There is nothing that makes your garden more magical than some well placed garden fairy statues.  They are cute and beautiful and can really enhance your flowers.  Here are some flowers to plant with them and some interesting ways to use them.

When using whimsical or mythical sculptures in your garden, you will want to use either a very formal approach or a very informal approach.  Formal works best with dragons, griffins, and gargoyles.  Informal is definitely the way to go with garden fairy statues.

An informal garden doesn't have to be messy, you can have a neat garden with fairies working their magic, you just have to choose the right types of plants.

Some of my favorite plants for including in an informal fairy garden are climbers, roses, and cottage perennials.  Among climbing plants, clematis are my favorite.  If you have a fence you can actually train different types of clematis that blooms at different times up your fence.  This is lovely, airy, and romantic.  Or you can use a single specimen.  Then take your garden fairy statues and have them peak out from behind the vines.

If you decide to do roses, create a whole bed of them.  Choose some that are climbers.  You will also want to include some of the new carpet varieties.  They are very hardy, bloom for long periods, and will give your garden statues a nice home.  Think about how cute the fairies will be settled in among the blooms.

I also like to use cottage perennials with garden fairy statues.  When you are shopping for perennials (meaning plants that come back every year) be sure to get flowers that are suited to both your sun conditions and your climate.  My favorite perennial to use with fairy garden statues is columbine.  It just looks like fairies should live in it.  But don't do your whole bed in it, columbine is a spring bloomer.

Garden fairies used well will bring a sense of magic to your garden.  Choose ones you really like and you will not be disappointed.

Many people favor religious garden statues in their gardens, and St. Francis is one of the most popular religious figures to use.   St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals.  He lived from 1182 to 1226 and is reported to be able to communicate with the animals.

In garden statues St. Francis is usually depicted with animals or holding a large dish to feed animals from.  He wears a monks robe and has a monks haircut.  Many people feel that having a St. Francis garden statue brings a sense of peace to their garden and house.

St. Francis garden statues come in many sizes from very small to very large.  How you use one depends on your style.  Generally, the larger the garden, the larger the statue it can handle.

When deciding on what kind of St. Francis to buy, think about the space you will put him in and the effect you would like to achieve.

For more formal gardens, or very large cottage gardens a life size (or nearly life size) statue will usually work best.  A fountain featuring St. Francis can easily become the focal point in any formal garden.  While a St. Francis holding a bowl to put birdseed in makes a great accent in a cottage gardens.

If you have a smaller garden, then you will want to stay with a St. Francis figurine that is knee height or smaller.  Place him in front of your favorite plant and you will have an interesting conversation piece.

Whatever garden statues you choose be sure not to overdo it.  You don't want your lawn to end up looking like a bad Christmas decoration job all year.  Keep the sculptures to a few in each area for the best effect.

A St. Francis garden statue will bring peace and tranquility to your garden, and you will enjoy him for years to come.

Garden statues come is a variety of materials, but there are primarily 3 different materials that they are made from.  Concrete, Resin, and Metal.   Here are the differences and benefits of each.

Concrete garden statues: These are fairly common and are sold in both unfinished and finished styles.  Because concrete can take any form, you will find many different styles available.  Concrete statues are usually very affordable, especially if you are willing to do the finish work.

The only downside to buying concrete garden statues is that they can get very heavy, very fast.  However if you live in a place that routinely gets high winds this can be a huge advantage.  They also are not as detailed as resin statues.

Resin garden statues: Resin is basically a hard plastic and can be molded to look like almost anything.  Because it takes detail so well it is a fantastic material for statues to go in your garden.  It is perfect for whimsical types of statues, and you will often find statues of children, animals, and garden gnomes available in resin.

Resin also wears very well.  It is lighter than concrete, but often more expensive, especially for larger pieces.  Resin pieces usually look great in cottage type gardens.

Metal garden statues: These are usually the most expensive (other than marble), but are often perfect for formal garden spaces.  Something to consider if you are interested in metal garden statues is whether or not the metal will develop a patina over time.  Copper garden statues (what the statue of liberty is made from) turn a beautiful green color, while stainless steel statues will just stay the same.

No matter what type of material you choose for your garden statues, be sure that it suits your style.  That way you can enjoy it for many, many years.