Artistic Accents in the Landscape
March 28, 2018 | By webadmin
Looking for a landscape that stands out from the crowd? Distinctive hardscape design and good plant choices often do the trick. But if you’re really looking to set your landscape apart from everyone else’s, then choosing artistic accent pieces and accessories can help you reflect your own style and personality.
Even functional spaces, such as this firepit with seating, can be designed as an artistic feature of the landscape.
When designing landscapes, we like to work with the homeowner to choose accessories as focal points. Of course, the architectural style of your home may influence the type of accessories you add and it is important to not overdo it, otherwise the space can become cluttered. One or two favored pieces is often all you need.
Our Favorite Artistic Landscape Accents
Sculpture
Garden sculpture can set a tone for the landscape. A perfectly placed piece of sculpture becomes an instant focal point and gathering place in your garden. You can use just about anything as a landscape sculpture, from reclaimed objects, to fountains, to formal stone or marble sculptures.
This fountain, molded from plant leaves, also serves as a sculpture in the garden.
You can place a sculpture into an established garden, or even design a garden area around your favorite sculputure.
Mosaics
Pops of color can brighten up walkways or even bring a boring outdoor wall to life. Mosaics offer a special way to bring interest and color to your outdoor living space. Mosaics can be used to define hardscape spaces, or create ornate outdoor “paintings”. Our good friend, Barbara Dybala at Hidden Mosaics, creates wonderful, one-of-a-kind pieces that bring color and life to the garden--even in the winter months.
Photo Credit: Barbara Dybala
Lighting
Even the landscape lighting you choose can make a statement. Lighting fixtures don’t have to be utilitarian; they can be sculptural elements as well. Not only does outdoor lighting add to the usefulness of your landscape, it also creates a new way to see your landscape—with shapes & shadows cast in the dark.
In this landscape, we accented the clean, modern lines of the home and sidewalk when choosing these simple, yet dramatic, glass & metal lights to keep the landscape bright, and the mood modern. We think these lights look more like sculptures than just light fixtures!
Wildlife Friendly Water Features
Water features often become the statement feature of a landscape. Water features can be as simple as a distinctive container turned into a bubbling fountain, to extensive ponds with waterfalls and swales.
We think it is very important to design water features with wildlife in mind. Nothing is more relaxing that watching butterflies float around your new pond in the backyard. Even small water features will attract birds and pollinators. Creating varying shallow and deeper areas of a pond or swale will support different types of wildlife.
Scale is important when choosing your sculptural piece or water feature. Large pieces make a strong statement and can make a big impression. We transformed this large ornamental urn into a bubbling fountain to greet the homeowners guests at the front entry. It is quite a standout in the neighborhood.
When you are ready to set your landscape apart from others, give us a call. We would love help you choose or design your own artistic elements for your landscape.
