Lawn ornaments have been adding beauty and interest to yards, gardens, and landscapes for centuries, but they have continued to evolve over time. Since the days of ancient Rome, lawn sculpture has served as a sign of wealth and status. Having a landscaped and ornate lawn during medieval times was a symbol of prestige. It was in the Victorian era that lawn ornaments of various kinds became popular and available to middle-class families. Gardeners would meticulously place ornaments like fountains, statuary, and bird baths in the garden for the best effect. Although the popularity of lawn ornaments declined in the early 20th century because people wanted a more natural look, they made a comeback in the 1950s. More kitschy lawn ornaments, like pink flamingos, became popular, and just like in ancient days, lawn ornaments once again showed off an individual’s personality and taste.
With a worldwide market today, there are more options for lights, statues, windchimes, garden stones, fountains, and birdbaths than ever before. From timeless Greek sculptures to water features, bird baths, and solar lights along pathways, lawn ornaments add a personalized look and atmosphere for homeowners. Whether you want to add curb appeal before putting your house on the market or enhance your family’s outdoor and entertaining spaces, there are many places to find the best lawn ornaments. Here are six of them:
Lowes
The first option is your local DIY store like Lowes. You can also find most gardening supplies at Lowes, which is an advantage. While you are choosing shrubs and annuals or picking up some bags of mulch, you can discover trellises, garden edging, and a wide variety of lawn ornaments, from solar lighting to statues and garden stones. They have shepherd’s hooks or stakes for hanging baskets and cute animal stakes for garden beds. There are reflective gazing balls, and you can get decorative planters and pots, too. There are many lighting choices, too. They have light strings for the patios, lanterns to hang in the trees and solar pathway or garden lights.
If you decide you want to add some water features, Lowes has fountains that range from small, simple fixtures for about $25 or $30 to larger, more complex, lighted fountains for several hundred dollars. If you want to invite more birds to visit your yard, Lowes has houses, feeders, and bird baths. Whether you just want to add a couple of gnomes, a pink flamingo, some wind chimes, or a series of pathway lights, you will find what you need at Lowes.
Amazon
If you want more choices, don’t have a DIY store nearby, or just prefer shopping from home, Amazon has lawn ornaments, too. Amazon is a great choice if you want to decorate your property following a certain theme. You may only find one or two cat statues at your local hardware store; with Amazon, you have hundreds of choices. For example, they have personalized cat plaques, lighted cat statues, and a series of cat profile stakes. If you want to decorate with patriotic lawn ornaments instead, Amazon has lots of red, white, and blue lights, flags, signs, and statues, too.
As for lights, they have thousands, and if you can wait for delivery, some overseas sources have lower prices. You can get any garden, pathway, or hanging lights, you can imagine, from standard staked solar lights to complex lighted displays. Since you can’t see and touch before you buy, it’s best to pay close attention to reviews when shopping online, but you certainly have many more options on Amazon than you would at Lowes or Home Depot.
Home Depot
If you don’t have a Lowes, you may have a Home Depot nearby, and they have a wide variety of lawn ornaments, too. The selection is similar to Lowes, with many choices for lights, statues, fountains, etc., as well as flag poles and garden benches. Their website has some advice and ideas on how to decorate your lawn and gardens. For example, they suggest things like starting with a focal feature and adding practical elements to your yard.
Wayfair
As an alternative to Amazon, several other online stores offer yard decorations. One is Wayfair, and while they may not have as wide a selection as Amazon, they do have a lot, from statues to wishing wells and string lights, and most things can arrive within a few days. Prices can be lower than retail, and you can also take advantage of their special offers. You can watch the site for sales and get bargains on everything from windchimes to lighted statues, especially off-season. Wayfair also has personalized items like flags and garden stakes.
Etsy
If you want something unique, try Etsy for lawn ornaments. Some of what Etsy has for sale is mass-produced and available elsewhere, but Etsy offers original creations by artists and craftspeople. If you want a conversation piece in the middle of your yard, you can choose a hand-crafted, original statue from abstracts to more traditional figures. Like Amazon, Etsy is great for themed yards. If you decide you want comical or naked gnomes or funny-looking mushroom figures, you can find them on Etsy. Many vendors also offer personalized items like a garden stone or garden flag with the family name and motto.
You can find lawn décor made from junk or recycled items. For many, the added attraction of keeping something out of the landfill makes them happy. For example, you might find a garden snake statue made from an old bicycle chain or an alien made from a collection of machine parts. They have metal flowers made from spoons or faucet handles and cat faces from saw blades. If you want the unique, Etsy is a great place to find lawn ornaments.
Dollar Stores
If you are on a tight budget, discount and dollar stores offer less expensive lawn décor. Dollar General and Family Dollar Stores offer a limited number of lawn ornaments and lights each spring, often for less than a hardware store would charge. They fill a seasonal aisle each year with a few garden stones, statues, signs, solar lights, and other gardening needs like tools and hoses. Choices are limited, but you might find something you will enjoy. These stores often slash prices to clear seasonal merchandise if you go late in the season.
Stores like Dollar Tree also have inexpensive options, especially seasonal-themed ones. If you want some patriotic lawn signs for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, Dollar Tree and other similar stores have lots of choices. Maybe you want some Easter Bunnies and eggs for a few weeks in spring. Because they only cost a dollar or so, some items will only last a short time out in the elements, but you might have fun with a few seasonal lawn ornaments. They even have solar lights that work fine.
So, no matter what your budget and preferences, there are lawn ornaments you can buy. Before big box stores and the internet, you were limited to a few choices from local garden shops and department stores in each category of lawn décor. Today, you can find anything you might imagine, from junk art to personalized garden stones. Turn to discount and dollar stores if you don’t want to spend a lot. Turn to Etsy if you want unique items few or maybe no others will have. Lowes, Home Depot, and other DIY stores have great selections you can see and evaluate before buying. Online businesses like Amazon and Wayfair have even wider selections you must judge by pictures, descriptions, and reviews. Online stores are a good choice if you want to decorate based on a certain theme. They may also have lower prices, but you may wait a while to receive your order.
