UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 9, Page 13
October 27, 1994
Think twice about that flamingo before you decide to take it home

     Your flower garden is in full bloom or your trees and shrubs are
well established and you seek to add just the right touch-an ornament
to complement your horticultural success. But, before you rush out to
buy those plastic flamingoes or that neon birdbath, think for a
moment.
     For the past several years, David Frey, associate professor of
plant and soil sciences, has taught students to think about garden
ornaments- what makes them aesthetically and functionally pleasing. It
is one of the topics covered in his introductory plant science course
on ornamental horticulture.
     This year, Frey received the Media Award of Excellence from the
National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture for his
instructional kit, "Garden Ornaments: Examples, Design Consideration
and Garden Use." It was the only award given in a class that included
slides, software, videotapes, film strips and models.
     The kit consists of 70 slides with accompanying text designed to
show students the diversity of garden ornaments and how best to
incorporate them into the landscape and surrounding architecture.
Frey, a member of the University faculty since 1974, photographed the
slides himself from gardens as far away as the Vatican and as close as
Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa. Constance Lydon, a former
faculty member who is now a landscape designer, co-authored the text
of the kit.
     Along with such large-scale, professional uses of garden
ornaments as statuary, fountains and walls, the slides also
demonstrate the role of ornaments in the average garden or yard.
     What makes a good garden ornament?
     Of central importance, and often overlooked when people buy or
construct a garden ornament, according to Frey, is context within the
overall landscape. A garden ornament should be an "integral part of
the total design composition, not merely an afterthought placed into
an already established design," Frey said.
     One should consider whether the materials of the ornament and the
scale of the ornament clash with surrounding architecture or
landscape. Also important is how an ornament draws the sight of the
viewer.
     A general rule of thumb: "If you wouldn't miss a garden ornament
after removing it, it shouldn't be there in the first place," Frey
said.
     Some serious gardeners are able to have specially made ornaments
placed in their prized areas. Most homeowners, however, because of
either time or monetary constraints, must buy pre-made lawn ornaments.
Many outlets that retail lawn ornaments offer them in hundreds of
different colors and materials, for a variety of purposes: bird baths,
fences, benches and, of course, the plastic flamingos. How can you
decide what's best for your yard?
     Most important, Frey said, is envisioning how the ornament will
look once its placed. "Think before you buy," Frey cautions. "You
might buy a garden ornament on impulse, but find it doesn't fit in
later. Consider the context. You wouldn't buy a painting if you didn't
know what room to put it in."
     A carefully chosen ornament can serve a useful function, such as
a birdbath, and be pleasing to the eye as well, Frey said. But, if you
find that the birds are staying away from your birdbath, it may not
simply be because they have already bathed elsewhere. They could be
trying to send you a message about your taste in garden ornaments.
                                                      -Chris Keirstead