Large Unusual Garden Ornaments & Statues

What makes a statement piece feel unusual

A polite border ornament does not get a second look from a visitor walking up the path; an unusual statement piece does. The shape that earns the surprise tends to be either bigger than expected (Maximus the Giant Tortoise at the front of a border, the Grand Garden Elephant on the lawn) or stranger in subject than expected (the Life-Size Gorilla Statue at a paved corner, the Garden Stone Chinese Dragon at a gatepost, the Large Pondering Gorilla Garden Ornament settled into a planted alcove). The Large March Hares Ornament Set and the Large New Bronze March Hares Ornament Set are the boxing-pair pieces, surprising at scale.

The carved-stone, cast and welded pieces alongside

The Pair of Sitting Lion Statues and the Extra Large Buddha Head are the carved-stone weight pieces, gathered here because they hold the same statement role as the larger animal figures. The Life-Size Standing Bull Terrier, the Life Size Johnson Bulldog and the Life Size Metal Bull are the life-size animal pieces in cast resin and welded steel. The Large Metal Preening Giraffe pair, the Lifesize Zebra and the Life Size Metal Rhino Sculpture are the welded-steel pieces with a finer brushed finish.

Where the unusual pieces sit best

The placement rule is the same as for any large piece: five or six paces of clear approach so the scale lands. An unusual piece benefits from being slightly hidden too, the surprise of rounding a corner and finding a Life-Size Gorilla in a planted alcove is half the appeal. Put the Chinese Dragon flanking a stepped entrance so it is the first thing a visitor sees. Keep the Pondering Gorilla in a quieter corner where the head-on-knee pose rewards a closer look. Set the Bull Terrier on a flat lawn edge facing along a path.

Finishes and a wet British year

Cast-resin pieces are frost-proof, painted in colour built for outdoor sun. Reconstituted-stone pieces gather lichen over the first damp winters and settle into a softer grey-green patina. Welded-steel pieces take on a soft patina over the first wet autumn. None of these need winter storage. The Bali-Inspired Full Face Set is hand-carved stone, heavy, want a settled paving pad underneath.

For the same scale grouped strictly by size, see large garden ornaments and extra large garden ornaments. For the more eclectic statement pieces gathered without the scale qualifier, see unusual garden ornaments. For the gift-leaning eclectic grouping, the unusual for garden lovers and unusual for women ranges.