A Pattern Garden
by Valerie Easton  

Pattern 12: Ornamentation

While art is certainly decorative, to use it only as embellishment or as an afterthought is to miss an opportunity. Garden rooms, boundaries, and plantings can be shaped around art or objects you already own; paving can be poured or laid to incorporate mosaics or found pieces; functional items like weather gauges and even utility sheds can be crafted with style and imagination. At its best, art is integral to the mood and form of the garden. The material used in art pieces, such as curlicued rusted metal or the gilt that frames a mirror, can itself add artistry to the garden scene. Think of every surface, underfoot or overhead, as a possibility for color, art, and originality, and your garden will be exciting in all seasons.


The mosaic that wallpapers this work-of-art shed is crafted of broken bits of china, mirrors, and teacups. The shed's trim is painted to match the brief flurry of springtime poppy bloom.

Copyright ©2007 Timber Press, Inc. Text excerpts from A Pattern Garden copyright © Valerie Easton. Photographs copyright © Jacqueline Koch, except photos on Bridges, Gates, and Shelters pages copyright © Allan Mandell; and photo on Water page copyright © Richard Hartlage. All rights reserved. Posted with permission of the publisher.