The best gardens are those that offer surprises. And an ideal way to surprise and delight garden visitors, and even yourself, is by adding statuary to the landscape.

Statuary allows you to fill in areas where plants might not grow well. They also light up the garden during the cold months of the year when not much is growing or blooming. Unique statues also add whimsy to the garden and personalize your landscape.

Garden statuary has appeared in numerous gardens over the centuries. The ancient Egyptians placed statuary in their temples and gardens, as did the Greeks. Visit any public or botanical garden, and you’re sure to see statues strategically placed throughout the landscape.

To choose statuary for your garden, pick a piece that appeals to you. A statue that “calls” to you and makes you smile when you see it, is likely to fit right into your landscape.

When placing statuary in the garden, put a statue either in a place of prominence, where it creates a focal point, or in an out-of-the-way area where it elicits a delightful surprise when you come across the piece as you travel the garden path. For instance, a little elf peeking out of the foliage near a table and chairs where you like to sit, or a bunny rabbit and her babies gathered near a birdbath.

Let your imagination run where it may when choosing statuary for the garden, and watch where the magic takes you.

Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of seven books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com.