Give Your Garden an Accent

In Southern California, it’s always garden season. Sure, the flora and fauna may differ slightly with the seasons, but as a lucky resident of the most golden part of the Golden State, you can enjoy your garden area year around. You can also change, accent and reimagine its design whenever you want. Your garden, as they say, is your oyster.

There are various garden accent pieces to complement your tomato and jalapeño plants that will help you make your garden more than just an organic vegetable shop. When it comes to garden accents, it’s all about personal style.

Here are a few garden accent ideas to get you going:

The Retaining Wall

Adding a retaining wall to your yard or garden is a functional addition – and it can be a stylish one, as well. A retaining wall can help you eliminate sloping areas and create a beautiful raised garden bed that will give your yard a multi-level look.

Aside from some nutrient-rich soil, you will need outdoor building materials to create the wall. Cinder blocks work, but another option is railroad ties. Treated railroad ties both hold back dirt and resist decay while providing a rustic look. If railroad ties aren’t your thing, you can use beautiful softwoods like Alaskan Yellow Cedar, which are hardy enough to repel decay and can be cut to fit the dimensions of your garden.

The Bridge

Most places have rivers but in Southern California, we have dried riverbeds. Despite the lack of water, there is something inherently beautiful about a dry riverbed. It’s part of our landscape. That’s why it’s no surprise that an emerging trend in garden accents is to recreate the dry riverbed look with rocks, and add a decorative bridge as a finishing touch.

Decorative bridges add a gorgeous touch to your yard, and they are perfect for breaking up landscape spaces. J&W Lumber offers a decorative bridge made from 100% California Redwood that will enhance the look of any garden, dry creek bed, or yard. The bridge comes in a ready-to-assemble kit that can easily be constructed in under an hour.

Privacy Lattice

Well-placed lattice can provide both privacy and enhance the look of your yard or garden. It has  a classic feel that will create a homey, natural space. Lattice is a very affordable outdoor building material and easy to install in a variety of applications. J&W Lumber offers jumbo privacy lattice made from hardy redwood. We stock three separate patterns – diamond, square and triple weave – to offer the ultimate in both privacy and beauty.

For those looking to create a more substantial lattice structure – like a wall – there are predesigned and precut options that offer pre-constructed Western Red Cedar panels with natural rot and pest resistance in a variety of styles. 

Trellis

Perhaps the most beautiful of all garden accessories is the trellis. A trellis is so beautiful, in fact, that many couples get married beneath one! Whether your garden hosts weddings or not, a trellis will undoubtedly add a touch of class to your home.

Trellises are often designed in an ornate fashion to create a unique look. If you are not a master woodworker, you’ll most likely have a difficult time designing and building your own trellis. But fear not, there are plenty of pre-cut trellises to choose from on the market. At J&W Lumber, we offer four pre-designed trellis options and can custom design a trellis for your home. We help you with the design, do all of the milling, get you all of the hardware, and send you home with a kit that will be the crown jewel of your landscape project.

Cap it!

A less widespread, but very effective, method for enhancing the look of your garden is to upgrade the look of your deck or fence with new post caps. There are a variety of different caps on the market that will fit most fence and deck posts and come in a variety of styles, including metal, glass and designed patterns. Some manufacturers even offer solar caps that can power deck or fence lighting. Think of post caps like new wheels for a car. Sure, the factory standard parts are functional, but the aftermarket parts can give your deck an elegant look that will stand out.

Looking for more ideas on how to enhance your garden with accent pieces and design? Check out our garden accents section or visit the J&W Lumber Pinterest page for inspiration.