if you have a straight path or avenue of trees then a well thought out sculpture will properly define the sight line. Style is down to you. Quirky, contemporary, bold or naturalistic, just be sure it belongs within your garden. Sculpture is one element that really does not adhere to any rulebook so with the right piece you can add a modern twist to an Arts & Crafts garden or create a classical motif in the centre of a contemporary oasis. Art in the garden has a beauty that is in the eye of the beholder (reference the above Gnome) but if it works for you, who am I to criticize? |
