Garden gnomes have been around for many years. They were originally produced in Germany in the middle of the 1800’s, and quickly spread through France and England, places where there were many gardeners. Today some estimate that there are more than 20 million gnomes in Germany alone. These early gnomes were fashioned from terra cotta, but over the years they have been made from a variety of materials like ceramics. Many of the modern gnomes are made from a resin material, which is relatively inexpensive, can be easily molded, and is fairly lightweight. Some other cheaper garden gnomes are made from plastic, which may not weather as well, but could last in an enclosed patio.

For any serious gardener you eventually may find that you spend a lot of time transplanting plants or preparing seedling for planting in the garden. A potting bench is a good way to get a gardening work surface out near the garden where you need it. Here is a look at some of the features you may want to consider in a potting bench.

Rain barrels are a great way to save a little money and a little piece of the earth at the same time. You can find some fairly inexpensive rain barrels, or if you are looking for something decorative there are plenty of options to do that as well.

The EPA estimates that the average homeowner can save about 1300 gallons of water during the peak summer months with a rain barrel.

Garden fences have a variety of functions in the garden. You may be interested primarily in keeping critters like rabbits or deer (or turtles or cats and dogs) out of the garden simply to protect your garden produce. Or you may want to look at garden fencing as a part of your overall landscaping theme, where you want to add some character to the vegetable or flower garden. Here is a look at a number of garden fencing options.

A fire pit is a great addition to your backyard. For many years fire pits have been the main gathering area in back yards around the country. But these days with all the concerns about outdoor burning and the burn bans that many communities have it seems that it’s more bother than it’s worth. But a propane fire pit can solve many of these problems.

With a propane fire pit you address many of the problems with the traditional fire pit. Some advantages of propane pits you may want to consider. By the way, many of these advantage will apply to an outdoor gas fire pit as well.

Looking for a novel gift or a new decoration for your back yard? One new idea is to put a face on your trees in the yard. Tree faces (or as they are sometimes know as forest faces) are a simple decoration that you can add to your trees.

A garden bench is both an attractive and functional addition to any back yard. If you are thinking about getting a garden bench, you could build one from plans, but there is really a large variety of garden benches. They are made from many other materials than just traditional wooden cedar benches. Here’s a look at some of the garden bench options available today.

Garden lights make a great addition to your backyard spaces, like gardens or patios. They can be used for simple lighting, highlighting the yard in the evening hours, or they can be used for safety purposes to light deck steps or pathways through the yard. In addition, they add a decorative element to the landscaping, and can be featured on their own as a novelty item.

A fire pit table is a great addition to any back yard. While you can build a fire pit on your own, the simplicity and beauty of a simple fire pit table is a good way to put one in your yard without the commitment of time and expense of a large fire pit.

Part of the attraction of a backyard garden is the oasis that we create to get away from distractions of our everyday world. A grarden trellis helps spruce up the garden area, and can double to add support for some of our favorite vegetables or flowers. Here’s a look at some garden trellises.

With spring approaching soon, it seemed time to start thinking about changes to the garden area. Since the garden is fairly far removed from the garage, I was thinking about investing in a garden shed. But the price of many of the sheds out there can take your breath away. So I started looking at other options.