Gazing balls are decorative spheres which are widely used for gardens and are believed to be effective in boosting the overall health of plants and vegetation. In addition, they create a mirroring effect while attracting luck, prosperity, and protection that is believed to be true in different cultures.
In this article we will discuss what they are, what they symbolize and how to make them. If would are interested in placing these shining spheres in your own personal garden, read on.
What Are Gazing Balls?
A gazing ball is also known as the garden ball, garden globe, lawn ball, chrome ball, and mirror ball. Some specific qualities of these balls make them worth spending to boost the look of any home exterior.
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They are available in different sizes and colored mirrored spheres. These are placed at a top of the wrought iron or conical ceramic stand. As these are available in different sizes ranging from 1m to 10m, you can find the one that can complement your garden size. Mostly, there are made of glass. However, now you can find many different materials that include acrylic, stainless steel, stained glass, or ceramic.
Gazing balls are available in impressive designs. Some of them feature a stem so that you can securely make them sit on any stand. Many of them come in a small size with a uniform shape. You can easily set them on the grass. The larger sizes might not be a good option to place on the stand, but you will have to choose the stand depending on the weight of the gazing ball.
What Do Gazing Balls Symbolize?
Gazing balls can be a great addition to any garden setting to improve its appearance. Though many prefer to use gazing balls for their inspiring and reflective look, they know very little about the origin and the usage. So, let’s cover the history of gazing balls.
These shiny ornaments have been around for a quite long time. They had their origin in Italy in the 13th century. Initially, these were made of brown-glass artisans. Soon after the origin, these decorative balls became a part of the garden decoration in Venice.
The appearance of these balls made them popular in European royalty. They started to link gazing balls to different things such as magical, spiritual, and mystical. They found these balls useful for home decorations since they believed that these shiny ornaments can attract luck and bring fortune into their lives. They used these balls as a form of blessing.
All these specific qualities made gazing balls popular all over Europe. These shining ornaments acquired many new names during this phase. They were also called garden globe, a globe of happiness, gazing globe, fairy ball, mirror ball, butler ball, witch ball, gazing sphere, lawn globe, yard globe, and garden sphere. All these terms were used for decorative purposes. These balls were used for home interior and exterior decoration to boost the curb appeal and attract fortune.
Garden balls were referred to as witch balls. That means these balls could protect you from evil spirits, ghosts, and witches. They also believed that these balls can be effective to prevent major health issues.
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What Are Gazing Balls Used For?
Gazing balls are mostly used for decorative purposes. However, they can be effective for many other things as well. It is worth mentioning that gazing balls are available in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Therefore, you will have to choose the right size and color depending on the purpose of usage. You can place them near your home entrance, windows, or gardens. They can provide you good luck and protect from witches and some other harmful magical things.
When it comes to the benefits and usage, you can use garden balls to attract good fortune. These are used for meditation, prosperity, decoration, spying, and attracting birds. Let’s discuss this in detail.
Attracting Fortune
In Victorian times, people had a strong belief that gazing balls can attract good spirits or fortune. For this reason, only, many people were using garden balls in their gardens as well as in other home interior and exterior decorations. Even now some people are using gazing balls to attract good luck.
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Status Symbol
In the past, gazing balls were also used as the status symbol. The royal people were placing these balls in their gardens as a symbol of the status.
Prosperity
People were also using garden balls in their gardens in the hopes that these balls will draw wealth and will protect from evil eyes. Garden balls were considered good both for material and spiritual growth. By placing these balls on their property, they were expecting to get protection from evil eyes.
Security Purposes
In Victorian times, there were relying on some unique ways to get the desired security. They were using gazing balls as the security mirror. They could understand the exterior environment by checking the reflection of garden balls. They were observing the garden balls to know what was happening in the surrounding. They were silently checking everything.
Meditation
The garden globes are reflective. They come with a circular shape and a shiny surface. Both these can help in the mediation. In the past, people were using these shiny balls to concrete and meditate. They were focusing on the center of the ball while practicing meditation.
Spying
In addition to the security purpose, a garden ball was being used for spying. As it is a mirror ball, it was working as a great tool to spy on someone. It was effective to spy on younger kids and even other members of the family.
Outdoor Decorative
The gazing balls were also used for outdoor decorative as ornaments. Even Ludwig, the Bavarian king, loved these balls as the decorative. As garden globes were available in different sizes, shapes, and colors, they were using them in the different places of the garden and palace to create a distinct recognition. Gradually, it became a part of the Christmas decoration.
Attracting Birds
Garden balls attract birds. As these are reflective, birds believe that there are more birds around, and they come to the garden to enjoy the company of others.
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Why Are Gazing Balls Placed In Gardens?
You might be thinking why these gazing balls are mostly used in gardens. These balls are considered the best for your garden due to many reasons. First of all, these are durable, easily accessible, and beautiful. These shining and reflective balls are visually rewarding.
Also, these are available in different materials. The most common material is easy stainless steel, and this material will keep your garden healthier. It will boost the nitrogen proportion in the air of the surrounding.
It can increase the nitrogen up to seventy-eight percent. With more nitrogen, you can expect a healthier garden. You might have noticed this difference after thunderstorms. Your vegetation looks healthier and greener.
We believe that rain is behind our plants’ green and vibrant look. But it is the lightning and high voltage that contributes to your vegetation. You can expect the same benefits by placing gazing balls in your garden.
What Are Gazing Balls Made Of?
As discussed earlier, gazing balls are made of different materials. Here are the details.
- Hand-blown glasses: In the past, these globes were made of the hand-blown glass. Also, these were available in different sizes and colors.
- Glass: Glass can be used to make garden globes. You can expect extra luster and iridescent quality. You can get the original types even today.
- Metal: Gazing balls are also available in metal. They come with attractive designs and different shapes and sizes.’
- Stainless steel: You will find many gazing balls in stainless steel. They last long and look inspiring as well.
- Plastic: If you are looking for affordable options, you can go with plastic. You can expect different shapes and sizes.
You can choose any material depending on your budget. In addition to the material, you will have to consider the shape and color to match well with other exterior decors.
Can You Make Gazing Balls Yourself?
Yes, you can make gazing balls on your own. You can make the best one without spending much. Your old light cover can help you to make an impressive gazing ball. You can search online to find many easy steps to make a gazing ball without skills and experience.
Do Gazing Balls Scare Animals?
It is believed that gazing balls attract birds. These balls can capture witches. Yes, they might scare some animals as these are reflective. But there is not much information on this.
Conclusion
Gazing balls or garden globes provide a lot of other benefits in addition to serving the decorative purpose. You can place them in your garden to add a wow factor to your exterior decoration. They will boost the look while creating a healthy environment for your garden vegetation. Also, they can protect you from evil eyes and attract good luck. More importantly, these are available in a wide price range. You can get the one that fits your budget and complements other decors.
