62 Garden Decorating Ideas

“Life begins the day you start a garden.” -Chinese Proverb

Creating a garden not only increases your home’s curb appeal, it’s a great way to spend more time in the great outdoors. Garden therapy is also good for the soul.

There is so much more to a garden than just plants. Garden decor can include beautiful pots, planters, stepping stones, bird baths and more. We’ve collected 62 of the best garden decor ideas to show you how easy and fun it is to personalize this most special outdoor living space.

1. Bonsai Tree

Bonsai is a Japanese word that literally means “planted in a container.” A bonsai tree is an artfully created miniature replica of a full-grown tree. 

Bonsai trees are not usually genetically dwarfed plants. Virtually any tree or shrub can be trained into a bonsai through pot confinement and careful root and crown pruning.

Bonsai trees are often miniature gardens on their own, with small ceramic houses, bridges, or paths arranged around them. Create a stunning garden decoration by displaying bonsai trees in an Asian-inspired rock garden.

2. Contemporary

Fans of contemporary interior design will want to reproduce the same elements in their outdoor living space. A contemporary garden space usually projects a clean, simple vibe. Contemporary garden decor may include wood fences or patio dividers, simple light fixtures, and minimalist garden furniture.

Contemporary garden decor ideas often incorporate Asian-inspired elements, including shrubs carefully trimmed into geometric shapes and simple planters in various neutral colors. Plant flowers and shrubs in straight lines or simple groupings.

3. DIY

Do-it-yourselfers will love all the DIY decoration ideas that exist for garden decor. Make whimsical hanging planters out of old plastic bottles and rope, as shown in this video:

People with advanced DIY project skills might never need to buy planters after seeing how simple it is to build a DIY raised planter box. Watch this video to learn how:

4. Flower Bed

A flower bed is the heart of any garden space. The flower options you can include are limited only by your local climate and growing zones. Choose a monochromatic color scheme for an elegant flower bed, or mix colors for a more whimsical display.

When creating a flower bed, always plant shorter flower varieties in the front and taller flowers or shrubs in the back. When choosing flower seedlings, note the time it takes for the plant to reach maturity. It may take a few seasons before the plants fill in enough to give you the look you’re after.

5. Fountain

A fountain adds motion, texture, sound, and light to your garden decor. Fountains are often more affordable than people realize and can turn a basic garden into something truly special.

proved by flowing water. Not only is a fountain a lovely decoration, some types can double as a bird bath. This brings more beautiful birds to your yard.

6. Handmade

Handmade garden decor ideas make wonderful family-centric DIY projects. With a few simple supplies, you and your children can make wind chimes, mobiles, hand-painted flower pot displays and more.

Add color to your garden decor year-round by making oversized flowers from vintage dishes and glassware. Handmade bird feeders or bug houses are a great way to attract more colorful critters to your outdoor space.

7. Landscape

Designing your own landscape may feel overwhelming, but following a few basic tips can help you transform your garden from something boring into something fabulous. 

First, decide what you want out of your garden design. Do you need a play space for the kids? Do you want to grow herbs and vegetables? Do you prefer the look of a stepping stone path, or would a paved walkway be more practical?

Once you designate your needs, create zones for each purpose. Then focus on scale. What size plants will best fit in your outdoor space? Each garden idea you have should complement the landscape as a whole. Think of outdoor decor as the jewelry or finishing touches on your landscape.

8. Lights

Garden lights aren’t just decor—they are functional accessories that add a certain air of magic when the sun goes down. From ordinary fairy lights to decorative solar light stakes, illumination is always a good garden decor idea.

Strands of vintage Edison bulbs add a sophisticated touch to a vintage inspired garden. String lights embellished with colorful stars or crackled glass orbs are a great idea in a bohemian-flavored landscape. Solar light stakes in flower shapes are a great outdoor decor idea that adds color to your yard night and day.

9. Pathway

Strolling down a lovely garden pathway is one of the small pleasures of spring, summer, and fall. Pathways help you navigate all areas of your outdoor space, and are an integral part of garden design.

Gravel, crushed rocks, or larger stones are all attractive pathway materials. For a more formal garden, use brick pavers. Larger rocks make beautiful path borders that make your path feel more natural than constructed.

For safety reasons, be sure to include lights along the pathway. Solar light fixtures keep you from having to remember to turn the lights on and off each day.

10. Pond

Many people feel that a contemporary or vintage garden is incomplete without a water feature. A small backyard pond—with or without goldfish—is an ideal landscape focal point.

Water lilies and other water plants add color and dimension to the garden. Elevate your pond by building a waterfall and enhance your garden with the musical sounds of water flowing over rocks.

11. Raised Bed

Raised garden beds are a great idea for anyone who loves gardening but not the backaches that result from all that bending over. They are relatively simple to build as well, either from scratch or with a kit.

Made of wood or galvanized metal troughs, raised bed gardening is ideal for growing vegetables. It’s also a good way to organize an herb garden. Position an herb drying display nearby and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor year-round.

A classic window box is much like a raised bed in that it’s a contained, raised space for growing flowers. Consider adding them to certain windows, or attach one to a vintage window wall hanging for a fun piece of living garden art.

12. Tree

A garden isn’t really a garden without trees—even if they are just smaller palm trees in pots, set on a small patio. Choose trees that, when full grown, will match the size and scale of your garden.

If your garden already includes many full-size trees, plan your landscape around them. They are a valuable source of shade in the summertime, and many trees are simply beautiful in the spring and fall. 

Incorporate evergreen trees and bushes wherever you can, as they will keep your garden green even in the dead of winter.

13. Upcycled

Upcycled garden art is an environmentally friendly way to keep discarded items out of the landfill. Wind chimes made from old spoons, antique doorknob flower sculptures, and vintage coffee pot planters are all examples of turning weathered items into something new and beautiful.

Make a ladder display out of an old wooden ladder. Use the rungs as shelves for trailing potted plants, or allow climbing plants to do their thing up its steps. Transform old wooden chair legs or stair railings into garden mushroom sculptures by topping them with overturned painted bowls.

14. Vintage

Vintage garden decor ideas are warm and comfortable, able to evoke memories of a lazy summer garden party at Grandma’s. Old window frames, galvanized metal tubs, and blue willow teacups are just a few of the vintage garden decorations you can add to your landscape.

Freshen the paint on a vintage birdhouse and hang it from the porch rafters. Put a distressed garden display table on the porch and use it to display vintage flowerpots filled with heirloom plants.