Make Your Garden Sparkle With Glass Art
Bring color, shine and even delightful sounds to your garden with glass sculptures, chimes and gazing spheres
Some landscape design dilemmas can't be solved by adding more plants. Towering trees can cast dense shade, creating an inhospitable environment where even weeds can't grow. Narrow gardens are often cursed with poor soil as well as imposing restrictions on the width of any plants that can be squeezed into the space. Then there are the gardens that simply don't have a focal point. Your special garden art pieces are too small to be noticed, and you're not sure you want to invest thousands of dollars on a custom metal sculpture.
But what can you use when adding plants won't work and there's no room for a large-scale water feature? Glass art could be just what you need. Often lightweight, easy to install, available in a myriad of colors and at all price points, glass offers something for every taste and every budget. It won't rust or need refinishing, and smaller glass art pieces can be moved to different parts of the garden as you choose.
But what can you use when adding plants won't work and there's no room for a large-scale water feature? Glass art could be just what you need. Often lightweight, easy to install, available in a myriad of colors and at all price points, glass offers something for every taste and every budget. It won't rust or need refinishing, and smaller glass art pieces can be moved to different parts of the garden as you choose.
Make your garden fun for children of all ages.
Wind chimes can be made from many materials, including bamboo, metal and glass, each having its own unique tone. Combining materials such as glass and metal, as shown here, creates a delightful fugue of bright metallic notes and softer tinklings of glass.
Visiting children love to run their fingers across the dangling strips of the chime shown here to create their own melodies.
Wind chimes can be made from many materials, including bamboo, metal and glass, each having its own unique tone. Combining materials such as glass and metal, as shown here, creates a delightful fugue of bright metallic notes and softer tinklings of glass.
Visiting children love to run their fingers across the dangling strips of the chime shown here to create their own melodies.
The dense canopy of large conifers can cast considerable shade. Unlike where there's dappled light beneath deciduous trees, these spaces don't invite lingering. Yet as I strolled past this mature deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara), an unexpected splash of color caught my eye, and I simply had to investigate.
There were several of these glass nuggets hanging from the branches overhead, encouraging me to explore this bejeweled cavern that I might otherwise have avoided.
Glass art does not have to be large or expensive. Simple chunks of colored beach glass wrapped in copper wire are an easy project to try at home.
There were several of these glass nuggets hanging from the branches overhead, encouraging me to explore this bejeweled cavern that I might otherwise have avoided.
Glass art does not have to be large or expensive. Simple chunks of colored beach glass wrapped in copper wire are an easy project to try at home.
A duo of beautiful containers by Le Beau creates a striking focal point in this garden. The larger of the two features a stunning glass sculpture by Seattle artist Jesse Kelly in shades of blue and lime, while the smaller pot is a bubbling fountain, on the surface of which floats a glass ball.
Place features such as these in an open area where the sun can shine through the translucent glass and the beauty will be magnified a hundredfold. Focus a spotlight on the glass sculpture, and you can also enjoy the sparkle in the evening.
This glass is safe to leave out all winter in the temperate Seattle area (USDA zones 6 to 8). Ask your vendor or artist for local recommendations.
Place features such as these in an open area where the sun can shine through the translucent glass and the beauty will be magnified a hundredfold. Focus a spotlight on the glass sculpture, and you can also enjoy the sparkle in the evening.
This glass is safe to leave out all winter in the temperate Seattle area (USDA zones 6 to 8). Ask your vendor or artist for local recommendations.
These blown-glass ornaments resemble colorful birds, craning their necks to better see the sky.
What really caught my eye, however, was the way the homeowners have echoed the deep reds of the annual black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia sp.) in the glass itself. This color connection gives the artwork a sense of place. These are not arbitrary pieces of sculpture, but rather a strategic design statement that highlights these summer flowers.
What really caught my eye, however, was the way the homeowners have echoed the deep reds of the annual black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia sp.) in the glass itself. This color connection gives the artwork a sense of place. These are not arbitrary pieces of sculpture, but rather a strategic design statement that highlights these summer flowers.
We use yellow and lime-green foliage in shade gardens to add some light, but what else can you do? Tuck a colorful, shiny gazing ball among foliage for a fun surprise and a way to introduce new colors.
Notice how the iridescent pink and blue glass highlights those same colors in the adjacent coral bells (Heuchera sp) and dinosaur food, also known as giant rhubarb (Gunnera sp.). Because this sphere is so shiny, it bounces the light in such a way as to throw a spotlight into an otherwise dark area.
The smooth glass surface also creates a fascinating counterpoint to the abrasive oversize foliage.
Notice how the iridescent pink and blue glass highlights those same colors in the adjacent coral bells (Heuchera sp) and dinosaur food, also known as giant rhubarb (Gunnera sp.). Because this sphere is so shiny, it bounces the light in such a way as to throw a spotlight into an otherwise dark area.
The smooth glass surface also creates a fascinating counterpoint to the abrasive oversize foliage.
Mirrors are often used in the garden to reflect surrounding plants, giving the illusion of a much larger space.
This homeowner took that idea a step further, however, by using a mirror to draw attention to a vignette. This delightful sculpture is less than 18 inches tall and might easily have been missed among the foliage. Yet as light bounces off the mirrored surface, you notice not just the plants, but also the well-placed figurine.
Where to buy glass garden art. When I am on a treasure hunt for a special piece of glass, I attend art and garden shows that include work by local artists. Nurseries also often have display pieces that can be purchased; it may also be possible to find out the contact details for the artist so you can discuss the creation of a custom piece directly. And thrift stores are a great source for old mirrors and glass jewelry that you may be able to repurpose for garden art.
Note: Before using any glass in your garden, carefully consider if it is safe for your family, especially if you have young children or animals.
More: Find glass garden art in the Products section
This homeowner took that idea a step further, however, by using a mirror to draw attention to a vignette. This delightful sculpture is less than 18 inches tall and might easily have been missed among the foliage. Yet as light bounces off the mirrored surface, you notice not just the plants, but also the well-placed figurine.
Where to buy glass garden art. When I am on a treasure hunt for a special piece of glass, I attend art and garden shows that include work by local artists. Nurseries also often have display pieces that can be purchased; it may also be possible to find out the contact details for the artist so you can discuss the creation of a custom piece directly. And thrift stores are a great source for old mirrors and glass jewelry that you may be able to repurpose for garden art.
Note: Before using any glass in your garden, carefully consider if it is safe for your family, especially if you have young children or animals.
More: Find glass garden art in the Products section
Bright chartreuse, orange and turquoise pieces set a vibe that no plant can achieve — and these ferns don't need watering. They also won't rust or rot like metal or wood, may be moved upon a whim and can be tucked into the smallest of spaces, no matter how inhospitable the soil. What's not to love?