Hello, summer! ‘Tis the season for the sounds of laughing children leaping through sprinklers and Weekend Warriors brandishing whizzing Whipper Snippers (hopefully not in the vicinity of the former). As I inhale my first sniffs of mosquito repellent while shoving the garden furniture under cover as an incoming thunderstorm barrels over the horizon, I think about garden art. No, really. I’ve been seeing more and more of it pop up in gardens of all sizes and styles and the idea of gazing at a piece of artful decor during a moment of rare tranquility very much appeals. Garden sculptures are, of course, a classic option. Right now, I’m fascinated by how gardeners are decorating their gardens with square-ish art that hangs like a framed painting. This kind of garden decor can catch the eye, play up the colours or textures of surrounding plants or simply surprise and delight.

Here are 4 artful garden decor ideas that add major pizzazz to a wall, fence or trellis (and even a hydro meter).

1. Hang an honest to goodness painting

A painting adds a flourish to a fence in a garden in west metro Toronto.

A painting or print, suitably weather-proofed, can work beautifully as a decorative flourish in the garden and, because this kind of art is flat by nature, is a terrific way to add interest without taking up space.

These paintings are fair weather accents created by the gardener herself at her home in Gananoque.

2. Go for a painting/sculpture hybrid

This steel panel with 3D tree relief accents an old stone wall at the Millcroft Inn, Caledon, ON.

I love how this metal art-piece is giving great texture while still staying next-to-flat which is particularly important here because it’s in a high traffic (pedestrians and cars) area.

3. Take the tiled route

A collection of terracotta tiles is displayed on the side of a home in urban Toronto.

Decorative tiles take the hang-a-painting idea to the next textural level. Bonus: Many types of tiles are sturdy enough to withstand any kind of weather in any season. Just think how lovely these tiles would look if dusted with fresh snow.

A garden trellis in a sculptor’s private garden in north Toronto features fantastical faces sprouting from fired tiles inserted into the latticework.

Patterned tiles attached to a wrought iron shelving unit work to turn a hydro meter into eye-catching garden decor at a home in Toronto.

4. Skip the frame and paint the wall (or fence)

An exterior mural of an espaliered pear tree looks quite realistic from a distance.

Fool-the-eye murals decorating a home’s exterior have been around since Nero fiddled and they’re still a terrific way to elevate a wall and garden. I spied this mural (shown above) while peeking over a fence on a garden tour this spring in metro Toronto. I love how the painting gives the garden a gentle nudge into You-Could-Be-In-Provence territory while also taking full advantage of a wall punctuated with windows. If you love this look, be sure check out the faux balsutrade and fresco I discovered last year decorating a home’s ivy-covered front wall.

A painting of a fiery sunset behind a collection of cactus at The Watering Can in Lincoln, ON.

Transporting the garden with a mural can be such a fun preoccupation for a gardener. And the larger the mural, the greater the transporting. Technically, the mural shown above can’t be called a garden mural because it isn’t outdoors in a garden. It’s actually indoors in a garden nursery. But you can see the potential. If you’re limited in space and/or have a garden of containers, this idea works beautifully to set off the potted plants and add a sense of space and distance.

No wall or fence is safe now. You’re welcome.