Whether you are designing a formal or informal garden space, consider adding statuary, bird baths and large planters for year-round appeal. And for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, consider gifting one of these beautiful items.

“Adding statuary and large planters in different sizes will add variety to the garden,” said horticulturalist Mark Viette of Augusta County. He and his family have added many types of statues and large planters to their gardens, as well as sitting benches and bird baths.

“We have filled many areas in the garden. A lot of times when you use statuary or large planters, your eyes go to those areas and it leads interest in the garden,” he said. “So not only do you have a wide-variety of plants, trees, shrubs and a mix of annuals and perennials, and even bulbs, but you can add in statuary and interesting containers.”

Statuary

When placing a statuary in the garden, one key is to make sure it has a good solid, footing so it won’t fall over. And for life-like or very tell statutes, they can be quite heavy at 700 to 800 pounds, and take up a lot of room, so make sure you have the space, Viette said.

Large planters

“The great thing about large concrete planters is that they can stay out in the garden year-round,” Viette said. “They’re so heavy duty in the way they are constructed, so they won’t crack like clay pots.”

Clay pots need to be brought in during the winter or they will freeze, crack and break.

Viette suggested putting annuals and tropical plants in large planters, and also perennials, like hostas, ferns or daylilies. “You won’t have to replant them because they’ll come back year, after year, after year.”

Bird baths

Bird baths are another attractive garden feature. “We like to attract birds to our garden,” Viette said. “Not only can we feed them, but we need to provide water for them.”

Bird baths can be higher off the ground on a pedestal, or many birds enjoy them on the ground, Viette said.
He said it is important to change the water frequently and keep them filled.

Check your local nursery or gardening store to find a variety of statuary, large planters or bird baths to gift your loved one this year.