• Gardening is one of those pastimes that really adds value to people’s lives. You get outside with fresh air and sunlight. You can beautify your property, grow your own food and explore your creative side.

• The garden doesn’t have to be a bland or boring kind of place. You can actually make it into something much more than a spot to grow flowers or vegetables. Here are some tips to add character to your garden that you can start using today.

• Accessories are a great way to add your own personality and your own mark to a garden.

• Some of the more common accessories people like to use include, iron wheels, garden gnomes, old-fashioned garden tools, watering cans, statues, pots, carvings, driftwood, birdbaths, fountains and sun dials.

• You don’t want to add too many items in the garden because what you were trying to accomplish will be lost if you do.

• You don’t want to overwhelm or over-stimulate anyone who is spending time out there.

• Add a few here and there and then let them grow on you before adding more.

• The method you use to choose the different garden accessories is completely up to you. Start with a theme, a colour, a certain decade or just grab some items you find attractive. If you enjoy spending time at yard sales or flea markets, spend a few weekends digging through old stuff until you find exactly what you want.

• If you can ever find a farm sale, they can really yield some treasures. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time looking, garden shops usually carry a good supply of accessories match perfectly with the modern type of garden.

• If you want to make your garden a sanctuary of sorts, consider adding a bench and some sort of water feature so people feel invited to sit down and relax.

• Adding a water feature isn’t overly complicated and won’t end up costing a lot of extra money if you just keep recycling the same water when it is turned on.

• Remember, you can add more feeling to a yard that is organized. Try purchasing a garden shed to organizeyour space!

• So, be sure to take time during the planning stages and decide what function you want from your garden. • Do you want it purely for growing? • Do you want it to enhance the property? • Do you want a place for quiet reflection? • Do you want an extended living space?

• Whatever it is, use it as a starting point when you start making the decisions about adding accessories and character to your garden.