Finding Clever, Appropriate Spots for Outdoor Decorations

Where do you put a garden ornament?

* Think sanctuary. Unless you’re putting up a welcome sign, don’t place cherished ornaments in the frontyard.

“Put your ornament in a location that you visit often, such as your favorite place to relax and reflect outdoors,” says Jamie Platt of Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar. “If possible, place it in an area that is also visible from the indoors.”

* Place according to height. Large items should go in the background, and small items look best in the foreground. Attach plaques and small items to gates, sheds, walls and potting tables.

* Establish a focal point. Any landscape, regardless of its size, needs a point that draws the eye. Consider using a favorite accessory and strategically placing it in an area that gets a lot of attention. Spotlight your focal point with night lighting.

* Create surprises. Urns, pots, planters, vases, tanks, troughs and tubs establish seating areas, create borders, accent paths and announce entrances, says Pat Ross, author of “Decorating Your Garden.”

A laughing frog in a pathway is welcomed comic relief. Have a statue peek out of a clump of ornamental grass or situate a ceramic animal in a visible section of a tree. Corners and sharp turns in paths make good surprise locations.

* Prevent theft. Prized pieces should either be too heavy to move or discreetly chained.