Deco-morphosis: COURTYARD MAKEOVER

The original Courtyard with broken trellis

New, replaced trellis - September 2010

Old Garden Fence

End piece of the new planters

My neighbour has started work on building his summerhouse. I decided to take off his hands all the old fences that we replaced last summer that were cluttering up his garden. My intention is to recycle the wood and create planters along the walls of the courtyard. Last summer, I replaced the dilapidated trellis and planted a passion flower to climb all over it. One day, I'd like to walk through that gate and be confronted by a lovely, welcoming courtyard garden filled with plants. The area also serves as the smoking room so it gets plenty of use.

Last weekend, I dismanted all the fences, throwing away the slats that were split and keeping the useable ones. Overall the wood is in good condition, and just in need of a lick of paint. I can't praise Cuprinol Garden Shades outdoor paint enough as it almost plasticates the wood so the dirt just washes off it, holds its colour well, and does not fade. 30-40 minutes is all it takes to dry. The colours I have used are ash black (front trellis) and willow for everything else. For the more adventurous, there is a range of colours that can be combined into some funky combinations to brighten up any outdoor area.