There is one sound that I miss all winter and that is the gentle warm breeze blowing through large outdoor wooden wind chimes.

I like the bamboo ones because the sound is not grating as some of the metal ones can be.  The sound simply is natural and soft.  Of course you can get ones that are a mixture of wood and metal, but for me I love the soft wood noise you get from the larger bamboo pieces.

Although they can hang outdoors and tolerate the weather I like to have mine closer to the door and under the eaves of the house to protect it from really nasty winds that get up in a summer storm.

It still gets the gentle breezes and I can then hear it from my kitchen window.  As I try to create my own private little oasis out back I have been researching many affordable ways to do this without construction or huge landscaping costs. 

I find shrubbery can get expensive, so I will fill in gaps in the yard with whimsical wrought iron planters and other garden décor and I am especially enjoying the latest in solar gadgets such as the fiber optic flowers that light up at night to create a nice light show. 

Having outdoor wind chimes helps to block out any road noise out front and it is such a gentle sound for me and very relaxing. 

I have a metal one in the house that I like but for outdoors the wooden ones will last longer and not rust.  They have a deeper hollow sound that I just love.

Not only do they make great wind sounds but they look good to.  So, if you are looking for ways to decorate as well as relax then getting the larger ones will definitely make a statement.

If you really want to relax, then have some running water somewhere nearby, like you would get with a solar wall fountain or feature and then have these larger chimes blowing softly in the breezes.  That mixed with outdoor sounds such as birds will have you forgetting the work world quickly.

We bought large bamboo wind chimes as a house warming present for a friend a few years back and she still has them and they still look good.  She loved the sound of the larger ones.

So, if you want a little soft sound while relaxing in your space then get large wooden chimes as the smaller ones will not have that deep sound.  Use the smaller ones indoors at open windows.

You can simply take them in after the summer and use them indoors, but once that warmer weather hits us here in Ontario we fling open the doors and windows and spread outdoors.  So, all the creature comforts we like inside will now come outside.

I was amazed at all the different products for garden décor on the market now that are affordable options to major landscaping renovations.  I don’t have any outside electrical outlets yet on my house and so using solar, wind and some creativity is my best option for enjoying my space.

The garden centers just don’t carry a huge variety of whimsical things, so looking online I found all kinds of fun ways to dress up my space and relax this year affordably including large outdoor wooden wind chimes.