The manufacture of garden ornament, vases and sculpture in many ways was a revolution of sorts. Most garden ornaments of antiquity were created at great expense and time, as in hand carved, or sculpted, one piece at a time. This meant great garden ornament was restricted to just a few patrons of the garden arts. As lead is quite malleable, and melts readily, it can be cast. This meant ornament could be cast in multiples, and a favorite stone ornament could be reproduced at much less expense than hand-carved stone. Imaginative manufacturing techniques made lead ornament of all kinds readily available. This drop dead gorgeous stone and lead garden ornament pictured above was designed by, and executed under the direction of Beatrix Farrand, and installed at one of her best known landscape projects, Dunbarton Oaks, in Washington DC, in the 1920’s.
The Bulbeck foundry in England produces some of the finest lead garden sculpture, ornament and pots available anywhere in the world. The giant egg cup with acorn, oak, grape and rose motifs is astonishingly beautiful. It is a modern interpretation of an old lead planter from the National Trust gardens at Anglesey Abby. The Bulbeck square planter, with its delicate Florentine scrollwork decoration, clearly illustrates the degree of detail possible with lead casting. Bulbeck lead is what I call the midnight blue four-door Ferrari coupe of garden ornament. Lead panels out of the mold are rough beyond belief; the art here is in the hammering and finishing which produces the fine ornament you see here. The people who make these pots are artists; they literally sculpt these pots from a rough approximation of the finished piece. Of more modest provenance and finish , the small plain lead egg cup pictured here is the work of the noted Canadian lead manufacturer, Richard Davies. His lead has some steel content; the difference in surface and color between the two manufacturers is evident. Any or all of these pots would make much of a planting.
This lead running fox is the work of HCrowther Ltd, which has been manufacturing lead garden ornament in London since 1908. Their sculpture is particularly fine. This very appealing sculpture is as at home in a stone trough as it would be in the lawn. My personal choice-set in a bed of European ginger.
This Crowther fountain is equally as striking. An entire garden could be designed around it. This fountain design has been in production many many years. Lead, and classic lead design, weathers and ages in a garden so gracefully.
This very old lead cistern carries the evidence of its age. The dealer in England from whom this piece was purchased thought it likely was at least two hundred years old. Wave the history card in my face, and I am done in.
Lead garden ornament has become incredibly expensive. The lead itself has doubled in price in a very short time, and the process is dirty, dangerous, and laborious. The steel furniture, spheres, and boxes pictured above have a finish very reminiscent of lead. This finish has the added advantage of protecting the steel from rust. Steel is strong enough for furniture. Boxes and pots made of steel do not collapse from their own weight, as lead is prone to do. But best of all, this beautiful look can be had for much less than lead.
This old French iron snake urn has a new life, and a vastly different feeling than the rusty original. Rarely would I touch the surface of an antique piece, but this piece was rusted beyond charming. Removing the rust brought the snakes, and the beautiful shape of the urn, back to life.
These acid washed steel boxes and galvanized planters are awaiting painted liners in the color of the client’s choice. Steel combines well with other materials.
The galvanized sheet metal liner of this steel box has also been acid washed. We can manufacture this large box very reasonably. I like good quality garden ornaments being available to lots of people. Manufacturing in multiples, with less expensive materials, makes this possible.
Whether you choose lead or acid treated steel, it is indeed a very handsome look.
Its my idea to eat outdoors for 120 days of the year at the very least. I like summer food- grilled burgers, fresh corn and tomatoes, big salads with chicken. I am at my most vulnerable for good potato chips, and ice cream, as well. I am impatient for this first day of the outdoor dining season, and so sorry to see it end. In Michigan we have a lengthy dose of “lets go inside” weather. For this reason I will still be having dinner outdoors in October, with my blanket around me. Just get me outside, under any and every circumstance. Dinner in the garden is my idea of fine entertainment. This 22 foot long pine and steel table can handle lots of dinner guests with ease. Pine is a very traditional material for American garden furniture; it just requires upkeep. Its traditional material aside, it has a decidedly sleek and modern silhouette. It interests me how overscaled furniture has such strong visual interest. This long table suggests a lot of people, close together, having fun. 
If you are a like me, you do not sit much in your garden. I can always find a weed to pull or something to stake, trim, or otherwise fuss with. But as I subscribe to the notion that a landscape is a place to be, a place to sit seems like a very good idea. A place to take a break, to contemplate your future, to watch the birds, to have a glass of tea-excellent.
We make this scrolled steel furniture, galvanize it, and acid wash it. It has the look of lead, that blue grey with a white bloom. This furniture is amazingly comfortable for being made of steel. I think it is very good looking and appropriate in either a traditional or contemporary setting. But most of all I like that it looks like garden furniture-and not the furniture I have in my living room. 
In the past few years I have seen plenty of garden furniture, made from weatherproof materials, that looks like indoor furniture; this does not appeal to me. I like everything in the garden, to look like it belongs there. Thus I prefer my sofa in my living room, and not on my terrace. I very much like these 18th century Coalbrookdale chairs, in the nasturtium pattern. They look like they were made for a garden.
This is an early 20th century French faux bois bench. Literally translated, faux bois means false wood. The bench is concrete over a steel armature, that was carved to look like wood. I doubt it is a place you would want to sit for long, but it most definitely is a lovely place to sit and enjoy a garden moment. It is just as lovely as a garden ornament. 
Pool furniture almosts asks for cushions. Hot steel and bare legs is not such a good combination. Be sure if you buy of have cushions made for your garden furniture, that they are constructed using exterior foam, which drains quickly and dries out. Hauling cushions inside when there is a threat of rain is a nuisance. The technology of new fabrics rated for exterior use is considerable. These fabrics are sunfast, and mildew resistant. This suite of furniture looks like a cool spot to sit on a hot day.
Not so fancy, but plenty charming are vintage American garden chairs. I like everything about them-the shapes, the old paint, and the rust and how they rock. They are easy to find a spot for, and they are easy to move to another spot, should you have a mind to.
This very fine iron furniture comes from a small company in England. The black and white checked fabric on the cushions is very smart looking, and elegant.
This very old English wood bench has great style; the spindle back and the curved arms are very handsome. The yews and pots do a great job of highlighting its form. It is a friendly size .
The chaise lounge is a bed for the garden. Its scale and size makes it stand out in the landscape; the grouping suggests the company of friends and family. White fabric in the garden looks as fresh and crisp as white flowers. I cannot imagine using a chaise, but I like looking at them.
Stripes seem especially appropriate for a garden too. Reminiscent of vintage awnings, they are inviting and pleasing to the eye. These chairs are great for an extended visit in a garden.
A place to sit in a garden is an essential element of landscape design. Plan where you will sit in your landscape with as much care as you plan what you will see when you sit there.