America began copying the lawn ornaments of wealthy Europeans around the 1870s as front yards and lawns became a middle-class thing.
Gnomes showed up in the 1700’s in Germany, they began invading Europe. The most famous gnome is the Travelocity gnome, recognized all over the world. The naughty gnomes and smurfs gained popularity recently. I have gnomes peering and sneaking around all over.
The plastic flamingo was designed by Donald Featherstone in 1957. It is the most popular lawn ornament: 250,000 are sold every year with millions sold during the 1960’s.
Gazing balls descended from “witch balls” used in 18th century English cottages to “keep away evil spirits.” These orbs were mirrored on the outside to trap or scare the witch away. The gazing globes as we know them today arrived in America in the late 1800s, first appearing in formal Southern gardens.
Personally, I think homeowners put deer in their front yards to get traffic to slow down. Most people freak out when they see a deer, afraid it might decide to run directly into their car