13 Unique Flower Bed Decor Ideas To Make Your Lawn Stand Out

Gardening decor is enjoyed by many gardeners as a way to enhance the design they create with plantings. Many gardens contain at least some section of lawn, and creating a pleasing design using a combination of lawn, garden, and other landscaping elements can often involve adding creative items for decoration. The only limitations here are budget and imagination, and many forms of garden decor can be found or made for free. We've collected some unusual lawn and garden decor ideas to get your creativity flowing. 

Whether choosing unusual containers, whimsical statues, charming antiques, original works of art, or upcycled thrift shop finds, the style of garden decor can be as unique as every gardener. It's also somewhat easier to change garden decor around than it is to move plants, so this may explain why garden decorations are a multi-billion dollar business and getting bigger all the time. Decor need not be merely decorative: It can also be functional, as with benches or chairs, swings, firepits, birdfeeders, or any number of useful items.

Once you start exploring the different creative possibilities for yard decor, you may find you're enjoying the challenge and want to try even more unique ideas. There are plenty of gardening accounts on Instagram (or just use the hashtag #garden) and other social media sites with photos from other creative gardeners to inspire you. You can reclaim everyday objects to make garden ornaments, design your own from scratch; the possibilities are endless.

There's nothing so classic as an antique wheelbarrow to use as a planter. These purposefully-designed, old garden staples may not be practical for working in the garden anymore but they can still serve you well. If the wheelbarrow doesn't have any holes, you can create drainage by placing a layer of small pebbles or rocks in the bottom. Fill it up with colorful annuals (like petunias, impatiens, marigolds, or coleus) and water regularly and you have a no-fuss planter that adds plenty of vintage charm to your lawn.

Whether a Greek goddess or a regal heron, classic stone statues look wonderful and chic in a garden setting. Set them amongst your plants for an eye-catching display. You can go for a classy European aesthetic using figural statues, or something more modern or abstract. If stone is too heavy or impractical, you can get very authentic-looking replicas made of lighter material such as resin or plastic. 

Like traditional glass gazing balls, or "witch balls," bowling balls can be colorful ornamental additions to a flower bed. You can find used bowling balls via online marketplaces or community websites offering free items. Leaving the finger holes showing is evidence of their provenance, but also may cause them to fill up with water and attract mosquitoes in summer, so turning them over to cover the holes will prevent that. Decorate with waterproof spray varnish or colorful paint.

Well-placed seating in the lawn invites both gardeners and guests alike to relax and enjoy the beauty of hard work! Restore a vintage metal chair or bench with a new coat of paint, and provide delightful places to sit throughout the yard. You can upcycle different types of old wicker garden chairs as sculptural pieces even if they are not strong enough for sitting. Store your upcycled vintage garden furniture in the garage or shed for the winter to protect it from winter wear after you've lovingly restored it.

Bottle tree sculptures can be very simple or very elaborate, and they have a somewhat mysterious appeal. There is a long history of bottle trees appearing in gardens and near older homes in the southern United States. You can create your own bottle tree sculpture in various ways. Start by collecting colored glass bottles (cobalt blue is the most popular), and be sure you have a sturdy structure to hang them on. You can also use a living tree, or buy a ready-made frame of metal or wood.

Birdhouses are not only great ways to attract beneficial wildlife to your yard, but they can add an attractive decorative accent as well. A birdhouse mounted on a pole or fence post can add height to your garden design, especially placed among tall flowers or near other vertical elements. You can buy a readymade birdhouse or DIY one from found materials. Try planting tall-growing perennials or annuals near your birdhouses to provide a bit of shelter and cover for shy birds.

Container plantings are an easy and flexible way to create all sorts of decorative displays with plants alongside your lawn or flower beds. Using a variety of sizes of containers lets you move them around and arrange them as you wish and make changes throughout the season. You can use similarly-shaped pots of terra cotta or glazed ceramic, or mix and match many different shapes and styles. Placing the pots on stones allows for better drainage than placing them on grass, or you can place saucers beneath them to help water drain.

If you have some loose rock left from a hardscaping project, why not make a sculpture out of it? You can create a small pile or rounded of angled rocks on top of gravel, or grass, or right in your flower bed, for an unusual and striking sculptural shape. Small piles of rocks were once used throughout the British Isles to mark burial sites, and were called cairns. This word is now used to refer to a small pile of rocks or stone made into a freeform or intentional sculpture. 

Hanging a silver disco ball in the garden is not only festive and fun, but adds a dynamic, moving presence. The mirrored surface catches the light, and as it spins it throws small reflected patches of light onto walls, fences, or trees. Place it in a spot where it will catch sunlight or moonlight and enjoy the mesmerizing beauty. You can also place it in a stand as a gazing ball, but it's much more interesting if it hangs from a string or hook where the breeze will move it.

Painting stones to look like ladybugs, beetles, bees, frogs or other creatures is a great project for kids and adults alike. Lay these stones among the flower bed for a bit of unexpected whimsy. They can be easily moved around and put into different arrangements and locations. In addition to painting stones to look like creatures, you can also paint them with bright colors or craft paint, adding metallics or glitter for extra shimmer on a sunny day or moonlit night.

Love them or hate them, there's no denying gnomes add a certain mischievous energy to the garden. They come in all kinds of sizes and styles, from miniature to life size. Gnomes have a surprisingly complex history and are thought to bring good luck, but many folks just find them funny and endearing to have in the garden. You can repaint a gnome's outfit to fit your own desired color scheme, arrange them in a grouping, or just add them to a quiet corner to keep you company while you're working.

Having a birdbath is a kindness to your backyard birds, giving them a place to clean up, drink, and cool off in hot weather. It's also an attractive, sculptural piece of decor that will enhance your garden design. There are many different kinds available in different materials, from old-fashioned stone or carved wood, to lightweight plastic or resin, for a range of looks from antique to contemporary. You can also install small solar-powered fountains in the water basin to keep it fresh and prevent algae or mosquito colonies from forming. Just make sure to place your birdbath in a shady spot to keep your feathered friends cool.

The plastic flamingo decoys so popular for decades have led to a plethora of design styles, suited to gardeners who love having statues of these colorful tropical birds in their gardens. Pink is still the most popular color, a warm, uplifting hue that signals summer. Garden flamingo statues come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, themes, and colors for holidays like Easter, or spooky flamingoes for Halloween. Whether you have just one, or a whole flock, expect smiles from neighbors and visitors when you add these silly, beautiful birds to your garden display.