How to Build a Ball Garden

Garden balls come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Garden balls or gazing balls have been a part of beautiful gardens since the thirteenth century, according to Dave's Garden. Some of these balls are made of hand blown, colored glass, but if you have children, the shatterproof, stainless-steel gazing balls may be best for you. You can build a garden of gazing balls by hanging them from trees, placing them on platforms or by letting them float in your garden pond.

Things You'll Need

• Gazing balls (assorted sizes and colors, with and without hooks and those that come apart and those that do not)
• Eye bolts
• Chains (2 to 3 feet long, with S hooks on both sides)
• Pliers
• Platforms, tables, birdbaths or pedestals
• Sand
• Nylon string
• Sinkers

Instructions

Hanging Gazing Balls

1. 

   Attach gazing balls to chains, and hang them from trees.

   Choose a gazing ball that has a hook attachment at the top of it. You can often find these in the outdoor sections of home improvement stores.

2. Attach the S hook on one side of the chain to the hook on the gazing ball. Bend both hooks closed using your pliers.

3. Find a tree that would benefit from the beauty of your hanging garden ball. Using a step ladder, screw an eye bolt into the branch of your tree and attach the S hook securely to the branch, using your pliers to close the hook. Decorate more branches of your tree(s) by repeating this process.

Attaching Garden Balls to a Flat or Semi-flat Surface

1. 

   A mosaic garden ball in the center of your picnic table, makes a great conversation piece.

   Locate flat or semi-flat areas in your garden that might benefit from a little color and whimsy. Decks, porches, bird baths, pedestals and picnic tables will be transformed, if you attach a colorful gazing ball to them.

2. Use a screw driver to take off the top of the garden ball (this will only work for the balls that come apart), and fill the ball with sand, until it is one-fourth of the way full. This will prevent the ball from blowing away in a strong wind.

3. Place the sand-filled gazing ball on your deck, pedestal, birdbath or table.

Placing Garden Balls in a Pond

1. 

   Add a water-reflecting gazing ball to brighten up your pond.

   Choose the area of your pond where you will place your gazing ball. Using a tape measure, determine the depth of your pond, in that area.

2. Cut pieces of nylon string or fishing line using the measurement you just took. Tie the string to the hook of your gazing ball. On the other end of the string (the part that goes into the water), tie two or more sinkers. You can purchase sinkers in the fishing section of a you local supercenter.

3. Place the gazing ball into the pond. Allow the sinkers to sink to the bottom of the pond. You gazing ball will float atop the water, without blowing away in the wind.

Tips & Warnings

• Plastic balls also can be used as gazing balls. You also can decorate your arbor or pergola using hanging garden balls.

• If you are hanging glass gazing balls, hang them at least three or more feet apart---depending on the length of your chain. In a strong gust of wind, balls that are too close, might smack into each other and shatter.

References

• Dave's Garden: Gazing Balls History and Legend
• Main Street Seed and Supply: Gazing Globes and Garden Balls

Resources

• Progconcepts: Living Victorian; Victorian Decorating Tips