6 Simple and Effective Ways To Spruce Up Your Outside Garden Space
Now that summer is finally on the way, you might be looking for some simple and effective budget-friendly ideas on how you can freshen up your garden and outdoor living spaces. For the past two weeks, I have been working in my garden, courtyard and on my small balcony to get them ready to enjoy in the warmer months ahead. From sorting out my winter pansies and adding new beautiful hydrangeas to washing garden furniture, here are five things that I have done that have been transformative:
Used a wire brush on my exterior metal railings and gave them a top coat of paint
Repainted the exterior of my wooden back doors and wood planters with exterior eggshell paint
Replaced old furniture with some garden bargains
Cleaned off algae from my paths and patio with a special cleaner
Pressure-washed my white garden pergola and furniture
Added atmospheric garden lighting such as outdoor festoons and lanterns
My railings look all fresh and new now that they have been brushed down with wire and repainted.
Used a wire brush on my metal railings and gave them a top coat of paint.
I don’t like to look at peeling paint when I am outside in my garden! I have black metal railings both at the front of my home and around my balcony. Black paint is very prone to peeling in the sun, so every year in the most sun-hit areas there are a few spots of paint that lift and peel. If paint has lifted off metal railings a lot then you may want to completely strip them back to the metal and start from scratch. However, I find that my railings only need a little bit of work to get them looking great again. I use a metal wire brush to get under all the raised areas of flaky paint and remove the loose debris. I then lightly sand the railings with fine-grade sandpaper and wash them down with sugar soap to get rid of dirt and grease that will ruin my new paintwork. Once dry, I’ll give the railings a light coat of direct-to-metal paint where no primer or undercoat is necessary- this makes my railings look fresh and new and I can enjoy looking at them again from my garden chair.
These wire brushes are easy to purchase from DIY stores and Amazon.
Repainted the exterior of my back doors and my wooden planters with exterior eggshell paint
Exterior doors are open to the elements and often get ignored when it comes to sprucing up your outside space, but a smart front or back door makes a huge difference to the overall appearance of your home and garden. My wooden arched balcony doors required a fresh coat of paint and I chose a punchy green paint colour from Little Greene called ‘Olive Colour’. All of Little Greene’s colours are available as hard-working exterior paints that avoid cracking, flaking and peeling. They are also self-priming, so they can be applied straight onto bare wood or previously painted surfaces (just key the old paint with a light sand beforehand to give the new paint the best chance to adhere). For a full DIY explanation on how to paint an external door click here to read one of my dedicated DIY blog posts!
My before and then after arched doors painted in Little Greene ‘Olive Colour’.
I painted my old wooden planters in London Stone by Farrow & Ball in their Exterior Eggshell paint finish.
Replaced old furniture with some garden bargains
Unfortunately, lawn and garden furniture often fall foul to the elements and have to be replaced quicker than interior furniture - especially those made from natural materials such as rattan. This is why I now only buy garden furniture made out of power-coated steel or aluminium as it survives a lot longer in the garden and can be repainted when required. This year, I required a new garden bench and I had my heart set on a green garden chair from designer homeware brand HAY design. However, at over £700 for the bench, I just could not afford it! Instead, I found this designer dupe version from UK high street retailer Habitat and managed to purchase it for £116 with a voucher code - a total garden bargain!
How I Clean off algae from my patio and paths with a special cleaning remover
Living in the middle of Epping Forest, algae is a BIG problem for our home and garden. The green sap pours off the trees and makes everything look very mouldy. A pressure washer can remove a bit of this, but for a glowing clean sparkle, I discovered that using HG algae and green mould remover is a great way to remove it from your path, walls, patio and plant pots. I dilute it in warm water first, then I scrub away the green slime with a tough shoe brush before giving everything a good rinse.
The entrance steps to our home before using the HG algae cleaner.
After using the algae cleaner! Much better!
Pressure-washed my white garden pergola and outdoor furniture
I love white garden furniture - I think it looks great as it pops out against the green lawn and trees. I have two white garden armchairs in my courtyard and a white pergola and outdoor corner sofa set on my raised decking area in the garden. However, white garden furniture really does highlight garden dirt and debris so it needs to be cleaned regularly. All of my white garden furniture is made from metal so it is easy to clean with a simple pressure washer. I use a mid-range Bosch pressure washer that retails for around £60 and this works brilliantly for me for getting my outdoor garden space looking like new.
Add atmospheric garden lighting such as outdoor festoons and lanterns
This is a new discovery for me - I used to think having lots of lights outside was a real show-off Instagram thing to do! But, atmospheric lighting outdoors is a real game-changer when it comes to creating an inviting, homely and attractive garden. My favourite lights to use are festoons strung across seating areas or along paths and lanterns containing candles (use battery-operated candles if you have children or pets).
I love gold lanterns in my rustic courtyard.