Stone Menagerie: Creating A Magical Garden With A Medusa-Like Feel
Medusa and her Gorgon sisters were able to turn anything into stone if the person or creature looked Medusa or her sisters in the eye. The result was that many a Greek hero would wander through a stone menagerie, sometimes realizing that these were once living creatures, and at other times having no idea about the statuary round about. If you would like to create your own stone menagerie in your garden, you do not need a Gorgon to do it. Here is what you do.
Visit a Stone Products Store
Retail stores that specifically sell stone products often have stone statues. You are sure to find a few mythical creatures of your own there, including a few satyrs or faun water fountains. Select the statues you think would most contribute to the feeling of a Medusa-like garden, and purchase those.
Do Not Forget the Statuary Stores Either
There are also statuaries where the only things they sell are statues, the majority of which are stone. Check these stores as well, especially if you want something rather large or quite a bit smaller. Perhaps you want a ring of mythological creatures placed in a circle, as though they were dancing to the faun's pipe when a Gorgon caught them off-guard. Such imagery can have quite the stunning effect on visitors to your garden.
Positioning the Statues
Keep in mind that Medusa and her sisters often caught trespassers off-guard. Anyone daring to venture into the garden or the labyrinth where they lived had to be careful with their movements and never look in the direction of the unusual sounds of snakes hissing. Keeping that eerie thought in mind, place your statues in your yard where you would least expect to encounter them. The more lifelike and unusual the expressions on your statues, the more believable the scene.
Do Not Forget a "Looking Pool" and/or a Fountain
As legend has it, there was only one way you could look at Medusa and her sisters without turning to stone yourself. You had to use a reflective surface, such as a pond, a "looking pool," or a mirror. Try to incorporate these features into your garden with the statues near or in the middle of these items. Not only does this have the desired effect of danger and mystery, but it also makes your garden very beautiful, enticing, mystical, and inviting to wander through.