Plates around garden display (8)
I believe the answer is:
crockery
'display' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I don't see?
'plates around garden' is the wordplay.
'plates around' becomes 'c' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'garden' becomes 'rockery' (rockery is a kind of garden).
'c'+'rockery'='CROCKERY'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for crockery that I've seen before include "Chinaware" , "Cups, saucers, etc" , "bowls" , "Tableware" , "Dishware" .)