November Digital Sampler

Colour-pop
BENCHES
SUNSHINE YELLOW
Looking COLOUR to give BURST a grey or
air-force
Cyclamen
blue
have
fence
shallow
a colour
roots
hit?
so they
Then
make
choose
an ideal
a fabulous
plant
yellow,
to grow
which
in a sleek
is reminiscent
ceramic
of
spring
bowl. Make
daffodils.
sure
Try
there
Trumpet
are
Intelligent
drainage holes
Eggshell,
as they
£29/1
won't
litre
thrive
littlegreene.com
with wet roots. When
the flowers have faded, the
ivy-like leaves still look good.
Treat your garden bench to a MINI
MAKEOVER this autumn creating
a colourful make-you-smile feature
WORDS: JENNIFER MORGAN. PHOTOS: CUPRINOL, VALPAR, FLORA PRESS, GAP, PLAIN PICTURES, ALAMY
Autumn is the perfect time to get the
paintbrush out and revamp garden
furniture, especially a tired bench. A
few hours work will result in the ideal
spot to perch as the months get colder, wrapped
up in a warm woolly jumper and enjoying a mug
of hot chocolate. Such a shot of colour, when
your garden is looking at its most bare, with only
evergreens around, is a welcome visual treat and
will remind you of the spring bulbs and summer
blooms to come again next year.
A coat of paint or stain will also prolong the life
of your bench, especially as the wetter months
approach. It’s a cost-effective makeover, with
750ml of exterior wood paint costing £15-£20.
FIND A COLOUR
There’s a whole host of colours and finishes
to choose from including high-shine exterior
eggshells, which are great for bold colours such
as reds and blues as the shine adds to the depth
of colour, and more matt finishes, which are ideal
for muted shades, giving more of a heritage feel.
“If you want to do something a little different,
your garden is an ideal place for experimenting
with the colours and patterns that you wouldn’t
necessarily choose to use inside your home,” says
Charlotte Cosby of paint manufacturer Farrow
& Ball. “If you have a tired looking bench in your
garden, you can easily bring it to life by painting
stripes on its surface. By combining colours such
as Farrow & Ball’s Ball Green and Oval Room
Blue, you’ll be using relaxing colours in a fun way.”
If your garden usually has a colour hit through
the summer months, say from a bed of lavender
or a gorgeous powder-blue hydrangea, why not
use this as inspiration for your painting project,
making the colour last all year? Or if your bench
is near your vegetable patch, then how about a
rich tomato red or cucumber green?
Talking of greens, 2017 saw an eruption of this
colour, thanks to Pantone’s Greenery named as
their Colour of the Year. This shade, which is fresh
and vibrant, would certainly give all-year-round
colour. Take advantage of one of the in-store
mixing systems at DIY stores to find your own
take on Greenery. Dulux has also just launched its
Colour of the Year 2018, Heart Wood. Rebecca
Williamson, senior colour consultant, describes
it as, ‘sitting between a smoky taupe and dusky
mauve. It’s a warm neutral with a heather tint,’ and
as a colour for your bench would work brilliantly
in both a modern and country-inspired garden.
PREPARE TO PAINT
Choose a dry day, when the bench has been in
the sunshine and any dew has long gone. You
might need to bring your bench into a shed
or garage for 48 hours to dry out if it has been
particularly wet. If painting in situ, cut back any
foliage so you can access all sides. ➣
CHERRY RED
This plank-style bench has
been transformed with a fun
red paint. By bringing the
planting out and around the
bench with pots, its straight
lines, and that of the paving,
are softened, making it
look inviting. For a similar
paint shade, try Ronseal
Moroccan Red Garden Paint,
£11.13/750ml amazon.co.uk
SARAHRAVEN.COM/JONATHAN BUCKLEY
50 MODERN GARDENS NOVEMBER 2017