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Gardening Finishing Touches

Many of the focal point techniquesused in large gardens can he scaleddown and applied on a small scale, andeven in a small space the garden canexpress the owner's sense of fun andpersonality in the little extras that aregrafted on to the basic design.

In a small garden, every corner canbe exploited with devices if not plants,and a degree of flexibility can he builtin that makes variety a real possibility.

Well chosen ornaments in particularcan set a tone for the garden: serious orfrivolous, classic or modern. Theysuggest the owner's taste... and evensense of humour.

Garden lighting can be practical andeven a useful security measure, but italso offers scope for artisticinterpretation. Experiment withspotlights in various positions anddiscover the dramatically differenteffects created by the use of light andshadows from different angles.

Arches and pergolas are a morepermanent element of the garden'sdesign, but they don't have to beplanned in at the design stage and areeasily added to an existing garden.

Using ornaments

Ornaments can be used around thegarden in much the same way asaround the house. Choose them simplybecause you like them, because theywill look good in a particular position,or as a device for attracting attentionand admiration.

In a small garden their use as a focalpoint is paramount. Large focal points

This kind of ornament needs careful placing in a small garden - always take time toconsider position.

They are impractical or can only ever be fewin number, but small ornaments,birdbaths, sundials, and attractive urnscan he used liberally. The only 'rule' isnot to have more than a couple in viewat once, as they will then compete forattention rather than taking centrestage. There is no limit to the numberyou can use in a small garden providedthey form part of a journey of

discovery. Use them among plants thatyou only discover from a particularviewpoint, or around a corner that isnot visible from where you viewed theprevious focal point.

Never let ornaments detract frommajor focal points that form part of thebasic design, and don't allow thegarden to look cluttered. Aim forsimplicity with surprises.

Sculptures: The classic gardendecoration is sculpture. For centuries,stone statues, busts, and fountains havegraced formal and informal gardens,though the use of sculptures and

artistic objects demands confidence.Few people react adversely to a sundialor birdbath, but sculptures or artisticornaments that generate admiration inone person can be abhorrent toanother. This should never deteranyone from using ornaments, but theyare hound to he somewhat moredifficult to place in a small garden.Human figures: Busts can look greatin an alcove or on a plinth in a dullcorner. Let ivy tendrils grown up andaround figures to soften the statue.Animal figures: Animal figures arealways a safe bet, especially if setamong the plants, or even on the lawn.Abstract ornaments: At times difficultto blend into the overall scheme,abstract ornaments should be used with restraint.

Wall masks, plaques and gargoyles:These are great for relieving a dull wall,but are almost always best set amid theleaves of a climber such as ivy.Gnomes: You probably love them orhate them, and that is the problemwith using gnomes. One or two littlepeople cleverly used with restraint canhe very effective and add a sense of fun,but usually either they are banishedfrom the garden or there is a wholearmy of them. The problem with thelatter approach is that the garden willsimply appear as no more than thesetting for a gnome collection.

Plinths and pedestals: Plinths areessential for raising a sundial, birdbathor bust to an appropriate height, butthey can look stark in a small garden.Make more of a feature of a plinth byplanting some low-growing plantsaround the base, and then use a few tallground cover plants that can graduallystretch up around the base.

A plinth can look severe on a lawnand mowing around it can he difficult.Try setting one in a gravel bed withalpines around the base, or leave thebed as soil and plant thymes or otherlow-growing aromatic herbs.

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