As a child, I vividly remember my sisters and I walking around my grandmother's garden naming the statues, deciding who they must have represented and often making up magical stories to go with each statue. While statues in the garden aren't for everybody — carefully considering the placement of one in relation to the garden's design — can be done tastefully.
Statues may represent a loved one that passed, mark a special moment in time, or simply serve as a focal point amongst the greenery. Above are a few examples from our archives and beyond.
Images: 1, Children of the Corn; 2, 4, 10, Apartment Therapy: DC; 3, Modern Country Lady; 5, Garden Naturally; 6, Apartment Therapy: LA; 7, Apartment Therapy: LA; 8, Donald Peterson via BlogCatalog; 9, Apartment Therapy: LA
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The succulent "wigs" crack me up. I like subdued garden statuary, but it can be a slippery slope. My grandparents have statue or ornament to represent each of their grandchildren. I apparently remind them of a concrete goose who wears clothes.
Weeping angels?
I think I'd get a kick out of a garden folly. Something along the lines of a lifesize Easter Island moai.
Hey thanks for the link, and btw if you wouldn't mind correcting, the name of my blog is "Children of the Corm" not the horror movie :). Corms are similar to bulbs... hence the play on words. Anyhow thanks again, as a regular apartment therapy reader since I lived in NYC, it was quite a shock to see my garden statue front and center!
I'd love to have statues in my garden, but I can't stand statues such as those pictured. Where is the store selling (affordable) replicas of statues with clean lines and a more modern, or mid-century, feel? Statues such as those by Milles, Breker, Lachaise, Marini, Lehmbruck, Ban, etc. You can buy copies of paintings, vintage posters, etc. But copies of mid-century or modern statues don't seem to exist. All you can find are bad copies of classic statues and stuff that looks like it belongs in a Thomas Kincade painting. Blech!
mysteryflavor: ugh...those were really creepy and has since put me off of statues other than garden gnomes!
Hey there Kimber ! The weekend is getting better and better! Thanks for the feature !! -so excited !!
Have a great weekend.
Statutes are a charming addition to an outdoor space.
@mysteryflavor and @Kami Kazi: That was my first thought, as well. "Blink" forever altered my view of stone statuary.
@Torgny, they won't be selling (affordable) reproductions of modern sculpture as long as the copyright owners forbid it. (Newer stuff, the copyrights can be renewed, and most are owned by musuems...)
I have a couple of bronze herons in my sort-of Japanese style garden, a bridge, a nice birdbath nearby, and a couple of "stone" lanterns... I absolutely love sculpture, but it doesn't take much to get to overkill. I'm perilously close now, even though the things aren't lumped together.
@ Mysteryflavor, Kami Kazi, and Cremedela: I know I'm awfully late in commenting here. Just stumbled on this article. But I had a "Blink" dream last night that freaked me out!! Unless it's an animal statue or gnome it is NOT going anywhere near my garden!!