Bring elements of garden inside for peaceful decor

CATHERINE MURRELL, GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

Originally published April 28

Cheryl Susemichel is owner of Secret Garden in Middletown, Ky. She and her husband, Larry, previously owned a florist shop.

"Even if you don't have space for a garden outside, you can still create the peacefulness of a garden inside."

Q: How can one create a garden feeling within the home?

A: One way to bring the outdoors in is through the garden-themed furniture available now. There are little bistro tables and chairs with dragonfly or ivy motifs. You can find a table with a mosaic-tile top depicting hummingbirds or dragonflies.

If you have a larger kitchen, you could bring in a small bench with patterned pillows with images of bunny rabbits.

There's a variety of garden-themed motifs to decorate your home with. Dragonflies are really hot this year, and frogs are still very big.

Plaques are another option. They're made of materials able to withstand the outdoors, but they're pretty enough to be used inside. Some are made of pressed marble so they have an elegant feeling to them, but they still help convey a garden theme. You can find them with dragonflies, birds, turtles, rabbits, and sun and moon faces.

You could hang a plaque in a kitchen, a sunroom, a sitting room or in a garden-themed guest room. I've seen them used to complete a garden look in a child's room, along with a picket fence for a headboard and a hanging swing.

Q: What's the appeal of the indoor "garden"?

A: It creates a very nurturing feeling. People are very hectic these days. There's not much time to sit down and relax, and we associate gardening and the outdoors with relaxation.

By having a gardening theme in your home, you're creating a more peaceful and relaxing environment. People are even bringing in fountains so they can hear the sound of water flowing as they would outdoors.

Q: What are the fountain options?

A: Many fountains can be used both indoors and outdoors. In terms of size, they start with very small fountains, which will fit easily on a table-top or desk, and go up to quite large fountains that are 7 feet tall and too big for most homes.

A fountain can be a relaxing addition to any area where you spend a lot of time. Many people are buying them for their great room. The kitchen is another good place for a fountain. You spend a lot of time in the kitchen when you're home.

You'll find fountains in a variety of nature themes. You can get a waterfall fountain with little tree frogs all over. There also are dragonflies, angels, cherubs, fairies and Grecian ladies. Some feature rocks. Others are made of stainless steel, copper or glass.

You can adjust the pumps to alter how the water flows and the sound it makes. Different fountains tend to have different sound levels. A waterfall fountain will make more noise than a smaller fountain in which water just gently flows over rocks. Some people find a trickle of water relaxing, while others want to hear a rushing brook.

Q: Let's talk some more about garden accessories.

A: There are some gorgeous vases available that look like they're covered in moss. They have the texture of an old architectural piece. You can fill them with silk pansies, hydrangea or ivy.

Decorative hooks and drawer knobs are another way to bring in the garden feeling. You could add copper or brass hooks with insect designs to a mud room to give you a place to hang your coat. Drawer pulls are available in a range of outdoor motifs that will go with a garden theme in a kitchen, bathroom or bedroom.

A lot of people are using garden gates as decorative items in their homes. There are reproduction gates available because the original pieces can be very expensive and the rust can damage your walls and fabrics. The rust finish applied to the reproduction pieces won't rub off on your walls or furnishings.

You can hang a garden gate over a sofa in a great room or over a bed in a guest room. They're beautiful if used right. The weathered, rusty look is very popular right now.

Have a design or decorating question? Write Catherine Murrell at The Courier-Journal, 525 W. Broadway, P.O. Box 740031, Louisville, KY 40201-7431. Individual replies are not possible.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

back to main Gardening index