Home Décor on the Outside

Now that summer is finally here there are plenty of things that you can do outside to make your
house a home.
Leaving flowers to one side, it is easy to create little oases in the garden to generate interest.

Pergolas

A sturdy robust pergola is a lovely addition to any garden, whatever size or shape. A small one
can accommodate a cosy little bench for two, or a large open sided one for al fresco dining.

If you don’t have the money for the wood to build one, then collect branches (offer to do some
pruning for a neighbour) until you have at least twenty supple ones of about 2m – 2.5 m in
length. Sharpen the bottom of the branches and stake them into the ground in a semi circle with
the ‘entrance’ facing a pretty part of the garden. These branches should be arched over and
weaved together with some strong twine. Over time these will harden and set into place. For
extra strength put three branch ends as stakes around the three enclosed sides of the pergola.

House signs

Instead of a boring number on the front of your house, swap it for a beautiful hand painted sign
like this onehttp://trudysilcox.co.uk/. A fine quality house sign will last and last and really enlivens up the entrance to
your home. If you don’t have the money to buy one, then find a quirky piece of wood and paint,
burn or carve your house number or name into it.

Rockeries

There is always plenty of stone around to build a rockery and a large stone pile can add a lot
of interest to a dull corner of the garden. Another idea, if you live near the coast, is to decorate
it with driftwood and other things you might find. If you are really lucky you may discover some
beautiful sea glass.

House of Trees

As opposed to a tree house, you can grow a house out of trees. This is a project for the patient
person, but it can look amazing. Decide on the shape of your house and map it out in a wire or
wooden frame. You don’t have to do this, you can let the house find its own shape organically
over time. Buy some fruit trees with long ‘withy’ branches and plant them at good intervals. In
the winter months, shape the ‘house’ by tying the branches to the frame with soft materials.
When the branches grow out in a direction you don’t want, either bend them back in to shape or
trim them off. You can use dead branches to fill in the gaps until the house has grown into the
space.

Enjoy your garden. It will beguile you and bring you closer to nature.