Little corners of the garden 5

 little spaces in the garden ...

I really believe we should use every little bit of space effectively - whether with a focal point - waterfeature/ large pot or feature plant - or with a lovely benh or bistro set -   this normally encourages one to venture outdoors and enjoy the fresh air  ....

Images: All rights reserved - copyright 2010 Gena D Images

Garden Textures

an amazing use of concrete and stone (as well as other materials ) to create a wonderful outdoor area 

 next to the river/dam/ stream - spearated by a wooden split pole fence

the use of gravel, water and textured plants

 View more Outdoor Wednesday posts here

Image;(s) from My Home Life

High Life in the outdoors

Image: High Life

Image : Country Style

Image : Coastal Living

An Outdoor Wednesday post, click here for more

Little corners of the garden 4

a simple little corner - simple garden furniture, pavers, a pergola, screening 

worn adirondack chairs, just waiting to be used

a kitchen courtyard - herbs in pots, a rustic table to enjoy breakfasts or lunches at

vintage garden furniture set on gravel against lavender - perfect spot for tea

cast iron garden furniture in a secluded spot of a wild garden

This is the fourth post on my series of Little Corners of the garden - really simple ideas on what can be done to make your garden a "living" space.  

To view my previous posts on Little Corners of the Garden, click here

All images taken in and around Johannesburg at open gardens or at friend's gardens.
View more Outdoor Wednesday posts, here

All Images: All rights reserved Copyright 2010 Gena D Images

Little corners of the garden 3.

vintage chairs under the trees

a spot to enjoy tea ..

a metal bench in the herb garden

a rustic sleeper wood bench ....

a bistro style chair ....

so as you can see,  anything can be used and really any spot in the garden will do, to create a little haven to rest and enjoy.   To see other posts in the series "Little corners of the Carden" click here.

All pictures taken at Johannesburg open gardens and/ or friends homes.

to view other Outdoor Wednesday participants, click here

Picture Credits : Gena D Images 2009

Little corners of the garden 2.

a pair of adirondack chairs, just waiting to be sat on ...

The second in a series of interesting little spaces in the garden.   The idea being to bring you some inspiration to get you thinking about your space...  after all there is nothing more inviting than having a shady little corner where you can read your book, sip your tea, watch the sunset, sip champagne, chat to friends, enjoy an alfresco dinner or brunch or lunch for that matter, or whatever else takes your fancy .....

a concrete bench under the shade of large tree...

a little spot surrounded by roses....

benches, inviting you to relax and take in the scent of lavender ...

a simple wrought iron bench  near the pool ...

a classical wooden bench, offset beautifully against the stone wall

and surrounding roses (it's hiding a pool pump!) ....

So there you go ... hopefully this has inspired you to go out a relook at your garden or your current garden seating .....

To see the previous post on "little corners of the garden", click here.

All pictures taken at Open Gardens and/ or friends gardens

Picture Credits: Gena D Images

Little corners of the garden 1.

a traditional bench set in gravel, against a tree and surrounded by formal hedging

- very calm and tranquil

In this new monthly series, I hope to capture enough pictures of quiet garden corners, fun, interesting or different garden seating options, things to excite you into taking action in your own space.

pairs of Adirondack chairs in a shady spot of the garden,

beckon you to come and take a load off your feet for a while...

Whether you have a large or small garden, if the space is not well utilised, it's a waste. If there is nothing inviting out in the deeper recesses of our gardens, then most of us do not use the garden areas effectively, or at all. One way to change this is to position a bench or garden chairs or even a rustic bistro table in a secluded pretty area of the garden, somewhere that beckons you to drink your chilled glass of wine, or enjoy your tea and scones... a secret place that beckons your attention on a regular basis... and you definitely feel that you want to go out there and sit for a while ....

a lovely verdant corner on a terrace - a perfect spot to enjoy a chilled glass of wine at this bistro table ...

Obviously, the larger your garden the more options you have, to create little spots - for example a bench in a rose garden, a bistro table and chairs under a shady tree and comfortable wicker furniture under a covered patio - three options, all different, are the ideal, if you have the space.

A traditional wooden bench in a rose garden

wooden table and chairs in the middle of the herb and vegetable garden

- a great use of space and a perfect place to start or end the day, I guess ...

Look around your garden, no matter how big or small, see what you have, reassess the space, shade, light - and how you can create little secret places to while the time away.

Gena

Pictures taken on various Johannesburg Open gardens and at "willing" friends homes. 
Gena D Photography & Images.

Stone & Gravel in the Garden (2)

Garden 9 months after completion.

I recently wrote on how the use of gravel and stone in the garden is considered a water-wise thing to do. Today I continue in that theme, but will use an example of a garden that we have worked on.

Here we have a garden corner which was technically abandoned and in dire need of attention, not to mention the waste of space, and the fact that this area was eyesore - overlooked by bedrooms. The idea was to design this "garden room" in such a way that it would not only be appealing to the eye, but could be put to use as well, whilst being waterwise and easy to maintain in the long run.

Before

As the shape of the space was difficult to start with - a meandering path runs next to it (see pics), to create interest we decided to work with the curves and create a circular bed of gravel in the centre of the "workable space", with plants surounding approxiamtely two thirds, and the open aspect being in the direction of the remainder of the garden

The planting was kept simple, with a variety of white flowering plants (Star Jasmine, Iceberg Roses, White Agapanthus) and a wall of Johannesburg Gold on one wall and Viburnum sinesis on another - these will eventually form two "green barriers" which will create a feeling of depth in that space. In the centre we placed a concrete table and two benches.

After

The end result: a wasted space turned into something that not only can be used, but looks appealing from all angles. The choice of plants for the most part are waterwise i.e. not requiring copious amounts of water, and since they flower at different stages, there is interest in that area at multiple stages during the summer months.

Further reading: see my previous entry on the use of Gravel and Stone and also click on gravel, stone ,waterwise tabs for more articles.

For more on Naturally Inspired Projects go to our website: http://www.naturallyinspired.co.za/

Come sit with me

We all love the thought and aspire to have a quiet spot in the garden to sit and contemplate life ..... a chill zone, a place to meditate the future.

This picture, taken in Irene, Johannesburg, depicts a simple seat placed under the trees facing a lake (not shown). The light structure of the chair, complements the Japanese maple and the airiness of the space.

So you really do not need to invest in a huge, solid garden bench, but can use almost anything (even sawn pieces of tree trunk), but, just make sure that where you place your seat(ing), is where you want the focus to be, and ideally place it somewhere where you can enjoy "a view" of sorts as well - whether it's a water feature, a view beyond your garden, interesting flowers, shrubs or trees, or quite simply a quiet, shady spot.

Picture: Gena D Photography. Irene, South Africa