I would never put a tacky piece of ceramic in my gargen. It's just not the look I like. I also dislike those "meditation globes" that are all the rage. On the other hand, my sister has a pink flamingo in her garden that looks good. She's a bird nut with hummingbird feeders and sunflower seeds everywhere. It works for her.

A year or so ago, a local manufacturer and purveyor of ceramic garden art had his studio burned down, someone left the kiln on or something relatively benign. The lack of bright pink and baby blue garden ornaments adorning his highway frontage shop is considered a blessing by many.
But then we have the large fiberglass cow outside the BBQ joint to console us.

Hate those! My neighbor has a 4/5 actual size mexican man and his burro statue in his front yard...........he's white. I think it's offensive! Someone stole the statues sombrero,he posted a sign asking for the hats return and "IT"S BACK"!!!! We all hope when he moves the statue will move with him(his house just sold). :0)

Its at its best when there is no coherent theme, ie a Madonna next to a whirly gig next to a pig with a daisy in its mouth, etc.

I'm particularly fond of grey plastic, large eyed deer basking in the shade. You see these in gardens as they just move in and before the real deer have eaten all there flowers, shrubs, and killed all the new trees.

I love this thread!

I personally don't go in for gnomes or plastic fauna or such. But I do have a couple Buddha in my garden--a laughing Buddha and a classic meditating one. I am sure that bothers some people.

Here's something to add to your list of things to see on a visit to Santa Fe: On Agua Fria, about 1.5 miles west of its start at the Santuario de Guadalupe, on the left (SE) side of the street is a little stucco house with the most, most tackiest ornamentation EVER. (Its been featured in Santa Fean of some such magazine). Pink flamingos, gnomes, christmas lights, plastic lattice, plastic nativity, 100s of faded plastic flowers in unnatural colors, tinsel, garland, burros, whirligigs, flocked birds, plastic angels, windsocks, egg-crate art, bridal arches, and more--and it grows every week. The best part is, the little older couple that lives there see nothing ironic or even out of the ordinary about it. The photographer who worked the magazine story said they were amazed and shy about the attention.

I would hate to ever see it go--its a peice of local culture and a treasure.

Trace, any pictures of this available ??LOL

Mercy Garden, I know the place you're talking about! Yikes. But that still doesn't top the house in Oklahoma City I drove by that had all of the same crap PLUS... get this... indoor/outdoor carpet covering their entire front lawn. *shudder*

I don't see what makes someone look at cheesy garden artwork and say, "Gee, that looks great! I think I'll get two!" I think a true garden has the greatest beauty no statue can add to.

The one ornament I just don't get are the "gazing balls"" or what ever they are called, I saw them once in a catalog where they were called "contemplative orbs" or something. I'm contemplaing "...Huh? how does a huge cobalt blue balloon fit in the garden? Dosn't the reflection make you look fat?"
Actually, I am getting a perverse satisfaction from using 4" concrete mesh as a base material for plant support throughout the garden. It holds up clematis, keeps the climbing roses going where desired, keeps the peonies from collapsing, and so on. Its almost invisible, except on the white house where it does, admittedly, look a little 'make do' in the early spring when we prune everything back to the ground.

I just have to say that I love gnomes. I have quite a few but they are no were to be found outside. I treasure them and dont want them to be kidknapped.

Gnome and fairytale supporter,

Leslie

I have objects in my garden, but not gnomes. The "theme" is natures eventual conquest over civilization. For example, I have a broken elevator pulley wheel, a piece of broken boiler, a giant cockroach made from a broken brass cymbal, a broken chia pet, drafting arms as trellis and so on.

You can see pictures at
http://community.webshots.com/user/nogobug

Its nice to see this back up. I was afraid my personal opinions on coloured glass orbs offended many.

There is a genre of garden art, I guess one would call sillouette art, that I have not yet finalized my opinion of. This would be the life sized black metal cowboy leaning on the side of a tree, or someone waving. As one drives by, it seems life like out of the corner of the eye.
Another one is a large heron with bird in mouth, often found in ponds. I havn't decided if I like them or not, but they are certainly a step up from large eyed plastic bunnies.

The mention of the Santa Fe "display" reminds me of a neighbors house in Minneapolis when I lived there a few years ago. Their yard was literally full of cement and plaster statues of any and all forms one could imagine. It grew every year and the owners were thrilled when some students from the university asked for permission to interview them and take photographs of them in their yard.

What they didn't realize was the students were psychology students, not art students as they imagined ;-)

Here in Canon City, a local booster club keeps a plywood Nativity scene high up on a ridge we call "the hogbacks", all the year round. The only holiday-seasonal aspect of it is that they will turn on the floodlights at Christmastime. I was thinking I might put up a bright plastic Santa in my garden as a sort of tacky protest, but I was afraid I might start a new outdoor decorating trend here instead.

I will, someday, make a life-size fountain replica of an inebriated cowboy, hat askew, holding a bottle witth 3 X's on the label, arm in arm with an equally inebriated Native american, dressed in broken feather headband and other steriotype stuff, also holding a bottle, the whole assemble spinning around and the fountain part being, well, you can imagine.

I would, perhaps, have such a thing in my front yard, in a very consipicuous position watering petunias.

I think garden gnomes are totally cool. In fact I found this web site while searching the web looking for a gnome to buy. We currently only have a bird bath and a gargoyle, but a gnome is on the list and I would really love one of those 4/5 Mexican guys with his burro (and I'm white) Someday I will have one...and a pink flamingo too!

You GO popeye! Purisism is fine and if you want your garden that way I have no beef about it. I'm like popeye, I like my gnomes and fairies. Also, I have grandchildren that have seen them and they think that's what Grandma wants, so I have the plastic deer, plus a lot of other misc. animals and a ceramic bunny and I even have the pink flamingoes!!! They are in my backyard for MY enjoyment. I guess my 6 foot metal black spider on the fence in the front yard may be offensive to some people but it is MY YARD.

I've been a lurker here, as I'm just on the very, very edge of the Rocky Mountain foothills, but this thread is quite the thing. I have to say about those folks mentioned with the smorg of all things in their yard, - that takes them right out of the category of garden accessories right into another realm. I can almost appreciate that more than the cutesy things.
I don't like the gazing balls, seems every dang garden mentioned in some magazines has one, they are gorgeous things, some of them, but I really don't know where a person should really put them, maybe keep them in a box and have a look at them once in awhile.
My mom, when she was alive, had three or four little racoons and rabbit things in the garden, they aren't my cup of tea, but my mom had them, and I liked them for her, just not for me.

I am surprised that no one has mentioned this website.
http://www.bifrost.com.au/hosting/gnomes/index.html

Bill

Here is a link that might be useful: The only good gnome is a dead gnome

guess this site really is "to each his own" i love the few gnomes i have, you unexpectedly come upon then in my large garden--but i absolutely detest the pink flamingos--its really beauty inthe eye of the beholder

I don't really go for the colorful yard art pieces. I do like some of the stone-like statues, and I have three gargoyles overlooking my pond and an enthroned horned guy, not a satyr though (Horus, maybe?), hanging out under my pyracantha. Mostly got them 'cuz I was sick of looking at all the flaming Mary of Guadelupe figures around here :p I also have a "stone-like" Green Man face wall planter/bird nest that's very cool looking. The nest is in his mouth, and the planter is in his leaf-hair - looks great with Roman Chamomile as his hair. I think I will turn the nest part into a water spitter for the pond though, hehe.

My dad is a pack rat of drive-you-nuts proportions. He once brought home three toilets and unloaded them smack in the middle of the front yard. There they sat... for years. So mom planted petunias in them each spring. I'm sure the neighbors thought they were her idea of cute decorating (even without statues standing around them using the facilities) but she was just making the best of the situation. I can't remember how she finally got rid of them. All things considered, I'd rather have the gnomes and big-eyed bunnies. :)

As soon as the Pope made St Francis the patron saint of Colorado I got a staue for my garden. It just seemed the right thing to do. :*) I like it when the snow sticks on his head and gives him hair.

I have various things strewn about. If it catches my eye at Ross or some other discount place it may just end up in my garden. At least the deer don't eat the statues.

And I have my two large stumps. One in the front and one in back. The one in front supports a honeysuckle and the one on back has a clematis on it. Liesl

My mind struggles with visual clutter... so while I am okay if someone has three stone birdbaths or 4 gazing balls or whatever, the mixed collections make me kinda dizzy.

My inlaws had a 6 foot topiary Elvis that bloomed yellow flowers in the summer. It was protected by a life sized Doberman statue. I get a kick out of even saying that.

I personally have 6-7 glass and copper wire bugs hidden in the vegetation of the garden. But that is all. Since it's not visible by everyone - I am bringing nobody's property values down, hahaha, I HOPE!!!

I wonder if they are a fire hazard, though.

"6 foot topiary Elvis" Could you be so kind as to describe this a bit more? Was it holding a guitar? Pompador?

It was holding a guitar. Hahaha, I am scared that you were able to foresee that!!! Yeah it had the hair, too. :-(

I don't have any garden gnomes, but I do have a couple of gargoyles, some gazing balls, some blown glass balls (non-reflective,) a small metal flamingo wind chime (couldn't resist this "classic" American garden theme ;-) ) Nothing plastic, but I am sure some folks would be appalled by this garden decor, especially you folks who dislike glass garden ornaments. Mind you, it's all in my backyard so I don't think the neighbors are concerned.

Holly

A few weeks ago, I took my usual early morning walk and for some reason decided to walk down the Denver alleys instead of the streets. I chanced upon an open dumpster with two discarded pink flamingos--the epitome of garden kitsch. I couldn't resist scooping them up and bringing them home. One day when I'm at someone's immaculately landscaped home, I'll sneak them out of my car trunk and quietly plant them on the lawn.

We have friends who set out wire reindeer with white lights on them at Christmas. One night, they were rearranged into rather more "festive" positions than they had originally. The wife thought it was hilarious but her husband was very upset!

HAHAHA re the "festive" deer! Living here in No-Fun-Of-Any-Kind I love it when naughtiness invades.

When we were shopping for our house five years ago we looked at a place up in Olympus Cove (great views) that was a throwback to the Brady Bunch era. The landscaping was minimal and scary but what killed the deal for us was the next-door neighbor's yard. It was filled, every square inch, with bridges and windmills and gnomes and rabbits and deer and ducks and mushrooms, all painted in colors not found in nature. I was wondering how they would flee a fire without breaking their necks. The only thing missing was the oversized tire, painted white and filled with flowers. Maybe I can cruise up there and find it and take a pic...

mla, bless your heart, at least you keep your insanity private :)

I have a statue of a little girl hiding in a vine-covered corner and three colored (clear) glass balls that float in my pond. That's pretty much it.

I don't mind ANY kind of garden ornamentation, as long as it's done right. That means that if it's tacky, it needs to be done to excess. None of this one butt-person on the lawn and a lone butterfly banner hanging from the eaves stuff--but a whole forest of butt-people surrounded by petunias in clashing colors is GREAT! Minimalism is okay, too, but it needs to be genuinely artistic minimalism--a mirror obelisk in the center of a sea of perfectly raked pea gravel, for example. Putting one cutesy cement little girl in the center of the lawn just doesn't cut it.

Gnomes have their place, as do gazing globes, "shovelbirds", whirligigs, pink flamingos, "real" sculptures, bird houses and fake wishing wells. Heck--even tire planters, toilets and bathtubs can be done "right", if not tastefully.

My favorite garden ornamentation scheme is a single, unique ornament (or more, if the landscape is big enough) interwoven with imaginative plantings. Maybe an urn, a metal sculpture, a set of enormous wind chimes, a granite orb, or a salvaged column from an art deco building.

ljrmiller, I received a catalog the other day with stuff for 'old European' nuts, and they were selling plaster pedestals and statues so you could make your living room look real classy.

The thought occured to me that this sort of thing would go nicely in the front yard. A few of these tipped this way and that; your own mini-Greek ruins. I'm thinking red, white, and blue petunias.

hmmmmmmm geez, now David,, here I am just one big gardenbutt always bent over in the yard,, geez man, I feel so unloved,,
Okay really I am a firm supporter of garden art,, however creative it gets,, it is all in the displays,, I found from years of being an artist whose work graces hundreds of gardens in all types of forms from tufa alpine containers, to arbors and benches, to those lovely mosaic bowling balls, and yes the occasioanl big garden butt in
3-D form, yes yes I even used to sculpt and make statuary,,,however in my old gardens which were used for show one rarely saw anything that jumped out it was all tastefully displayed,, across several acres of evergreen forests and large flowerbeds,,and yes a tastefully placed gazing ball tipped over laying amongst the pansies reflecting them can look good,
personally right now I am contemplating the 12 foot rusted statue of Mikeys- David, the big question however has been should I run a hose inside his leg and ,ummm turn him into a peeing fountain,,, or just let him stand out in all his glory for the neighbors passing by to gauk at,,
One big Garden Butt

GB, I'd say pull out all the stops, and have David watering the flowers with hose attached as you suggest, however put in one of those pift pift pift ones so it will soak a wider arc.

David, no! You want to paint the chunks of columns and pedestals in jewel tones (especially turquoise, blue, and carnelian) accented with gold. Then just casually toss them into the garden for that "neglected antiquities" look :-D

Okay, so GOOD taste was never my strong point...

Gold glitter would be nice.

LOL,, awe geez I never thought about the need for that arc,, but I was not going to have David watering the flowers, I was going to give him his very own pond to squirt into,,
hmm Glitter,, bright reflections,, I think Neons in glow in the dark would be good though, think about it 24 hour enjoyment,,

heheh Have to confess, I really enjoy the old garden statuary,, david has been a thought,, since the landscape design I am working on at this house encompasses everything from a 2000 sq ft planted roof, with a 15 ft waterfall cascading down into two ponds that break apart into a creek, along with fifteen ft high loose built retaining walls,, everything looks like old ruins and is being covered in vines, so the old stuff would look nice,,
although if I could find a nice little boy peeing fountain I would enjoy hiding him behind a tree peeing in a coffee can like my own kids did so many years ago,,
GB

I had a shock last week, driving a different way than usual and stumbling across a HUGE faux rock water fall in a front yard, fully populated with brightly painted landscape animals. The waterfall/rock structure was about 6' tall and 15' in diameter. I need to go look again. Maybe I was hallucinating. --Kris

Oh god...I nearly DIED today. I was minding my own business walking into a local nursery and glanced at the contents of a pickup truck parked next to my car. Red, white and blue petunias, a flat of each! AAAAAAARGH!!!!!!

It seems we all want to put our likes and dislikes on others. There are some garden statuary I dislike such as pink flamingoes but I don't live in Florida where they may go well. If you want to put a pink flamigo in a snow drift, be my guest. I have a ceramic fox that I have sitting behind a piece of driftwood among some large flat rocks. He is gazing out over the ridge by the house, with azalia bushes as backdrop behind him. To me that is cool. Along the road to town a person has the same fox sitting next to his driveway on a bare lawn. To me that doesn't look natural but he must like it and that's what matters. If you feel you have to ask your neighbors or internet friends what do they think you will like, boo-hoo, Sad Story. I also have an angel statue in a garden we call Cindy's. It also has a fountain and a collection of ceramic gnomes in relaxing postures scattered around among the plants and on tree stumps. We have several plants my daughter, who we lost in a plane crash, gave us each time she visited. It reminds us of her love of life and is very relaxing as we sit in the gazebo next to it. If that is tacky to someone, that's their problem.

As I mentioned earlier, I like exuberance, tasteful or not. If you are going to do butt people, do an entire fence of 'em! If you are going to do good taste, let it be lushly planted good taste, or spare italianate, or even sparer modern, but go all the way! And whatever you do, let it show how much you love it.

Herbalicious - I love the Elvis thingy! Would love to see it - Elvis get's blamed for All kinds of things in my family just like "Not ME" from Family Circle.

I have 3 garden 'objects' in my yard. One is a frog that my Mom made me - (love him & is extra special since she is no longer with us) and I have a small turtle that has a 'bobbin' head (VERY cute, I just couldn't resist )but I haven't decided where he will go as I just got him. The 3rd is an old iron wagon/tractor wheel raised up in a sqare shaped mini flower garden. I have placed a 3' rooster weather vain in the center of the wheel. The first year I planted r/w/b flowers in memory of my father but now it is a 'catch all' for left overs from the annual flower beds. My daughter cares for it and plants them where ever she wishes and it looks all willy-nilly but is very pretty. I am not a uniform type person -I just plant what catches my eye every spring.

I do have an old cast iron bath tub and an old wash machine tub that in hid on the north side of my house for mint. That stuff takes over, if not contained!! They belong to my husband, I guess it is a 'guy' thing???

I plan to put a pond & fountain in my back yard next year but no plastic wild life,(we have wild turkeys, deer, pheasant, grouse, geese and a multitude of other critters) just live fish and vining plants will be added.

Not about gnomes, but as gazing globes were also mentioned in this thread, I did find the perfect (for me) place for one. In our moon garden we have a large blue gazing globe. It's in the centre of the garden area and reflects all the white flowers. It's a blue moon, you know. LOL.

I would have never put a gnome in my garden because I am not a garden-trinket kind of gal. Then, about ten years ago, I found the sweetest bronze sculpture of a leaf with a bird and that has been in my gardens ever since. Ahem, just this summer, ahem, I found the cutest hand-molded gnome!! His name is Harold and he has a speckled hat. Either I'm getting old or I just am changing my mind about what is fun and what is odd.
I like the idea of those Victorian gazing balls but they are not to my taste. Somehow, I can imagine one on the ground and hiding amidst a creeping baby's breath, barely visible...dark blue maybe...but not for the garden I have now.
My sister-in-law is crazy about garden trinkets and they are allllll over her garden. Funny, they work for her! So, I am giving her a little snail made by the person who crafted Harold, my gnome. I think it will be right up her alley!

I remember when there was a bout of gnome-stealing in Portland, OR in the late nineties. I can't remember if it took place after the movie Amelie or if it had gone on before that. I just remember that it made me giggle and smile. However, I am not for stealing, no matter how funny, especially when it requires stepping onto someone's property. Wow, that is just too much!!

I can tolerate almost anything, but the one of the fat lady's ass bending over tending her flowers just makes me itch to dig out a slingshot.

Maybe second childhood is creeping up earlier than I thought?

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