Fanciful mushrooms and mischievous gnomes are ceramic pieces that decorate many gardens. The durability, strength and long wear life of these pieces makes them an excellent choice to add a bit of whimsy to a green space. Stain colors for clay and modern glazes offer artists who make these pieces a nearly infinite variety of choices for decorating them in eye-catching ways. While some of these pieces are hand-crafted by artists, many are machine made with injection-molding machines in factories. This allows them to be produced in large quantities, and it also makes them lightweight and affordable. Even better, each one can be decorated differently for a unique look.