Want Landscaping Ideas? Try Adding an Obelisk to Your Yard

Lindsay ~ 7 September 2007

Long ago, the Egyptians were really big on obelisks, placing pairs of them at their temple entrances. Then the Romans came along, thought they were cool, and swiped a bunch of them. (There are more obelisks standing in Rome than there are left in Egypt.)

But what does this have to do with landscaping or your yard? Well, there are landscaping companies that offer residential obelisks (slightly scaled down from the monoliths that stand in Rome and Egypt). If you’re looking for an impressive focal point to draw the eye, an obelisk can be used “to great effect at the end of a long vista, or in a courtyard or formal garden area.”

The one shown here is from Haddonstone Products. They have smaller and larger ones available, too, if this size doesn’t suit you. Prices range from $210 (little tiny obelisk) to $18,000 for the Millennium Obelisk, which weighs 8,000+ pounds and is pretty tall. Your neighbors might complain. You’d probably be better off sticking with the $2,500 obelisk shown here.