Metal Dragonfly Garden Stake

A garden is never finished, and that is part of the pleasure of it. Plants grow in and die back, the light changes with the season, and the same border looks different in May and October. Decor that sits in the middle of all that has to be able to cope, and the pieces that last are usually the simplest ones.

The Metal Dragonfly Garden Stake is about as simple as garden decor gets. It is a powder coated metal dragonfly on a stake, with a rust toned finish and a wingspan of 7.87 inches. There is no wiring and there are no batteries, so once it is pushed into the ground there is nothing at all to look after.

Why a stake with nothing to power is worth having

The lack of maintenance is the first reason. Solar garden pieces need sun on a panel and a battery that eventually gives up, and wired ones need a cable run to them. A plain metal stake needs neither, so it never stops working and never needs replacing halfway through a summer.

The weathering finish is the second. A rust toned finish is designed to change outdoors rather than resist it, and the color deepens over a season. In a garden, where everything else is shifting with the weather, a piece that ages along with the planting looks far more at home than one trying to stay exactly as it arrived.

The size is judged for the job. A 7.87 inch wingspan is large enough to read clearly from a few paces, which is the distance most borders are actually viewed from, and small enough to sit among plants rather than towering over them.

Metal also survives what a garden throws at it. Rain, wind and frost pass over a powder coated stake without much consequence, and there is no fabric to fade or plastic to go brittle.

And a dragonfly is a happy choice of subject. It suggests water, warm evenings and movement, and it suits a pond edge, a herb bed or a planted pot without ever looking out of place.

Where it looks best

• Flower borders. Rising just above low planting where it is easy to see.
• Beside a path. A small point of interest along a walk through the garden.
• Pond edges. The natural home for a dragonfly.
• Large planters. A stake pushed into a pot by a door or on a patio.
• Herb and vegetable beds. A bit of character among the rows.

It suits cottage gardens, wildlife planting and relaxed, informal beds especially well, and the rust tone sits naturally with green foliage, gravel and stone.

Several stakes work better than one in a long border. Spaced out at different heights among the planting, they read as a scattering rather than a single ornament, which feels more natural.

Putting it in and looking after it

The stake goes straight into the ground with no tools, but a little care at the start keeps it standing straight.

• Push it into soft ground in a border or beside a path where it can be seen from a few paces away.
• Water hard ground before pushing the stake in, so it goes in straight rather than leaning.
• Sit it slightly above surrounding plants so the wings are not hidden as the border fills out.
• Bring it inside over a hard winter if you want to slow the weathering down.

There is nothing to power and nothing to maintain. Plants, soil and items shown in the product photos are not included. The measurement is listed in the Dimensions section above.

Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth if it picks up mud after heavy rain. Beyond that, the finish is intended to weather, so there is nothing that needs doing to it.

It is worth checking the position again in midsummer. Borders grow quickly, and a stake that stood clear in spring can end up buried behind foliage by July, so lifting and moving it forward takes a moment.

Pairing it with other pieces

Garden decor works best in small groups rather than dotted about singly. A dragonfly among low grasses, a couple of pots and a path edge makes a small composition that draws the eye along a border. Near a pond, pair it with marginal planting and a few well placed stones.

Browse the decorative objects collection for more pieces in metal, or the botanicals collection for greenery to set it among. Rust tones, gravel, stone and weathered wood all sit together naturally.

In a large planter by a door, a stake among trailing plants gives a pot a little height and a focal point, which is an easy way to lift a patio arrangement.

Is the dragonfly stake right for your garden?

It is a strong fit if you:

• Want garden decor with nothing to charge or wire.
• Like a finish that weathers and deepens outdoors.
• Have a border, path or planter viewed from a few paces.
• Prefer informal, natural planting to formal beds.

It is not the right choice for a large open lawn, where a 7.87 inch piece disappears, or for anyone who wants a finish that stays exactly as it arrived. For a wide view, a larger garden sculpture will suit better.

Every order ships free across the US and most arrive in 6 to 9 business days. Unused items in their original packaging can be returned within 30 days of delivery, and questions are answered at info@norafurnish.com.