Livingston County, with residential yards ranging from a few square feet to several acres, is a veritable garden of opportunities for decorative lawn statuary. The ornamental items say as much about their owners as does the style of their homes and furnishings.

Gazing across her front lawn, Genoa Township resident Angela Bushor smiles as her eyes light on her family’s lawn decorations. Ceramic rabbits appear to nibble at tender flower shoots, sharing a curbside garden with a metal faux flower and real birds drinking at her birdbath. On her porch, a bench invites visitors to “sit a spell'’ and enjoy evergreens planted in large pots.

Her inspiration is her love of gardening, said Bushor, who purchases her lawn art at craft shows, garden centers and “wherever.'’

According to garden centers, lawn decoration can be as simple - and inexpensive - as a “found'’ object made into a planter or fountain, or as expensive as a custom-designed piece of artwork costing thousands of dollars. What is “hot'’ this year may be relegated to the junk pile in another year or two.

Gazing balls, those shiny, colorful reflecting balls that mirrored so many local gardens over the past few years, are passé now, says Chris Wicinski, of Meier Flowerland in Brighton Township. “Many of them were glass and breakable, so they started making metal ones, but metal just doesn’t have the same flair,'’ Wicinski says.

Big now are pottery and concrete urns and patio pots, says Char Rowe, flower designer at Leppek Nursery and Garden Center in Brighton Township.

“People are using pottery as an architectural form,'’ Rowe says. “They may be uncomfortable with large statuary, but they like a splash of color in a pot.'’

Don’t leave pottery, resin and cement pieces unprotected in winter weather, he advises. Either take them indoors or cover them with plastic to keep moisture out. “Michigan winter is very hard on these products,'’ Rowe says.

Birds abound in Livingston County, so birdbaths, feeders and birdhouses are immensely popular. “These products that attract birds are more and more popular as we become more conscious of the environment,'’ Rowe says.

Nancy Groudis, garden store manager at Bordine Nursery in Genoa Township, says metal yard art in black wrought iron or faux-rusty finishes, will be important this year. “A lot of these are structural pieces, such as decorative metal planters and piers, tea carts and wheelbarrows,'’ she says.

Prices for yard decorations are all over the map, from a whimsical ceramic frog ($2.99 at Bordine’s) that hangs precariously from a birdbath or flowerpot, to fountains and metal, resin or stone sculptures that can cost thousands of dollars.

Don’t overlook the DIY factor, say the experts.

That old chair taking up space in your garage can become a planter. Or save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars by making your own water features with heavy-duty plastic, a pump and some rocks. The kids’ outgrown tennis shoes make unusual flower pots. Most local garden centers and hardware stores will be glad to offer how-to advice. Home Depot and Leppek’s are among the stores that carry pumps, hoses and fittings for water features.

One objective of yard art is to create an atmosphere, said Wendy Roberts, garden and nursery specialist at Home Depot in Brighton. “A section of old fence can do it,'’ she says. Even tiki torches can help set a mood, she said. An arbor or stepping stones can direct the view to a spot you choose or begin a path to another area, perhaps a “secret'’ garden, Roberts says.

A set of wind chimes could be a good first purchase. Available in tones from tinkly to basso profundo, and in a similarly wide range of prices, chimes might just be the thing - along with a cool beverage and a lounge chair - to ease away the cares of the day.

Spring Your Home special section, Inside

source : www.mlive.com