Lawn Garnish

Years ago, in the days before children and other commitments, my husband and I took a lot of long bike rides in the country where I was always charmed and intrigued by the yards we would pass by and the extensive array of things determined appropriate for the front lawn.  

There were the inevitable wishing wells and lawn jockeys, the kissing Dutch children in their wooden shoes, the bloomered backsides of grandmas weeding, the geese wearing bonnets, and cartoon characters including Wiley Coyote in hot pursuit of the Road Runner, Roger Rabbit, and Bugs Bunny, and even the California Raisins. I always thought this was an American thing, that is, until on a trip to the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily, I noted that Snow White and the seven dwarves seemed to be favorite features in the locals' gardens.

My snapshots could never really capture the charm of lawn ornaments (nor was I willing to venture very close to get the best photo). I thought I should venture forth some day with a better camera and create a coffee table book of these bits of ornamentation. But of course, I never did. In the digital world of today, this would be a good topic for Instagram but again, this seems like a much bigger commitment than I am willing to make.

My fascination with what I affectionately call lawn garnish never abated though nor apparently people's desire to decorate their yards with all manner of humorous tableaux. And while the DC variety tends to be on the smaller side (as befits the smaller yards), my fellow Washingtonians are clearly up to the task. Here's the latest of what I've seen on my walks over the past few months.

There's a whole other category of art created in alleyways and along back fences, but that is a subject for another day.