Nature’s garden art (Five tips and DIY ideas)
Garden art comes in many forms in a Woodland Garden, from nature in the form of a moss-covered boulder or a fallen tree branch to a rusty buck standing watch over the garden. Garden art can be subtle or add a little whimsy to your outdoor space.
This late winter image shows how garden art like this Easter Island head, can add interest to the garden even in late winter when the garden is not at its best.
Mother nature provides its own artistic touch
If you are looking for garden art to enhance your woodland, look no further than Mother Nature – a mossy boulder, an elegant tree branch rising out from a bed of ferns. This is nature’s art at its finest.
If we take the time to really look carefully, nature often provides her art to us for free.
Fallen pine cones that “litter” the ground are works of art in themselves.
The moss-covered tree trunk works perfectly placed along the woodland pathway.
These are the gifts nature gives us if we look for them.
Look for natural materials that get better with age
But relying entirely on natural elements as art may not be enough to satisfy every gardener’s desire to inject a little sophistication and a touch of elegance into their woodland.
If you are looking to purchase artistic elements for your garden, consider investing in natural materials that age gracefully. Almost anything made with copper will improve with age.
That patina copper takes on with age is just too beautiful not to invest in if given the chance.
I think garden art works best when it is not only elegant and sophisticated, but serves a useful purpose.
An elegant birdbath is itself a piece of garden art. But, when a cardinal is added to the scene, nature’s art truly shines.
Copper birdhouses and birdbaths ideal for the woodland
Birdhouses and birdbaths are perfect examples of garden objects that, if chosen well, can not only add sophistication to a corner of the garden, but attract our feathered friends – one of nature’s finest work. How can we resist a cardinal on a birdbath or a goldfinch at a beautiful feeder?
Many of the finest bird feeders are being made by artisans and can be found on places like Etsy. The copper-enhanced Baltimore Oriole and hummingbird feeders found on Etsy are just two examples of how artisans are recognizing the value of garden art and meeting our needs for a more sophisticated approach to garden art.
The ultimate bird feeder made with copper and cedar.
There was a time not too long ago when the only garden art available amounted to plywood cutouts of an elderly husband and wife from ‘behind’ out weeding in the garden. You remember them. Everyone had a good laugh at the couple’s expense.
But those times have changed.
I wrote a post about an architect couple from France who moved to Toronto and started a business combining their architectural skills and love of natural materials to create an exquisite bird feeder made from copper and cedar. (see picture) This feeder, although expensive, will provide a lifetime of joy and can be passed on to your children. It is available in new copper (as illustrated) or copper that has already been chemically aged with a lovely verdigras patina.
There are, of course, other bird feeders that are works of art, but don’t expect to find them at your discount store.
The copper and cedar bird feeder has aged nicely and taken on a lovely patina in only a few short years. And the birds love it too.
Although a finely aged concrete bird bath has been a staple in so many gardens, copper birdbaths not only look beautiful, they have natural microbial benefits that can make them a better choice.
I wrote about an elegant copper bird bath available at a fine garden and home boutique, but similar ones are available at many bird and home stores.
For more on growing your garden on a budget, check out my in-depth article here.
Use the iconic garden bench as art
The garden bench – especially an older, moss and lichen covered bench – can be a beautiful, yet useful addition to the garden.
Many years ago – certainly more than 20 years – I was desperate to get a garden bench. We lived in a typical subdivision and I was working diligently to create a mini woodland garden in the yard. The bench represented a destination along a simple path in this tiny garden. I wrote an earlier post on designing a woodland garden in a small yard and focused on the importance of a pathway in a small garden to help the viewer experience the garden as they walked through it.
Not only did our traditional garden bench provide a destination for the visitor, it offered the gardener a place to rest and enjoy the garden from a different perspective.
It’s another excellent example of how we can turn a utilitarian garden object into a wonderful piece of garden art.
Creating your own garden art is always the best approach.
Five tips and DIY ideas to add art to your backyard landscape
Look for naturally-aged garden objects such as birdbaths, birdhouses and garden benches that people are selling either at garage sales or at on-line sites such as Kijiji. I have picked up some of my favourite “art” pieces this way.
Use techniques (like the one described below) to age newer items rapidly so they better fit into your woodland setting
Most “artistic” elements are best discovered rather than presented for everyone to see. Consider using vegetation to hide your art, especially more whimsical pieces that, when unexpectedly discovered, will bring a smile to your visitor.
Purchase lasting pieces that incorporate natural materials like copper, cedar and even rusty steel that will add a rustic element to your garden.
Whenever possible, look to nature for its existing art forms. The beautifully coloured rock, an old cedar tree root, an elegant piece of driftwood. These are often found objects that add a natural element to the garden and be combined with bought items to create a lovely juxtaposition of old and new.
In those days garden art, even a nice garden bench was not easy to find. I did, however, find an inexpensive wooden bench at a discount department store and bought two. More than 20 years later they still form a focal point in our woodland garden. Never, however, do I actually sit on them. These inexpensive garden benches have taken on an incredible aged look, covered in lichen and mosses. After a spring rain, they more or less turn a soft green as the thick moss bursts to life from its more dormant state.
Our two benches now hold large black containers that are planted with colourful, hard-working annuals that create a hit of colour in the garden and draw attention to the beautiful wooden benches.
In another part of the garden, we have a small cement garden bench that is beginning its aging process. Letting it age naturally is a slow process. It might be time to help it along a little using the following method. It’s perfect for quickly aging cement containers, benches and garden statuary.
How to give concrete a mossy, aged patina
A quick search on the internet provides several alternatives to creating an aged look for new concrete. It works on statuary as well as concrete containers. Mother nature and time does most of the work naturally, but some simple steps help to hurry the effect along. What might take mother nature years to create, can be done in a few weeks or months by following these steps.
• Start by mixing a weak solution of water and black acrylic or water-based paint and apply it to the cement statuary. Let dry and apply a second or third coat. The effect is simply to give the statuary a ‘dirty’ look rather than the stark white one it often has when it is new.
• Mix yogurt or buttermilk in a bucket with equal amounts of water, compost or soil and even some manure. You can add in some crushed moss at this stage as well. The result should be a thick spreadable paste.
• Paint on the mixture to the cement statuary or container ensuring you cover all areas especially creases where moss would naturally take hold.
• Take a handful of moss and rub the surface of the concrete to spread the moss spores into the concrete.
• Finally, store the concrete statuary or container in a moist and shady spot to encourage the aging process and keep it moist for a number of weeks until you see the moss get established.
Our gardens need to be inspirational places and what better way to achieve that than to add a few pieces of garden art, whether they are nature’s art like the boulder or store-bought statuary.
Statuary is great addition for the woodland garden
Garden statuary has always been a part of the garden and works well as it ages, often taking on a mossy patina.
In my Japanese-inspired woodland garden, we have incorporated traditional Japanese statues praying together surrounded in a patch of moss. With a little encouragement, I am hoping they will take on a mossy appearance for a truly aged look.
In another area of the garden, a statue of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals, would be a perfect addition.
We have a number of aging cement statues of small animals tucked away throughout the garden. For much of the growing season they are mostly hidden from view, tucked away in the vegetation. It would be easy to miss them on a walk through the garden.
This rustic bird house and feeder fits the woodland theme and provides the ideal home for this Carolina wren.
In most woodland gardens, however, garden art should be more subtle. Consider a trip to your local nursery or rockery in the spring and scour their new moss-covered boulders to find the one that works perfectly in your woodland setting.
In another area, a gnarly branch that fell from a tree can serve as art. Place it somewhere in the garden where it’s natural beauty can age gracefully and work its way back into the soil while it provides homes for insects, small reptiles like red-backed salamanders and toads.
The moss-covered rock or twisted branch may also form the perfect natural landing spot to catch some great photographs of birds in your garden. Encourage moss and lichens to grow in the cracks but leave enough room to tuck in a few sunflower seeds to attract the birds to the exact spot you want to photograph them.
Rusty Buck standing guard in the ferns ties in to the rustic theme of the garden art in this section of the garden.
The rusty buck as garden art
Probably our favourite piece of garden art my wife and I purchased was from a boutique garden store we noticed on a day-outing. The store was tucked away in a small Mennonite community about an hour and a half drive from our home. We both noticed it as we drove by and immediately turned around to check it out. It’s another example of a piece that gets better with age. Now every time we see our rusty buck tucked in the ferns, it brings a smile to our face. Not sure what the native male deer think when they see our rusty buck, but it’s been knocked over on the ground in the morning more than once. Could be the wind, could be a jealous buck. We may never know.
Gardening on a budget links
Ten money-saving tips for the weekend gardener
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Click & Grow is ideal for Native Plants from seed
Native Moss and Moss-like ground covers for a Woodland, wildlife garden
Moss is quickly becoming a favourite ground cover for Woodland gardeners and those looking to create a Japanese-inspired garden. These top three ground covers are great alternatives to moss when native moss is not an option.
Three moss alternatives for a woodland garden
Maybe it’s just me, but is the gardening world finally embracing native moss as the ultimate ground cover?
The Japanese have worshipped moss for centuries.
Entire gardens centered around the perfect patch of moss, a single boulder and an ancient maple can be all one needs to create a stunning, tranquil and peaceful place.
More of us are looking for those qualities in our gardens, whether it’s a small Japanese-inspired garden or a more intimate area within a larger Woodland Wildlife garden.
The difficulty for most gardeners who love moss comes with growing and maintaining the perfect patch of moss.
The good news, however, is that we have alternatives to moss as a ground cover.
For my article on the importance of using native plants in the garden go here.
Here are three great alternatives if you are looking to create that tranquil, peaceful feeling in your woodland garden. Irish and Scottish moss are obvious choices but don’t overlook the beauty of creeping moss or the numerous Stonecrops available for hot sunny areas in your garden. These alternatives will never replace the true beauty of our native moss, but for many woodland gardeners they will provide the perfect alternative.
A Japanese painted fern creeps out over the flagstones in our front garden with ground covers Scottish moss, Japanese Spurge and Cornus Canadensis (top right).
Irish and Scottish moss as the perfect alternative ground cover
By far, the closest ground cover to real moss is either Irish or Scottish moss (Sagina subulata verna and aurea)(pictured above).
Both are perennials you can buy at most good garden centres, and both deserve prominent spots in our Woodland gardens.
The Irish moss is a more dark green whereas the Scottish moss is golden or chartreuse.
Both have delicate flowers that emerge in late spring, early summer in Zones 6-8.
They can take full sun to partial shade and some foot traffic.
I have used both types to fill the space between flagstone pavers in our front garden. But, because we are blessed with plenty of native moss growing on the property, the real moss is slowly taking over from these moss alternatives.
Once the natural mosses begin to grow in these areas, it’s probably a good time to move the Irish and Scottish moss to a more sunny area where they can spread their soft cushiony perfection elsewhere in the garden.
They are quite shallow rooted and easy to move by simply taking small clumps of it with a little soil and packing it in other areas of the garden.
It can also be used in containers to cover the soil. Put a little in a container and let it spread throughout the summer.
Looking for more information on ground covers? Please check out my other posts on ground covers I use in the woodland garden.
• Three great ground covers for the woodland garden.
Scottish moss growing between the flagstones in our front woodland garden.
Creeping Phlox is a glorious ground cover in all seasons
Creeping phlox is a real favourite in hot, sunny locations.
It really shines in early spring when the normally dark green prostrate plant bursts with lavender flowers.
It’s a real show-stopper in our front garden as it creeps among the grasses and onto the stones of the dry river bed and bumping up against large boulders on one side and blending in nicely with another mossy alternative Creeping thyme.
Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulate) spreads rapidly and, while it puts on quite the display in the spring, it takes a back seat for the remainder of the year forming a perfect dark green backdrop for our blue-green grasses that emerge through the ground cover in this hot sunny, dry area of our garden.
Creeping phlox among the rocks and grasses in our front garden.
This herbaceous perennial grows in zones 3 to 9 in a rich, well-drained soil and comes in pink, red, white, blue rose and lavender.
It’s a tidy plant that grows up to about 6 inches high with a spread of up to 2 feet for a single plant. It forms a thick mat and for Woodland gardeners it’s deer resistant. That alone should put it high on our list of plants.
Creeping phlox likes full sun but tolerates some shade. An added bonus is that it also attracts butterflies and provides an early food source for insects in the spring where it is one of the first to bloom.
This image shows the stonecrop beginning to bloom with its yellow flowers growing behind and around the container planting.
Best sedum/stonecrop plants as ground covers
Many of us are familiar with Sedum Autumn Joy. It’s a wonderful plant that provides year-round interest and is one of only a handful of plants recommended for the New American Garden. Just to make it clear, we are not talking about that popular type of Sedum here.
There are up to 500 individual species in the Sedum genus, often called stonecrops, some of which are native to zones 5-6 and beyond.
When it comes to ground covers in hot, dry areas, these ground cover Sedums are tough to beat. Of particular note is Mossy Stonecrop (Sedum acre), which is a non-native that has a lovely yellow flower in summer and grows well in hot, sunny locations.
I use them in an area of the garden that forms a pathway across the back of our home. It’s covered in pea gravel with a dry-river bed and blue square-cut flagstone.
The sedum ground covers spill over the edges of the garden into the pea gravel softening the edges with a moss-like texture that has the added benefit of lovely yellow flowers in the summer that the bees and butterflies flock to in large numbers.
The sedum mats are easy to control and thrive in the hot, dry soil. There is just too much to say about sedum as a ground cover in this blog. I encourage you to talk to your local garden nursery experts for advice.
For more information, check out Ontario Wildflowers.
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