Garden Art | Landscape art search aided by vast selection

At Otto’s Oasis, gardeners can find everything from gazing balls, wall art, fountains, glazed pottery, unique containers, garden picks and more to accessorize their home garden and landscape.

Jeff Otto, co-owner of Otto’s Oasis, says he likes to carry a wide variety of garden décor to cater to customers who may have different tastes.

“We carry a lot of different items just to have the best selection,” Otto says. “You want to have something for everybody, so we try to provide that.”

Garden décor and gifts make up about 20 percent of all retail sales, Otto adds. One of those décor brands is Very Cool Stuff, a line of premium garden accents.

These colorful garden art pieces are displayed prominently in the front part of the greenhouse. Additional pieces are spread throughout plant areas, both indoors and outdoors, Otto says.

“We carry a lot of wall décor and bike wheels that represent flowers that will spin in the garden,” he says. “We like Very Cool Stuff because they provide a unique product, and they have really done well with their packaging.”

Items are shipped to retailers in sturdy cardboard with cushy wrapping, protecting the items from damage, Otto says. Otto’s Oasis has been carrying the Michigan-based company’s product for about nine years.

Otto says he most appreciates the variety, durability and color of Very Cool Stuff products.

“We are a destination for people for their spring merchandise, so it’s nice to have good competitive prices on the material, and we are able to do that,” he adds.

Otto says Very Cool Stuff’s outdoor LED lanterns have been popular along with the “Rusted Stuff” line, an assortment of yard art that looks worn to an attractive patina.

“We actually deliver some of the rusted yard art and put it right into their landscapes,” he says. “It worked out to put it in some areas where shrubs don’t grow well [for one client].”

Other customers have used garden art in their flower beds or by their front door to create more of a focus on their entry point. Garden art can also be used in funeral pieces, Otto adds.

“There is always room in someone’s landscape to add [décor] and create a point of interest,” he says.