Lawns Hub

Southwest lawn decor only slightly differs from garden decor offered all around the world. In the Southwest, lawn decor can take the actual forms of local features, such as cactus and its unique and interesting formations or the local animal populations. Otherwise, many of the same items appearing “back East”, such as wind-driven flags, whirligigs, weather vanes and the like all pertain equally here.

Of note and a caveat of sorts is to remember the overwhelming more sunlight and the resultant exposure to UV rays of the Southwest versus almost any other area. Sunlit days are wonderful things, full of vitamin D and the blissful blooms of never-ending flowers. On the negative side of things, such sunlight can wash color out of fabric in an amazing fast time. I suggest extreme care be taken in protecting articles of lawn decor from the effects of prolonged and quite brutal exposure to an astounding amount and ferocity of sunlight and its attendant harm.

Finally, inasmuch as lawns are such a gorgeous contrast to the heat of Summers in the Southwest, Southwest lawn decor will undou8btelt want to mimic the more “cool” colors and tendencies of the lawn itself. There was no mystery at the brilliant azure blues of Muslim Temples in the Middle East, where the weather is quite similar. Those gorgeous deep blues and greens provide visual relief and a felt contrast to the unending sunlight.

Ok, not that kind….

Dog lawn ornaments are in fact hugely popular for almost all the right reasons. I laugh when I say that because there is some terribly funny stuff going on in the old dog statue game, including their “evacuation practices”, to be gentle. Yes, leave it to someone to make a statue of a dog with his leg up! Well, there you go. There is, of course, more than one out there. Funny stuff. But isn’t that dogs for you?

But it goes with the dog lawn ornament story, somehow. There are of course huge numbers of statues of “Man’s Best Friend”, many depicting species and others depicting actions. Among my favorites, and requiring a good expanse of lawn, are a group of beagle statues, all in frantic motion chasing a fox. Others I have personally seen include some very noble species depictions, including dignified-looking German shepherds and boxers. These come in a wide variety of styles and detail, from some very nice and totally pedestrian models of statues to the most elaborate and impressive artistic renderings, very noble indeed.

In the end, they highlight an area of that gorgeous expanse we often proudly refer to as our lawn. These dog lawn ornaments serve as compliments and reveal something very personal about those who choose to use them. Needless to say, an appreciation of dogs is foremost among the representations and may in the end be all the lawn owner is trying to get across. Speaking for dog lovers everywhere, I like that they want to honor dogs with something so permanent and solid. Will Rogers once said: “I don’t know if dogs go to Heaven or not. But when I die, I want to go where they go.”

Outdoor lawn and garden furniture is another of those areas which have burgeoned into a massively-popular and amazingly diverse area with the modern advent of a culture far more invested in the outdoors, their landscaping and the peaceful and relaxing benefits of home and garden ownership. There are nearly as many firms specializing in them now as there are items themselves which in itself opens an amazing research and development system dedicated to providing the newest and most affordable “next best thing”.

From a period when chaise lounges and a few mass-produced tables were the overriding items of lawn and garden furniture, we now find ourselves amid a dizzying riot of possibilities, from self-suspending hammock arrangements to and assortment of finely-woven Rattan pieces, made by actual artisans. Indeed, a trip to almost any craft show will illustrate the “off-market” creativity of humans who also love and adore sitting and relaxing in a garden of their own. The newer and cheaper import world delivers yet another quantitative burst of furniture, from the Swedish designed metals to Oriental possibilities it was once an exotic and rare thing to see.

Outdoor lawn and garden furniture also made a quantum leap in terms of durability with the newer sun-resistant paints and powders, but the alloys now cheaply produced lend a permanence not only to the furniture itself, but even to the colors.

Outdoor lawn and garden furniture is such a wide field in fact that it now requires subcategories, it has expanded so widely. Hammocks, chairs, tables, kitchen units, bar b quing equipment, swings, sculptured furniture, the list goes on and on. The sheer volume of the items also means the cost goes down substantially as well, making what once was considered exotic now imminently possible to enjoy oneself.

Anyone with an interest in lawn decor has lawn furniture in mind too. I’ll be sure to address this topic again in the future.

Just in time for spring! Let’s talk about birdhouses!

Lawn and garden decor birdhouses add a statement about a property. It says “We really like birds!”. Not only that, it can, at its best, also state the following: “We love the art of birdhouses!” The numbers of people who can readily admit this is off the charts. Birds are admired for many reasons: their gorgeous sounds; their miniature size and the care we show in loving them; their so-important role in the food chain and in the general environmentally-sound tasks they perform daily. Birds have always been a vital and mostly very appreciated species which have fascinated humans for centuries or, better, eons.

Birdhouses have now developed to a level where there are just absolutely fascinating structures abounding. People have responded to a substantial market of bird and birdhouse lovers by producing birdhouses which sometimes defy imagination with their beauty, or which may also simply give a warm, delighted sense of caring and of “home”. Human generosity is at play here and the results are some true magnificent hotels and motels for our feathered friends. The craftsmanship and utter beauty of modern birdhouses is a srtiking testament to the level of adoration we pay this noble species.

Don’t forget either that our love for the smaller and more needful plays a role as well. There is a lot about the human heart a birdhouse says. And that, my friends, is all good. Lawn and garden decor birdhouses add to a supportive and productive human legacy in Nature. The fact that they can be as simply gorgeous as they are, merely adds another plus to life in general and reveals a healthy humanity.

There are so many designs you can choose for, to enhance any lawn decor theme. Check out these creative and sometimes funny samples including a retro trailer, a lighthouse and more, by Amazon.com - you can click on any of them to get to the product page -

Lawn statues are these picturesque and generally solid items that perform the function of adding a surprising dimensional element to a lawn. Placed correctly, in the right spot, a lawn statue can say much indeed.  It can give a sense of historical time and place or it can merely be an item of striking originality and beauty on a lusciously green surface.  They can be gloriously whimsical. Much depends on the surroundings and the quality of the product itself.  Lawn statues may very well represent one’s tastes and values.  They may also represent one’s pride of place and even of one’s neighborhood.

Lawn statues come in an amazing variety.  We have all seen the gate keeping lawn jockeys, the garden gnomes, the glass balls once so popular in the United States. Or, ahem, the pink flamingos grazing on lawns in Omaha, Nebraska.  There were all whimsical, beautifying attempts and, no matter how crude or out of place, they were literal attempts to add decor to the outdoors with a personal arranging sort.

Now we have such gorgeous alternatives made by real artists and artisans, that we can be as subtle or as dramatically colorful as we like.  Many of the rules have changed, generally, as have many of the sources for the gathering of these cool products.  Lawn statues do not have to be mass-produced any more, for example.  There are many local outlets all over which offer the welded or sculpted beauty of statues rendered by true artists. Then there are the artists themselves, who travel to events featuring their work such as craft fairs and the like.  They are a rich and talented resource for those interested in the possibilites in lawn statues.

Lawn and garden decor angels are a sort of subcategory of lawn and garden decor in general. Angels have increased in popularity as items of lawn decor owing to, among other things, the fact that they now come in a wider variety of forms and construction material. Once it was typical that cherubs and garden angels were lightweight cast cement in very few different styles. Now, however, the field has somewhat burgeoned into metal, heavier cement, plastic and wooden figurines of some amazing placid beauty.

Their primary feature to my mind has always been what they represented: something above us all, a grateful posing thanking divinity for providing a nature so conducive to beauty and healthy lawns and gardens. It has always seemed thankful to me, and in a good way, mostly thanking for everything good.

There are now an immense variety of these cherubs and angels to grace our lawns and gardens with. Some are fascinating and complex, others simple and enhancing. Like almost all other lawn items, lawn and garden decor angels can be a riveting and handsome feature adding art to any outdoor environment. Watching over us as we read a book or merely lie in the sun, an angel is never a bad thing to have nearby, part of their allure beyond doubt.

Wholesale lawn and garden decor can be bought in an obviously rarer market than, say, the major outlets, but there is a most certain market there for the aggressive shopper. Professionals shop for all items at wholesale outelts and most of these dealers do not turn away walk-up traffic.  The trick is in locating these resources, not in getting access.

Another thing to bear in mind is that many retail stores offer virtual wholesale prices owing to their bulk-buying practices. Home Depot, Lowe’s and other retail outlets are not necessarily always more expensive.

But wholesale dealers are a fabulous resource for the penny-wise shopper.  There are few indeed who do not appreciate hard-earned cash or credit showing up on their doorsteps, especially inasmuch as their typical clients are on 30 to 60 day payment programs.  Cash and immediate payment are aphrodisiacs of the first order for the canny wholesaler.

Wind lawn ornaments are a charming and sometimes riveting addition to a home’s lawn. They come in an amazingly plentiful supply, ranging from sculptured and remarkably delicate works of art to the simplest of flags and wind chimes.  There is a huge variety of tasteful-looking and -sounding wind driven ornaments out there for a homeowner interested in enhancing his experience and further enjoying his gorgeous lawn.

For me, some of the cone-shaped flags are the most compelling and I admit, I own a few myself.  Almost kite-like, these gorgeous wind lawn ornaments add scale and color - amazing color! - suspended as they are on poles up in the air and filling and flapping with the help of local winds.  The addition of a bold splash of color and motion in a lawn is fascinating and riveting, just compelling as heck.  Children love these flags and they stand out as a unique yard-marker in a neighborhood.

Other wind lawn ornaments include those that produce sound.  We all know folks who have wind chimes, those tinkling-sounding miracles which are wind-driven and remind us auditorially that a wind is up and the condition of it all.  Abundant methods and tools for suspending wind chimes in the air allow yet another striking possibility of artistic beauty, offering a secure place to suspend the always-gorgeous-looking wind chimes from. Whether they are suspended form a post in the ground with an angled suspension rod, or hung from the rafters of an outdoor gazebo or patio cover, all sorts of pleasing methods are available and can be remarkable in their own rights.

One would be entirely remiss by excluding the always-satisfying “weather vanes”.  Classic and informative, a weather vanes gives us wind direction and force readings via the most hilarious or whimsical sculpture.