As the array of garden accessories, such as trellises, plant containers, seating and decorative figures, is seemingly endless, you should give some thought as to what types of pieces will best suit your yard. Just going shopping to buy whatever catches your eye could end up being a mistake as you probably wouldn't have a clear theme or even any color scheme. It's not that you can't or shouldn't accessorize your garden in a fun way — whimsy can look great in a yard — but, unless you edit your preferred style of garden accessories, your potentially innovative outdoor space may end up being an anything but attractive.
Going by your favorite style for your yard, such as ethnic, whimsical or elegant, as a guideline, you can then start looking for garden accessories that suit your chosen theme. To prevent buying too many pieces, especially if you have a small garden area, first get the accessories you need most rather than those that are purely decorative. Once you have the necessities, you can always add just enough garden accents to properly finish the look. You may want to group your garden necessities into categories that include plant/lawn care, seating and lighting.
Elegant garden lighting options may be sleek metal lamps to insert along flower bed borders, while whimsical lights may feature animal motifs and more ethnic styles may be scrolled, curved wrought iron lampposts. The seating should follow along the same style, such as straight-lined benches for elegance, colorful wooden or metal seating for whimsy and an ornate wrought iron table and chairs for ethnic. There are many other ideas that are likely to occur to you once you pinpoint the style you want as you shop for garden accessories.
You can often find yard care items that are decorative as well as useful. For instance, stepping stones help save lawns from excess foot traffic by creating a path, but they are also available in many attractive designs to suit all types of tastes and budgets. Garden accessories known as hose guards are often attractive metal figures shaped in the form of birds or other animals; they get partially inserted into the lawn or garden so the part that remains above the surface helps keep garden hoses from moving around too much when they're being used to water the yard. Extra accessories you may want to consider might include plant stakes, a hammock, wind chimes and a bird house or feeder.