Your garden is more than just a collection of plants—it’s an extension of your home where you can let your personality shine. In this guide, we’ll provide tips for decorating this outdoor space inspired by the southern California garden of interior designer Susie Beall and her architect husband Ed.

1. Use Ornaments as Finishings

Garden ornaments can serve as subtle cues that direct attention and movement throughout the space. A wrought-iron gate can mark the entrance, while a tree-hung lantern adds vertical interest. Choose a curated selection of ornaments that complement your garden’s style and enhance its natural beauty.

Shown: A weathered iron pendant hangs from a tree over a bed of agaves.

2. Design for Outdoor Rooms

Create distinct outdoor rooms within your garden to maximize its functionality and appeal. Different areas can serve various purposes, like dining, reading, or meditation spaces. 

Beall aimed for comfort when using this approach, creating exterior rooms that felt as inviting and livable as those inside her home. “A furnished garden shouldn’t look too perfect or contrived,” she says.

Use a mix of hardscaping, plants, and furniture to define each area. Pathways can connect your outdoor rooms, and strategically placed screens or tall plants provide privacy and separation.

Shown: Succulents spill out of a pillar-like planter at a path entrance, with an iron bell hanging from a nearby tree.

3. Don’t Be Afraid of Patina

Embrace patina in your garden decor to add depth and character. Weathered finishes on metal, wood, or stone elements create a lived-in and organic feel.

The Bealls applied this philosophy to their garden by choosing a simple, mostly green palette for their plants. This restrained backdrop allowed their carefully selected ornaments, many with aged finishes, to stand out. “Garden decor can get lost in a highly colorful landscape,” Beall says. “For us, our mostly stone ornaments are the busy part, and they pop against the green background.”

Mix high-end pieces with affordable finds for an eclectic, curated look when incorporating patinated elements without feeling too precious.

4. Repeat Your Home’s Exterior Style

Create a seamless transition between your home and garden by echoing your home’s architectural style in your garden decor. 

For instance, if your home features rustic stone cladding, consider using similar materials for garden walls, pathways, or decorative elements. In the Bealls’ garden, iron urns and terra-cotta pedestals complement the entryway. A pediment decorated with dolphins and holding succulents is a focal point that ties into the overall theme.

Tip: Keep scale in mind when choosing your ornamentation. Larger homes may require more substantial pieces to maintain visual balance, while smaller homes can benefit from more delicate decor.

5. Dress Up Garden Entrances

Structures like arbors, pergolas, or ornate gates can mark entrances and create vertical gardening space. Add potted plants, statuary, or paved pathways to accentuate these entry points.

The Bealls used iron arches and gates, many sourced from gardener’s supply catalogs and covered with vines, to mark transitions between different garden areas. They also placed potted bougainvillea, citrus trees, and palms to accent entries, along with finials and pedestals.

6. Tie Furnishings Into the Overall Scheme

Select furniture that integrates with your overall design scheme. Choose pieces that complement the styles of your home and garden. 

The Bealls found inexpensive rust-finished iron dining sets that harmonize with their garden’s rustic aesthetic. They created a casual lounge perfect for cocktails and conversation by scattering extra chairs around a paved area.

Tip: Take your climate into account—choose materials that can handle your local weather for the long haul.

7. Choose Decor Suited for the Outdoors

Pick items designed to withstand outdoor conditions or that are easy to weatherproof. Durable materials like powder-coated aluminum, teak, or all-weather wicker are ideal for garden furniture.

For example, the Bealls built an outdoor living room using wicker chairs from an import store. To make the chairs suitable for outdoor use and protect them from the elements, they applied a spray-on marine varnish.

8. Take Lighting to Another Level

While functional lighting for paths and entrances is important, go beyond the basics to enhance your garden’s nighttime appeal.