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
