Garden figurines are an incredibly successful way to revitalize your summer cottage, house adjoining territory or garden. Create a sense of fairy tale and peace, which will help to cheer up. The sculptures are made of all kinds of materials and in various styles. Therefore, decorating the landscape space in an original and unique way is not difficult. It is enough to have imagination and know the principles of placing garden figurines.

What are garden figures for?

The main purpose of decorative figures is to decorate the garden, homestead and various flower-wood compositions. In addition, when decorating landscape zones in various styles, they perform the following functions:

1. Stylization. It helps to make the whole composition in a certain style, conceived by the designer. For example, a stone lantern will reflect the Japanese direction of art, a statue of Venus will indicate a classic style.
2. Set the emphasis. Most of the figures immediately attract the attention of a person, their eyes fall on them, and key places in the composition stand out. They make the landscape more rhythmic, indicate the intersection of paths, adorn the array of bushes and the center of the flowerbed.
3. Delineation of zones. Separate landscape segments are emphasized through decorative fragments, highlighting the depth of the composition. To do this, use a group of sculptures that frame the landscape. For example, antique columns.
4. The balance of the composition. If the landscape design of the site is dominated by a large number of tall trees in one part of the relief and a lack in another, garden figures will restore balance to the landscape.
5. Expansion of space. Some garden statues are made with reflective surfaces, for example, polished glass, metal, mirrors, glazed ceramics, which visually expand the space and create a feeling of spaciousness in places where it is practically absent. These properties are endowed with modern sculptures.
6. Give a mood. Garden landscape figures not only stylize and decorate. Placed in the most unexpected places, funny gnomes, frogs, hares or other mini figurines will amuse your guests and emphasize the sense of humor of the owner of the garden.
7. The completion of the garden trail. Usually the paths are closed, but there are dead-end paths when they cannot be avoided. Then various figures come to the rescue, which give them a holistic, finished look.
8. The formation of a single image. Very significant reception in areas with a large territory. Wide spaces are characterized by monotony and uniformity in the autumn and winter seasons, when the leaves fall. Garden sculptures will be able to fill in and designate temporarily faded landscape paintings.
9. Organization of the movement. Due to its ability to focus on itself, it is appropriate to place figures on entrance platforms in order to distinguish between car and pedestrian paths, especially with roundabouts. It is best to install them on a large stone or pedestal. Paired sculptures are ideally placed at the beginning of paths, bridges, stairs, walkways to the site. Not bad signify a small entrance to the gazebo, to the barbecue area, to the playground, etc.

Rules for the use of figures in landscape design

Garden sculptures need to be installed, taking into account the rules for their placement. Otherwise, even the most successfully created landscape design can be ruined by one thoughtless stroke.

Did you know? Garden gnomes not only serve as decoration of a landscape. They are considered amulets for people, a symbol of good and prosperity, and also patronize plants. If they are installed at the entrance to the house, fairy-tale characters neutralize the negative energy of incoming people.

The basic rules for arranging the figures are as follows:

• a small amount of - there should be few of them in the general composition, since the statues piled up at every step lose their originality;
• in one landscape design project you can not install sculptures from different materials and themes;
• scaling - take into account the area of ​​the site and the size of the product, there should be a relationship between them (large statues are not suitable for small gardens, but small ones, on the contrary, are lost against the background of large compositions);
• for large sculptures should select a separate area, surround them with tall trees, bushes with neat pruning or place in the background;
• small figures are placed mainly on the first line of composition or large stones (basement) to isolate from dense vegetation;
• styles of landscape and decorative figurines should be combined (small gnomes do not fit into the Japanese theme, a rock garden is not suitable for regular gardens in a group of trees and shrubs with a trimmed crown);
• products that emphasize the dignity of the landscape better surround with extra space for review;
• sculpture in the garden creates a vertical accenttherefore, it is placed on a horizontal section (in the center of the flower bed, on a walkway, lawn, etc.);
• placing next to the pond, be sure consider reflection in water;
• wherever the statue is placed, it alone must get into sight;
• all installed decorative items must be of the same type of material, so the integrity of the landscape is created;
• light figures are placed for contrast against a background of darker foliage, they can be emphasized with a niche (the uniformity and monotony of the general appearance of the garden plot is diluted in this way).

In order not to miscalculate with the dimensions of the product and its proportions, it is possible to make a cardboard figure as a model of the same dimensions as the future original of the finished figurine and “try on” it to the installation site.

Important! Glass garden figures cannot be installed in playgrounds. For all other landscape areas, they are like.

Site design selection

When planning landscape design with the installation of decorative elements, you should select them in the tone of the general style.

There are several main areas.

1. Classic. Product forms inherit antiquity. It is best to embed titans, goddesses, graceful animals in regular and classic landscapes. They look spectacular in green hedges and topiary lawns. Romance will be created by female statues in dense foliage or a hidden corner of the park. In the flower beds, old fragments of fragments and column capitals, parts of cornices and old sculptures are interestingly played.
2. Modern abstraction. The fashion trend of the design of a personal plot, high-tech cottages, etc. For other styles, it is also suitable if objects are correctly selected. They add mystery, unusualness, and encourage philosophical reflection. Universally suitable both for mowed lawns and for dense thickets (for example, trapezoids, hemispheres, balls and cubes). Figures can be placed anywhere in the park: in flower beds, under trees, near ponds, in bushes, etc.
3. Landscape or rustic style. Fairy-tale heroes are ideal for creating magic glades. They are installed in flower beds, on lawns, near shrubs. Always delight young children and lovers of science fiction. Animals and plants are placed according to their habitat. Frogs, turtles, herons adorn ponds. Kittens, snails, mushrooms are located in gardens, near benches and along garden paths.
4. Japanese style. The harmony in the ensemble is created by green vegetation in combination with bridges, pagodas, lanterns, benches, hedges, tsukubai, gazebos and tea houses. Thanks to them, peace and tranquility are in the garden.

Selecting the type of figurines

The main task of a decorative product is to decorate and accent a certain area, in addition, the visual expansion of space in small territories. Their choice should be taken seriously, since this element of decor can both emphasize beauty and bring complete disharmony into the overall composition.

Acquiring a figurine, it is necessary to consider material and quality. It is better to give preference to authoring and avoid standard models that fill most stores. Original copies can be made independently from old things and other materials. Fill with soil and seeds or plant species of trees and bushes inside the structure that are suitable for curly trimming.

Did you know? The first wicker green sculptures were invented by Americans relatively recently. For this, a special hollow frame for the topiary was created. It is filled with soil and seeds or planted within the structure are types of trees and bushes that are suitable for curly trimming.

Gypsum figurines

Garden decorative gypsum products are relatively inexpensive and environmentally friendly. A specific model is cast in finished form. Despite the fragility of the material, with good care, the product remains for a long time. Figures before installation must be treated with antifungal and moisture protective agents. For the winter, they are taken from the street, and stored in a dry, warm room.

Concrete Figurines

Concrete decor elements are obtained using the technology of pouring material into molds or formwork. Products are weatherproof and can stand on the street throughout the year. Sometimes they update the coating with special solutions. They weigh a lot, so it’s difficult to steal them, they are inexpensive.

Foam decoration

Figures from polyurethane foam can be made by yourself. They look original in any garden plots. They are made on the basis of a massive frame, which makes them resistant to gusts of wind.

Important! It is impossible to make a foam sculpture at minus outdoor temperature. Foam is toxic, so all work must be done with rubber gloves.

Inside, additionally weighted with sand, stones or earth. The finished product must be covered with transparent furniture varnish to increase resistance to weather events.

Wooden figures

Figurines made of natural material harmoniously fit into any landscape design. Despite the fact that they are relatively cheap, all of them are hand-made works of authorship.

Suitable for any landscape style, except regular (classic). As improvised raw materials can be used driftwood, stumps, twigs, twigs or marmots. Beautifully in harmony next to the arches of wood, arbors and pergolas.

Papier mache

The raw materials for the product are cardboard, paper and cementing mixtures in the form of glue, gypsum, etc. To prevent atmospheric precipitation from spoiling the figurine, it is primed with a water-repellent composition. Then they paint and cover with several layers of varnish.

You also need to know that this decor can damage various microorganisms, mold or fungi. Light weight crafts require special fixation on the site or careful selection of the place. For winter, cleaned from the street.

Today, a large selection of garden figures are offered by specialized stores with home delivery. Therefore, choosing an original decor for an individual landscape design is not difficult. In addition, you can show imagination and make a decorative element yourself. However, it should be remembered that it is impossible to pile up structures in the garden too excessively. And categorically do not recommend installing sculptures of different styles in one thematic composition.