A Dragonfly garden sundial does two jobs at once: it tells sun time and it gives a flower bed a focal point that isn’t another planter. This one is cast aluminum, with a dragonfly worked into the dial and the hour markings engraved around it. Gardeners who already have a pond or a patch of irises tend to be the ones who pick it.

What the Dragonfly garden sundial is made of

The casting is recycled aluminum, so rust is never a concern, and it is made in the USA. An all-weather protective coating protects the finish and is covered by a five-year warranty. Two colors are offered. Copper Verdigris has the soft green of weathered copper and suits a shady, leafy spot. Oil Rubbed Bronze is darker and looks more like an old bronze piece, which works well against light stone.

Setting it up to tell time

Pick a spot with full sun for most of the day, because a sundial in shade is only a sculpture. Set the Dragonfly garden sundial level on a pedestal, a low wall or a flat rock, then turn it so the upright blade points north. The shadow will then move across the engraved hours. Expect it to disagree with your watch by some minutes depending on the season. That is normal for every sundial, not a flaw in this one.

Living with it

There is no maintenance to speak of. Hose off pollen in spring and brush away leaves in fall. If you want general advice on keeping a coated casting looking fresh, the plaque cleaning guide covers the basics. American Cast Bronze Plaques handles the order and any questions about it.

Dragonflies show up elsewhere in the catalog, too. The Garden Collection has dragonfly garden plaques, so you can carry the same motif from the sundial to the garden gate. And if you’d rather have this exact Dragonfly garden sundial without choosing a color, the Quick-Ship version comes in French Bronze only.