by tejvanphotos
The Extra Room – Gardening Tips For Plant Assassins!
Spring is on its way … the birds are tweeting, blossom buds are starting to bloom… its time to start planning for a beautiful Summer of long balmy evenings spent outside in the extra room that is your garden. Except it looks more like a concrete jungle than an urban oasis. That’s if you’re anything like me and your other career is a plant assassin. So here is a quick guide to using simple tricks and great new products like wall stickers to create a desirable space on a budget.
It helps to think of the space as you would a room in the house. So before you look at the finishing touches you need to think about the walls and the floor covering. Fences can be be painted with special treatments available at any DIY store. There are beautiful colours available now. A candy – striped fence can look very beautiful and reminds me of beach huts. If you have an ugly concrete wall this would look great rendered and painted. you may need a plasterer for the rendering but the effect will be really crisp and modern. For the flooring take a look at all the amazing decorative aggregates available. The beauty of these finishes is that no skilled labour is required – simply shovel it all over! Personally I love the dark slates that give a groovy modern look to any space. Or if you prefer a beach theme then there are lovely Norfolk pebbles.
Clear away all the beds of weeds and tired looking plants. Only keep those that you really like. Think of adding low maintenance plants. A personal favorite of mine is Bamboo. I have found it almost impossible to kill, it is evergreen and it makes a beautiful sound when it rustles in the wind. I particularly like the black cane variety as it looks very dramatic. Eucalyptus is another evergreen that looks great in an urban space.
I would choose some modular dark cane furniture with white cushions to compliment a contemporary Asian theme. For a more Parisian aesthetic there are pretty coloured metal chairs and tables. For a beach feel you could choose stripey deck chairs and a hammock. Don’t forget the lighting. There are some beautiful options available now and many are solar powered so need no complicated electrics; pretty asian lanterns and twinkly fairly lights to name but a few.
Once the basics have been sorted out it is time to start having fun. Wall stickers have been written about a lot lately but few people seem to realize that they can be used outdoors as well as inside. They are guaranteed for five years but in my experience they last much longer. Made from self-adhesive vinyl they are the same product that is used for exterior shop signs and I have had one outside my shop for 15 years and it is still in good condition! There are some great graphics for the garden. You could add a Balustrade to a plain wall. There are beautiful Asian inspired blossoms and trees that would work really well with the dark slate aggregates. For a little urban garden you could use a trompe l’eouil of Parisian rooftops – trees chic! They are extremely good value and they will transform your new space into a groovy extra room for those long summer nights. Now after all that hard work, pour yourself a well deserved glass of wine and enjoy.