Art is like a flower
If you nurture it,
it will grow.
If you encourage it,
it will open.
If you love it,
even the most dormant flower
can bloom in radiance.
There is a delicate flower
in every artist.
Support the Arts,
Become a gardener
and watch a flower bloom.

Author unknown

Art belongs in the garden. As strongly as I feel about the power and value of art, I do not agree with those who treat it as something ethereal, something to be venerated in seclusion. On the contrary, I believe that the processes both of making and enjoying art should be a part of all our daily lives. Taking art off its pedestal and turning it loose in the landscape can open ones eyes to a whole new world of landscaping. Plants, architecture and sculpture each contribute to the dynamic nature of a garden and influence its changing silhouette.

A garden when properly and creatively planned, utilizing light, temperature, water, stone, steel and organic and geological forms to create a finished, integrated space, makes the garden a natural setting for art. In this way, art mingles with daily life for gardens are places made to be lived in. Literature in every culture eulogizes the garden as a place of sanctuary, an earthly paradise whose natural organic constituency sets it apart from the man made world. Today’s gardens still offer more than just a functional approach to horticulture.

The earliest recorded gardens date back to the 7th century BC and emerge in ancient Persia, whose influence spanned the East-West trade routes. The inspiration for these and other ancient gardens seems to be a mixture of topography and religion. Archaeological evidence for Roman garden design can be seen in the grand manner of palatial gardens, water gardens and the hanging gardens of Babylon in the East. The Chinese used masters of feng shui to ensure sites were propitious and rich in ch’i or “vital breath”. Ancient Japanese gardens derived from religious needs as well as practical selection of a natural object and its surroundings as a sacred place. Open courtyard gardens were designed for Buddhist temples. In the 17th century the French culture influence dominated garden design allowing for a sense of pattern to form along an undulating landscape as evidenced in Versailles. In England they revolted against formal garden design preferring instead a fusion of still water, lawns and flowers set against a dark background of trees.

With the Renaissance, the placing of sculpture in gardens resumed and has continued almost unabated. It was common for a sculpture to be an integral part of the garden design process and some sculptors were also garden designers. The development of abstract art in the twentieth century caused a hiatus in the history of garden sculpture. When planning your Sculpture Garden, place the primary sculpture first, and then move the other pieces into place. Secure the sculpture to avoid losing it if someone knocks it over–this will also accentuate the piece with a nice base. Design features with simple lines and a simple planting plan so that nothing detracts from the sculpture. Make the garden inviting while allowing visitors to move easily between pieces of art and plantings. Make a statement with the sculptures you select and use plants to accent, but not detract from, the chosen pieces.

‘Sculpture’ is used here to make a distinction between the work of contemporary artists and classical garden statuary. The latter is appropriate for traditional and historic gardens; the former is appropriate for contemporary gardens. However, art and beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The photos contained on this page show the diversity of our gardeners and the beauty they have created with sculptures and garden statuary. And for some levity we have a “green animal” for you. Today, garden design can enhance a house, palace or cottage. In a naturalistic landscape, “art in the garden” gives the owner a beautiful outdoor setting and a place to view some of the best in three-dimensional art work. Enjoy your landscape. Create a beautiful view from every window!