A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2004 something nice out of trash/yard sale stuff

I really want to make my backyard more attractive to sit and socialize. However, my budget is VERY limited this upcoming spring/summer season because we're having the outside of the house painted and repaired.

We inherited a wrought iron (black)kitchen type set when we bought the house...I intend on painting the wrought iron white and whipping up some slipcovers, etc. and use it as an outdoor set. I think it will really hold up well in the elements, and besides it was free!! It really will work as an Englishy gardeney set (i hope!) at least for the next year.

I bought some clay pots that I intend on painting and embellishing for the back yard area...and I have a really pretty urn that we inherited when we bought the house....and it's really pretty (I wish you could see it!)

This is a grassy area that I want to eventually make into a courtyard type area, so any ideas you have to make it a place to have dinner, sit and talk, etc., I love to hear about them

What other things can I do to make it more inviting? All ideas are welcome and I hope to get a LOT of ideas!

How about a fountain?

I like the privacy of my back formal room. When we are out there no one can see us.

When doing an outside room remember to think of the floor, ceiling and walls of your "room".

Rue,

I definately want a fountain...we have a few places where it would really look well. There is an old outdoor fireplace that has the look of a grotto, and I think we could make a fountain fit there.

I was also thinking of buying some flea market find chairs, painting them, shellacing them with maybe a decoupage of gardening. I had a shabby chic white wrought iron outdoor chandelier that I placed on the roof of my porch, but it is being removed this spring so the house can get a face lift. It was one of those old metal ones, so we will be replacing it, only probably not this year!

Anyway, I really loved it on the porch, but I may have to find a way to use it in the back of the house, if I can find a place to hang it! It's pretty heavy.

Barbara

Planted Chair

Take a padded dining room chair and remove the seat.

Turn the chair upside down.

On the bottom of the seat tack, nail or screw flashing. Flashing will not rust. It is used in roofing, often up against a chimney.

This will make a small 2 inch deep "container" that you can plant with sedum, sempervivum, moss, etc.

Rue,

That's a great idea! I forget if you are the one who makes the trough planters too?

I do have a Sedum....or think I do, already in the garden bed above my stone wall. However, I would like to move them to a container or elsewhere in the garden so that would really be a cute idea!!