Arnold Palmer Hospital Play Area

Insights on decorating with smaller statues

My grandson is in the Arnold Palmer Hospital and while we were there we visited their play area. The main room is impressively adorned with a huge boat that kids can climb on.

Venturing further into the garden are several smaller gardens .  They are what I wanted to share with you because they show how smaller statues can be effectively used in your home garden.

Their first small statue was two children on a bike.  It’s cute and very appropriate for a child’s play area.  Now let’s look at it as it is placed in the garden.

This little garden is bordered on three sides by walkways and I’m sure a lot of children like visiting it.  Maybe once the bushes fill out it will be different, but right now, it looks a little lost in this setting.  Perhaps it would have looked better on a brick pad or other contrasting material to set it off from the rest of its garden setting.  They also could have added a small picket fence behind it which would draw your eye toward the statue.

Let’s look at another statue in their garden.

These two children look like they are having fun.  They also have been placed close to the path so that visitors can easily see them.

In addition to being handicapped child friendly, this statue has been placed in a small side yard that frames it well.  Rather than looking lost, it has become a focal point.  Maybe when I get time I’ll photoshop erase that plant hanger.  It hangs in the corner but was captured by my camera angle.  In any case, I hope you see how a small statue needs an appropriate space to display it.   It’s something to think about when you are installing your own statue.

If you have seen other small statues making a big impact, why not share the techniques with us?  We’re always up for new ideas.

If you want to explore this topic further, see my post called Garden Statue Considerations.