apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

As one who actually has pink flamingos in her yard, I had to vote yes. You can see them in the AT LA Flickr pool... I think they are cute, but I know that they are kitschy and that is one reason I love them.

I have miniature "lawn ornaments" in a couple of my potted plants indoors. That's enough kitsch for me.
http://www.perpetualkid.com/index.asp?PageAction=PRODSEARCH

If I had outdoor space, I would reserve the rear of the home for any and all ornments (nothing plastic).

In my neck of the woods, people have cement geese that they dress up for all occasions. They're extremely tacky, but also good for a few laughs.

I've been on the search for a really great gnome for ages!
Anyone have an suggestions on where to find a really nice one with lots of character in his face?

I voted yes, but then, I have a 6 foot tall metal giraffe in my front yard... http://www.flickr.com/photos/abracat/2511934166/in/set-72157594301024024/

I love gnomes!

Gnomes and flamingoes are one thing. Where I grew up, more than one house re-purposed old toilet bowls into planters - finally a place for those geraniums!

The only thing worse? I'd say those ridiculous life-size bronze renderings of Mom, Dad and the kids that adorn so many of the larger yards starting in Beverly Hills and heading west.

I have a sculptor husband and many large original works, but some people love the painted Snow White and all 7 dwarves best. My Mom gave them to me for a birthday present decades ago. He's had many requests to knock off Disney replicas. and said "no," of course

Not into gnomes but have gazing balls. In front of the house is a rusted urn with a coppery hand blown orb topping it off placed among large hosta and daylilies. Naturalistic with a twist. In the back I have several polished stainless steel globes propped in a cluster under the green ceramic birdbath.

I have a rule against fake animals in the yard. Just a big "no" on that. There are rules about what we can and can't have in our townhome subdivision, but nothing against large fake deer apparently, because some neighbors have them. They're awful. A cute little statue (not painted) in a garden is one thing, but if it's life-size, I'm fully against it.

That being said, I don't think the whole world should adhere to my design rules. What a boring place it would be then!

The most I'd ever have would be a birdbath.

That being said, some of my old neighbors used to have a contest to see who could get the most ridiculous lawn ornamentation (I'm talking about stags, turkeys, geese, gnomes, etc). It was very fun to watch. While definitely not my style, it was entertaining and interesting to see.

I voted no on the whole, but would put something here or there. My mother's into all windchimes and those swirly things that hang on hooks and make you dizzy. What happened to Mom? She has found something she really likes finally and gone overboard. I also dislike silhouettes of bears or moose on the side of a shed, for instance. And I'm not so sure if it's ok to say this, but the virgin Mary statues are kind of weird. People with a pond in their yard tend to do something corny like with swans or novelty lilypads and frog thingums.

I like stuff you might happen upon or would help you if you were out there, like a bench, but not a fake streetlight. A small statue, but not if it looked like a tomb marker. I like a little whimsy, not a big boatload of it, enough to tell your guests arriving, "it's the house with the giant blue ant guarding the steps," or "the one next to the house with all that yard shit on the lawn."

I'm looking for a smallish, fat, happy, buddha with arms raised for my front "garden", what a nice welcome home.