STYLE: Exterior Decoration

A spring garden may be beautiful in itself, but setting a chair--or sundial or urn--among the flowers makes it a place worth lingering in. Nothing elaborate is required of a garden ornament: A simple pot dresses up a patio. Topiary adds playfulness or grace. Statuary, half-obscured by ornamental grass, suggests dreamy, layered time. Anything rustic and strong, such as wood, metal, concrete or stone, mixes well with greenery. After a while, a garden makes any object its own, dropping petals on benches or staining planters green. But with carefully chosen accessories, gardeners can give nature a human touch and set a bold, inviting stage for the drama outdoors.