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Out Is Really In

by Marsha Haefner

Don’t you just love this time of the year? Your gardens are planted. You’re enjoying containers full of beautiful colors and textures – you’ve successfully placed the perfect plants in the perfect spots!

However, before you kick back and relax a bit, there may be a few more things that you might want to consider. Often, the difference between a pretty garden and an exceptional outdoor space is the finishing touch – something you add to complete the project.

We love to embellish our homes with accents that reflect our individual tastes and preferences. A picture here, an accent piece there –these are the things that can turn a plain room into a cozy retreat. When it comes to dressing for a special occasion, quite often it’s the accessories that give you the look you were going for. When you accessorize your outdoor spaces, you bring a whole new dimension to those areas too. Accessorizing is like adding a bit of personality that will result in the “WOW” you love to hear. So, take your accessorizing talents outside and use them in your yard, your gardens and even in your containers. As is true with many aspects of gardening, there are no rules to follow when selecting and placing accessories. Scale and color do matter a bit, but when decorating outside you can let your imagination lead the way.

One of the easiest and most dramatic accessories for your yard is placing a large pavilion in a spot where you would like to entertain. It’s like having an instant room outside! Mulch or bricks could be used as flooring. Placing a few comfortable chairs around a fire pit or fountain makes this a perfect space to enjoy some time outdoors. Add a small table, some citronella candles and, of course, some beautiful blooming containers and you’ll have an oasis to enjoy both day and night. Pavilions come in a variety of shapes and sizes that can accommodate just about any size yard.

Arbors are perfect accents that welcome you into your gardens. Placed at the beginning of a garden area, an arbor can create an entrance as well as a focal point that establishes the boundary for your garden. When placed at the end of a sidewalk or garden path, it can lead you to a spot where you can sit, relax and admire your beautiful surroundings. Whether formal, sleek or rustic, made of wood or metal, placing an arbor in or near your garden is another easy and popular way to visually complete an area.

Sometimes smaller accents have a big impact and add more of your personality to the gardens you have created. Of course, your garden is visually appealing. Adding some sound brings it to life. Fountains and wind chimes are perfect choices that are easily placed to add those soothing sounds. If you love a traditional style for your home, an angel fountain in an earth-tone color could be the perfect choice for your outdoor space. If contemporary styling better expresses you, there are many sleek options available when looking for that perfect fountain. An additional way to add life to your garden is to add some movement. A kinetic sculpture expresses your taste in art, and also draws attention to your garden with its beautiful movement as well.

Bird lovers often have feeders and bird baths placed around their yards that are as functional as they are nice to look at. A blue ceramic bird bath in a garden that blooms in just about any color looks good. However, if you placed a group of three birdbaths in several of sizes, you’ve got a unique and finished focal point for that same space. A large copper bird bath is artful and functional – a treasure for both you and the birds!

For years, the trend was to bring the outdoors in. We wanted our homes to reflect our love of all things natural as well as our passion for gardening. There isn’t a retail store that I know of that hasn’t picked up on this trend. Garden inspired accents are everywhere! With every trend, there is a counter trend. Now we want our outdoor spaces to reflect our lifestyle indoors. Outside, we seek the same comfort and function that we find in our homes. Accessorizing our newfound space has become just as important. We’re in luck! Just look at any home decorating store or garden center and you’ll find items that make your outdoor spaces become an expansion of your home.

When referring to these new outdoor spaces, we’re not talking about a screened in porch or deck with a glass table, a few chairs and a nice gas grill. There are lamps, clocks, furniture, pictures to hang, beautiful ceramic lanterns, and many more items to purchase for your outdoor decorating. Space in the back yard is now being used for complete, fully accessorized kitchens. If you like to watch HGTV on weekends, you’ll be inspired for hours by programs that give ideas on how to turn your yard into a whole new space that can be used day and night. It’s a great trend that I predict will be around for quite a while. In is out, and out is in!