Strike a pose

No matter what size your garden - and however green your fingers - antique statuary is an easy way to enhance your outdoor space

- Jenny Oldaker

Our fondness for ornamenting gardens is nothing new - the effigies of gods and mythical heroes that adorned the outdoor spaces of Ancient Greece and Rome are testament to that. The trend began to take hold in Britain around the 17th and 18th centuries, inspired in part by the al fresco fashions of Italy, where elegant ornamental gardens impressed the visiting Grand Tourists, and ornate fountains, stone pillars, and classical figures began to proliferate in the gardens of wealthy British trendsetters. Today, garden ornamentation is not merely the preserve of the rich, and statuary in myriad forms is an accessible way to add a finishing touch to any domestic outdoor space.

Whether you're tempted by a rustic trough or urn, or an ornate sundial or figure, statuary makes a striking all-season focal point for any garden. And although armies of new statuary abound in garden centres across the country, there's something about an antique piece that offers additional charm and interest. Even better, such pieces tend to come complete with their own weathered patina.

Lead statue of a water nymph (c1910), £2,800 (+VAT), Westland London.

Rare Coade stone figure of a seated man fetched £1,350 at Summers Place Auctions.

The best part about collecting garden ornaments is where and how you place them in the garden, in a way that complements the plants around them. You get to use your imagination, and you don't need to be a keen gardener to achieve spectacular results,' says James Rylands, Director of Summers Place Auctions, which specialises in garden statuary.