How to: Spruce up your Outdoor Spaces
How to: Spruce up your outdoor spaces
Transforming your outdoor spaces into a cozy and inviting retreat is always a great idea. Whether you have a small balcony or a large garden, there are numerous ways to enhance your outdoor area. In this blog, we'll explore tips and ideas for adding colour, texture, and personality to your space, making it a perfect oasis for relaxation or entertaining. From creating an inviting seating area to installing a water feature and adding subtle lighting, we'll cover everything you need to know to elevate your outdoor spaces to the next level.
Brighten your outdoor spaces up with lights
A super easy way to achieve the 'wow factor' is to install lighting outdoors. You might have an existing water feature, rock feature or interesting foliage in the garden. These are perfect focal points. Light them up with a spotlight, coloured strips or a lantern.
At Stone & Water World, we have a large range of lighting supplies, including flexible LED strip lighting, spotlights, remote-controlled lights and more.
Cover weeds and unpaved areas with pea gravel or small pebble
If there's an area in your garden that is prone to mud in winter, weeds sprouting or looking untidy, then pea gravel is the answer. It can transform a space quickly, and easily and it's affordable too. Here's how to lay it down: Compared to other hardscaping materials, installing pea gravel is relatively easy. Generally, you work the soil about 6 inches deep, remove any weeds, lay down 2 inches of coarsely textured base rock (also called crushed rock), and cover that with a 8cm deep layer of pea gravel. The base rock stabilizes the pea gravel to provide a firm surface.
Depending on the persistence of the weeds in your area, you may wish to add a barrier of landscape cloth between the base rock and pea gravel. However, landscape cloth can have its own issues, deteriorating or becoming visible over time
At Stone & Water World, we stock NZ's largest range of stones and pebbles. Come and see it for yourself at one of our stores! The range of sizes, shapes and colours means there's something to suit every garden.
Add a focal point - statue, sculpture, sundial or birdbath
Every garden needs and deserves at least one piece of sculpture. Sculpture, especially when it's large, reinforces a sense of place, forges a relationship between garden and architecture and reinforces a garden's theme like nothing else can. Depending on the piece you choose, sculpture can require an investment, but your garden and your visitors will thank you.
For those after beauty and function, try a sundial or bird bath from Dragonstone. Dragonstone ornaments are handcrafted in Hampshire (UK). They are hard-wearing, finely detailed and beautifully finished.
Install a water feature
If you are looking to enhance the appeal of your backyard, a well-designed water feature may be the perfect addition to your property. Whether you are looking for a unique bubbling boulder, compact water stream, or a large pondless waterfall, water features provide a variety of benefits for properties of all sizes.
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