If you’ve planted, fed, and pruned your garden this season but feel like there’s still something missing, an alfresco-friendly antique might be just the finishing touch your space needs. From planters and statues to trellises and benches, garden antiques can add personality and patina—and even serve as a beautiful focal point—to gardens of all kinds. Ahead, antiques dealers who specialize in garden-friendly pieces share five outdoor finds customers are loving for their backyards right now.
Water Features
Darren Jones, the director of Lichen Garden Antiques in the Cotswolds, has seen “water features of all styles” resonate with his customers as of late. “We source garden antiques from around the world, including old copper basins, terra-cotta planters, and stone troughs that are repurposed as planters or focal-point water features,” he says.
Sundials
Brad Stanwick, the founder of The Parson’s Nose Antiques, finds that sundials are a classic piece that “provide the garden with immediate history—all of the beautiful old English country house gardens have at least one.” These outdoor timepieces of old are surging in popularity as more and more people weave antique touches into—and outside—their homes. “They are incredibly sculptural and make a great central feature in a garden bed, at the end of a path, or tucked into your herbaceous border,” he adds. “Of course, if you set it pointing in the correct direction for your location, they do a great job of telling time!”
Pots with Patina
Brad has seen heavily patinaed garden pots, such as those made out of terra-cotta or concrete, featuring “lots of moss and lichen” resonate with more and more of his customers. “The idea, desire, and appreciation for patina is growing,” he says. “These are already selling particularly well.”
Animal Statues
Bring on animal friends of all kinds this season, says Barbara Israel, the founder of Barbara Israel Garden Antiques in New York City, who shares that animal statues have been having a moment for her customer base. While canine subjects are proving to be the most popular, they’re certainly not the only choice for shoppers. Barbara adds, “We did also have a run on pigs this year!”
Birdbaths
Speaking of animals, why not attract some real-life visitors with a birdbath? Brad explains that many of his clients cite bird feeding as a current hobby thanks to high-tech bird feeders that have gone viral on the internet, but he’s all for a simpler, more traditional approach, too. “I love an old birdbath—they really bring in birds, which add sound and movement to your garden,” he says. “Plus, birds also do a great job of eating harmful insects!”
