I’VE BEEN LOOKING at my landscape a lot recently. This was prompted by an invitation by the AVA Gallery (www.avagallery.org) in Lebanon, NH to give a talk on March 24 about building the bones of a garden by adding trees, shrubs, stone, and sculptures to the garden. I think I’ve done pretty well in terms of adding 4-season interest to my garden, but have some ideas for new projects this summer.

Henry’s Scarecrows A gorgeous flower garden in summer can be reminiscent of a barren Kansas cornfield in winter if you do not add a third dimension to the landscape. This is a good time to visit your garden before spring chores and flowers distract you. Do you have inviting walkways? Do you have a welcoming arch or arbor to pass though? Have you used trees or shrubs to separate different parts of the property? These are all tried and true methods to provide year-round interest.

Like the sculpture seen in a gallery, the outdoor landscape can be sculpted by adding or removing material. Adding walls, trellises or sculpture is a quick fix; removing scrubby undergrowth to open up a wooded landscape is less often seen as a way to create special garden spaces. A combination of the two approaches is perhaps the best.

The Standing Stone If you have a wooded area on your property, think how nice it would be to see through it clearly from a distance. Most woodlands fill up with low-growing junk: invasive honeysuckles, wild brambles, barberries planted by birds. Clearing these out by pulling them, roots and all, or by cutting them to the ground will allow you to enjoy the mature trees – their bark, their branches, and later, their flowers or seeds.

Think about crafting a meandering walk through the woods by clearing and raking a pathway, one that could by enhanced by occasional stepping stones or a layer of chipped branches. This fall if you plant some daffodils along the pathway you will be delighted next spring to have another “garden” to enjoy.

Paths are important to the flower and vegetable garden, too. Mowed paths between wide, raised beds in the vegetable garden are easy to maintain, and keep weeds from growing up near your veggies. Careful placement of flat stones or pavers in flower gardens add a different texture to the garden, and allow you to walk in beds without compacting the soil, especially early in the season when the soil is wet. And a designated pathway set off by flower beds or shrubs draws visitors through the garden. A colorful bench at the end of the walk is a good addition to the garden.

A garden arch also invites visitors to the garden, and says, “Welcome!” It is the opposite of a gate, which warns us to stay out. You can make a simple bentwood garden arch using 12-foot saplings, planting them 16 inches into the ground, bending them over and tying them together with wire. Add cross pieces and diagonals to decorate the arbor, and to give it stability. Unless you are using cedar, an arch like that only lasts about 3 years, but it’s essentially free. Its cost is only a few hours of your time. For a complete description on how to make one, see my book, Notes from the Garden. It should be in your local library.

Sculpture added to the garden immediately adds new textures, colors and height. It need not be expensive – you can find your inner artist and create something nice. Or perhaps while waiting for spring to arrive you can make a nice scarecrow that will be ready for the garden when summer arrives. Kids love scarecrows, and if you make one with a full body (not two-dimensional), even adults will do a double take – and grin.

Ron Farr, a metal sculptor in Etna, NH (email: etnaforge@msn.com) makes sculptures of people and musicians that are life sized, simple, and often humorous. Three of his are on display on the mall in Lebanon near Omer and Bob’s Sport Shop in a garden I designed last year.

Stones in a garden can add height, texture and set off summer plants – or snow - very nicely. I love standing stones – stones that stand 3-5 feet above ground like little minarets or small versions of the stones at Stonehenge. I bury a fourth to a third of each stone below ground, and set them in dry concrete that sets up, making an anchor that will keep the stone from tipping over.

Cairns look good in winter, too. Find three nice stones (or more) and pile them up. Add a dusting of snow, and you have a simple sculpture. A pair of cairns set 5 feet apart can act as the sentries outside your garden. Easy. Free. Just make sure they are stable enough that they won’t fall over if the dog bumps into them. I plan to add some to my garden this summer.

And of course, last but not least, are trees and shrubs. They add the third dimension we need in winter, and can be lovely all year long. But do your homework first, remembering that, unlike stones, they grow, and will need to be pruned. If you buy small plants, you can shape them to your will. A few of my favorites are shown in the box accompanying this article.

So go outside and have a look – or just study the view from the kitchen sink or your easy chair. Dream, plan, and remember – spring and summer are just around the corner.

Henry Homeyer is a gardener and garden writer. His Web site is www.Gardening-Guy.com. Write him at P.O. Box 364 Cornish Flat, NH 03746 or henry.homeyer@comcast.net