Sculptural features and statuary are of particular importance because they can draw the eye around the space, enlivening it with drama. Whether classical or modern, they typically need to be substantive enough in order to read well in the setting and have a simplicity of outline- although this may vary depending on taste and the desired effect.

Traditionally, a main feature, usually a formal statue, was placed in the middle of a garden as the central focal point of a static design, in which case the rest of the garden was designed around it for the greatest impact. This type of classical positioning is less common these days because few outside spaces have the kind of symmetry needed for such a design. One possible exception is smaller gardens or atriums, which may call for a central feature to hold the eye within the site. In this case size is an important consideration. If the piece is too large, it can dominate the area, imposing on the overall setting rather than being a part of it.

A modern-style design made of asymmetric lines usually calls for sculpture or statuary placement to be a counterpoise or counterbalance to the overall design, as if punctuation marks for the language of the landscape.

Monumental Stone Sculpture

"I stand at a distance and see what my work is about when a piece is completed, " says Suzanne Biaggi, sculpture artist and owner of Sculptural Landscapes, a full service landscape design firm. "When I am in the process of working on something I function on a non-verbal level. The thread that connects my work is about searching for a reality that I sense but do not consciously perceive; it asks questions about relationship."

Biaggi's medium is monumental stone. She collaborates with the stones and chooses areas where she alters the stones in an attempt to create a harmony between the alteration and the original stone. In this way she is able to "add a new history to the old." While altering the stones, she also uses the same philosophy when "preparing" the site or environment in which they will be placed. The sculpture and environment become one.

A beautiful example of Biaggi's work is Floating Stone Garden (top left), a garden about contrast. Biaggi said, "the sculpture court yard provides a contemplative respite in opposition to the frenetic energy of its' urban setting."

Located in a small backyard in Pacific Heights, San Francisco, Biaggi chose large granite stones selected from a quarry abandoned over 80 years ago. They were chosen because they bear witness to the passage of time by the patina moss and lichen that they acquired in the quarry. The serenity of this area is enhanced by the sound of water quietly splashing into a pool which holds fish and aquatic plants.

Quiet Murmur (left) is a piece in Muir Beach, California. It was situated in an existing courtyard, which serves as the entryway to the residence and can be seen from the dining room, family room and hallway. The owners wanted to retain the existing concrete, so Biaggi did a series of redwood planters using bamboo, mondo grass and black pebbles.

This unique and playful gaming garden was one of the feature landscape designs for the 1999 Baltimore Symphony Decorator Show House, an annual fund-raising event for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Inspired by the property owner's involvement in the world of horse racing, Stuart Ortel, ASLA and Senior Associate at Mahan Rykiel Associates, decided to provide a garden area which would host other types of competition-checkers, chess and croquet. This stone-walled garden overlooks the stables and paddocks of the horse farm and spectacular views of Green Spring Valley beyond, a perfect place to stop and relax on a summer afternoon and enjoy a game of chess.

Sculpted evergreen shrubs line one side of the garden and slender topiary trees flank its entrance, creating a contrast of garden formality and fanciful, oversized game pieces in an outdoor space of fun and relaxation. Generous walkways and seating areas welcome the guests, embrace the landscape and prompt one to exclaim-"Let the games begin!"

Figurative Sculpture

Bringing representations of animals and/or the human form into a landscape or garden is, for many homeowners, the preferred way to adorn and express personal style. Some are content to choose high-quality productions from a company specializing in figurative sculpture. Others may desire a more personal expression and will commission an artist to do a custom piece for them.

Because placing art in outdoor spaces presents so many adventurous and creative possibilities for Landscape Architects, designers and property owners, it will hopefully become more the rule than the exception in landscape design.

Phillip Levine, a sculptor based in Seattle, Washington, specializes in figurative sculpture and has done over 50 sculpture projects-although only ten were in the custom residential market.

And of those ten, Levine only worked with a few Landscape Architects. When asked why, Levine thinks it's a small market or niche for Landscape Architects partly because the idea of sculpture in gardens have more to deal with interior designers a lot of the time.

"Typically, a homeowner thinks of their home first, before their garden," Levine said. "They may hire an interior designer and, when it comes to the garden, they often rely on the designer to expand the interior space to the outside space. This affectively eliminates the Landscape Architect from that part of the loop. Then you have the collector who simply places what he wants-where he wants."

Levine added that it has always been a real pleasure working with Landscape Architects and noted they can be very influential in bringing sculpture to a project -in terms of creating interest in their clients and having the knowledge and perspective of how everything relates and enhances the total environment.

Abstract Sculpture

In the realm of abstract sculpture, James Thomas Russell is a renowned artist with an internationally acclaimed body of work spanning more than two decades. Working out of his studio in Lomita, California, Russell creates magnificent stainless steel sculptures that do not seek to represent objects so much as render their essence. Having completed over 85 state, national and international commissions, the bulk of Russell's work has been in the public sector-with only a limited number for private residences.

Russell admits that people do not always comprehend his pieces at first sight. When people are confronted with something they cannot understand, it's human nature to be easily intimidated and shun it, rather than take a closer look. But when they do, people are drawn to the shining surface,the way it reflects the surroundings and themselves. James says, "you become one with it and with what is around you...and that has a harmonizing effect."

While Russell strives to attract viewers with the shiny facade, he considers surface beauty as only the beginning. Russell commented once that "a person might be absolutely beautiful but that exterior beauty wouldn't hold you forever. What is compelling is a beautiful soul. I want my artwork to be enlightening, uplifting, spiritual...something that can be lived with on everyday basis."

Classical Ornaments

Certain homes seem to beg for a formal, classic garden to surround them, although it may simply be a matter of taste on the part of the home owner. Although arguably less fashionable these days, many people still appreciate and desire the classic elegance of a formal garden-the idea of man dominating the landscape with perfect symmetry. For in the formal garden, man is represented center stage with our perceptions of space being ordered by the classic principles of geometry, proportion and symmetry.

Others, even if they find the formal style dated and confining, out of context with modern civilization, may still have a yearning for classical antiquities and motifs. Whether an individuals style of choice is country, colonial, mediterranean, oriental, Italian or even Islamic, classical ornamentation still has endless possibilities for creating unexpected and inspired blends of the old with the new.

The ultimate character or art of a garden's design is how each of those ornaments fit into the whole. Being bold and eclectic is one thing, but without careful consideration and knowledge as to how each one relates to everything else-be it walls, walkways, furniture, steps, urns, or a simple series of pots-there is the risk of achieving mishmash! So designers beware.

And always remember, regardless of style and ornamentation, the garden remains a much needed retreat for the individual, a place for relaxation, reflection, even romance. Unlike days of old when they were retreats from the wild, unpredictable and awful qualities of nature, gardens now often serve as a retreat from the horrible manifestations of "civilization" and modern man himself. lasn