Five ornaments at auction to give your garden the wow factor this spring

Among the upcoming auctions offering garden sculptures, furniture and ornaments is the Home, Garden and Natural History sale at Summers Place Auctions on March 28. A wide variety of stoneware, ironware and outdoor artworks is available ranging from urns and pot to seats and tables.

Here’s our pick of five lots that caught our eye to give you a flavour of what’s on offer.

1. Stone urns

A pair of Doulton stoneware urns, estimated at £1200-1800 at Summers Place Auctions.

This pair of Doulton stoneware urns date from the late 19th century and can be used as garden ornaments or planters.

Measuring 3ft 3in (98cm) high, they have a makers stamp for Doulton & Co. Lambeth. They were illustrated in the 1894 Doulton and Co Catalogue of Terra Cotta Garden Vases.

The estimate at the Summers Place auction is £1200-1800. View the catalogue entry for these Doulton stoneware urns on thesaleroom.com

2. Portland stone bench

Portland stone curved bench, estimated at £2000-3000 at Summers Place Auctions.

A carved curved bench is among the garden seats on offer at the Summers Place auction.

Made from Portland stone and dating from c.1900, it measures 7ft 10in (2.38m) long.

It is estimated at £2000-3000. View the catalogue entry for this Portland stone bench on thesaleroom.com.

3. Cast iron urns

A pair of Handyside cast iron urns on pedestals, estimated at £1500-2500 at Summers Place Auctions.

A pair of cast iron urns on pedestals from the second half of 19th century will feature in the Summers Place auction.

Measuring 3ft 9in (1.14m) high, they have maker’s plaques for Handyside Limited of London and Derby.

Andrew Handyside started the foundry in 1806 and by 1851 the firm had expanded and was operating out of the Britannia Iron Works in Derby. In the same year it took a stand at the Great Exhibition, displaying an array of impressive vases and busts of famous figures like Nelson, Wellington, Shakespeare and Milton.

The model for this design appears the 1848 Handyside catalogue (no 5a).

The estimate at the Summers Place auction is £1500-2500. View the catalogue entry for these Handyside cast iron urns on pedestals on thesaleroom.com

4. Cotswold limestone pots

A pair of carved Cotswold limestone scroll pots, estimated at £2000-4000 at Summers Place Auctions.

A rare pair of carved Cotswold limestone scroll pots is among the lots on offer at the Summers Place auction. Dating from the 19th century, they measure 20in (51cm) high.

These examples predate the models produced by the Compton Pottery in Surrey which was set up in the early 20th century by the social reformer Mary Seton Watts and to whom the original model has sometimes been erroneously attributed.

The estimate at the Summers Place auction is £2000-4000. View the catalogue entry for these Cotswold limestone pots on thesaleroom.com.

5. Coalbrookdale seat

Coalbrookdale Osmunda fern pattern cast iron seat, estimated at £7000-10,000 at Summers Place Auctions.

For buyers looking to splash the cash, the Summers Place auction contains a number of benches and seats by Coalbrookdale.

The Coalbrookdale foundry was perhaps the most famous of names associated with cast iron – the company was responsible for producing the ironwork that made the world’s first iron bridge across the river Severn in 1779 (now a UNESCO world heritage site)

A rare Coalbrookdale Osmunda fern pattern cast iron seat from c.1870 is among the lots on offer. Measuring 6ft 4in (1.94m) long, it is fully stamped Coalbrookdale and with diamond registration stamps. This particular design was registered and patented by Coalbrookdale in 1873.

The estimate at the Summers Place auction is £7000-1000. View the catalogue entry for this Coalbrookdale cast iron seat on thesaleroom.com.

For more on antique garden ornaments and furniture, view our online guide.