How To Choose Garden Statues And Sculptures

The idea of statues and sculptures decorating gardens is trendy, though it is far from new. In fact, excavations have determined that the Neanderthals had sculpture gardens. Every ancient culture had gardens with ornamental installations, from Mesopotamian to Egyptian to Far Eastern to Mesoamerican. It appears that decorating a garden with statues and sculptures may be inherently human.

Homeowners today are taking a more sophisticated approach to their outdoor spaces. They want them to be an extension of the living spaces in the home, and they are designing them as such. It certainly uplifts a garden, makes it more welcoming and more entertaining, to install beautiful or whimsical or simply unexpected statues and sculptures.

Table of Contents Hide

What Are the Most Popular Types of Garden Statues and Sculptures?
What Materials Work Well For Outdoors Statues and Sculptures?
Is There a "Best Place" in the Garden for a Particular Statue or Sculpture?
Ideas for Using Statues and Sculptures to Reflect Your Style

What Are the Most Popular Types of Garden Statues and Sculptures?

Just about anything that you can imagine! And some you would never have dreamed of. Here we have broken down some of the more popular into categories.

Animals

You can get a statue that looks like your dog or cat. There are beautiful butterflies, dragonflies and praying mantises - small ones for accents, some up to two feet in height. Maybe something more exotic appeals to you, such as an elephant or alligator. Is a safari on your bucket list? There are lions and tigers and giraffes. Do you collect everything to do with Jurassic Park? Look in the dinosaur section. For those into the literary scene, a raven will evoke Edgar Allan Poe.

Brown Classic Resin Succulent Turtle Statue

Brown Traditional Plastic Knothole Owl Tree Statue

Colorful Stylish Metal Standing Peacock Statue

Gray Classic Concrete Garden Snail Statue

White Elegant Plastic Perch Pelican Statue

People

Children are popular - children playing, working in the garden, fishing, reading. Adults may be folks from other eras or cultures, historical heroes, elderly couples still in love. Replicas of ancient Roman, Greek, French and Italian statuary bestow a touch of classicism to the garden.

Gray Classic Resin Basking In Glory Statue

Gray Classic Plastic Patriotic Flag Children Statue

Traditional Resin Girl On Bench Garden Statue

Religious Figures

Angels; Buddha; Confucius; St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment; Moses with his Ten Commandments; ornate Hindu gods and goddesses, such as Ganesha and Lakshmi; and Japanese Jizo, intriguing figures who pray for us and who will surely start a conversation.

Brown Traditional Plastic Meditating Buddha Statue

Gray Traditional Resin St Francis Statue

Gray Classic Resin Madonna Garden Statue

Gray Traditional Resin Queen Of Angels Statue

Gray Contemporary Resin Extended Grace Angel Statue

Mystical Creatures

Gnomes have been protecting gardens throughout European history. Gargoyles, sometimes scary looking, sometimes cute - either way they ward off evil. Fairies make lovely statues, and, if you include a fairy house in your garden and shiny objects and chimes, the kind of fairies you cannot see will visit your garden and bring you blessings.

Black Contemporary Resin Gargoyle Statue

Colorful Contemporary Resin Sleeping Gnomes Statue

Gray Classic Plastic Gargoyle Garden Statue

Brown Stylish Resin Gnomes Bigfoot Statue

Sculptures

There are too many different types of sculptures to describe here. They tend to be abstract or geometric or both. Whimsical sculptures tend to turn one thing into another, such as a wooden fence carved at the top to symbolize a row of people!

Gray Classic Stone Millstone Garden Statue

Red Modern Metal Parenthesis Garden Statue

What Materials Work Well For Outdoors Statues and Sculptures?

Natural Stone

Natural stone, such as marble and granite, is ideal for outdoors. It is non-porous and more durable than concrete and cast stone as well as many other materials.

Cast Stone

Cast stone is a refined precast concrete. It can be made to look like any natural stone. When glass or plastic fibers are added to the mix, it is almost as strong as natural stone and less susceptible to weather conditions than concrete. It also ages beautifully.

Concrete

Most garden statues are mass produced from concrete. Concrete is very heavy, so keep the statue small. It is porous - water can seep into the crevices then freeze, thaw and crack if you have cold winters.

Metal

Bronze, brass, copper, lead, aluminum and stainless steel look fantastic and are durable, but some metals are more susceptible to corrosion.

Bronze is the crème de la crème of outdoor ornament materials. Original bronze statuary is labor intensive and very expensive, though it may very well appreciate in value. It will last for centuries and ages to a lovely green hue.
Lead is a heavy but relatively soft material. It may bend or break if not well supported. It keeps its pretty soft gray color for years and can be molded into delicate details.
Aluminum is ideal for contemporary outdoor sculptures. It is lightweight, strong as steel and brighter than polished silver. Coat it and it will stay that way for 20-30 years.

Wood

Wood must be treated to be used outdoors. If not, it will rot over time. Wood sculptures are subtle additions to the garden. They provide an earthy note and become part of the ecosystem of the garden as years go by. They are for the person who likes guests to "spy" the sculptures rather than be confronted by them.

Resins and Fiberglass

These are relatively new materials for outdoor statues and sculptures, but very attractive choices. They are lightweight, durable and less expensive than some other materials. You can find original art re-created in resins or fiberglass to "gussy up" your garden.

Blue Nautical Cobblestone LED Lighthouse Statue

Gray Modern Concrete Dragonfly Garden Statue

Colorful Contemporary Iron Peacock Statue

Brown Elegant Copper Heron In Reed Statue

Green Classic Glass Turtle Garden Statue

Is There a "Best Place" in the Garden for a Particular Statue or Sculpture?

The very best place is where you enjoy it. But we have some ideas to get you started.

A large statue or sculpture is usually the focal point. This could be at the end of a long path or at the entrance to the garden or by a water feature. If you have a tall hedge, large statues set at intervals along it break up the "blank" space and add interest.
A large-scale abstract sculpture should be placed where it can be viewed from various angles.
In a formal garden, a set of four statues can be used at the corners.
If you already have a favorite statue that is not all that large, place it among dwarf plants or plants with small foliage to give it attention.
Place a statue or sculpture where it can be seen from your window. If you want to draw the eye across the garden, place it at a diagonal to the window.
Tuck away your quirkier pieces at random to give guests the delight of discovering them.
If you have room, create a tranquil nook with a bench and small Asian-inspired statues.

Ideas for Using Statues and Sculptures to Reflect Your Style

For an artistic and ultra-modern garden, use elegant and graceful stylized cranes created with red and yellow blown glass. Or a sleek and graceful contemporary sculpture of a couple will memorialize the love between you and your loved one.
For those who prefer primitive or folk art, carved wooden totem poles come in all sizes and all colors or bare wood. You have your choice of cultures represented and your choice of facial expressions, some of which are very amusing, some of which you can take some time interpreting.
If you like to make people laugh, you can scatter throughout the garden playful gnomes that whistle as a person walks by them. There are all different kinds of humor; maybe you would prefer the gnomes that moon your guests. If Snow White was your favorite fairy tale, the seven dwarfs will be glad to live in your garden.
For a Zen garden or simply a contemplative spot in your garden, have a water feature, a small bridge or pebbled path and a stone Japanese lantern or statue of a Japanese goddess.
If your style is classical, there are replicas of the ancient Greek and Roman statues, as well as urns on pedestals spilling over with greenery stationed at corners or regal lions standing watch at the entrance.