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View Full Version : BRIGHTEN UP THE GARDEN - IDEAS PLEASE



angeldelight
16-03-2010, 10:39 PM
I have an area in my garden that I want to brighten up a bit

I sort of know what I am looking for but its hard to explain

Maybe some colourful things to hang from the trees?

Learning boards a little bit like these shown on the link but I am looking for cheaper

http://www.earlyyears.co.uk/itemgroup.aspx?ig=160752

I want lots of colour

I have also seen some giant mushrooms for the kids to climb on but I cant find them now - any idea ?

Any ideas on how to brighten up some trees and bare fence and a general play area ?

We have windmills etc but I am looking for something a bit different

Angel xxx

TheBTeam
16-03-2010, 10:50 PM
I printed off some bits from the site we should no longer use, and double laminated them to go outside, they had garden creatures on them, i also did feet numbers etc, they have lasted some time, there must be other websites you could get pictures from perhaps, i hung them with string.

Wind socks are a good alternative to windmills, and how about chimes of wood or metal or mirrors? Chalk boards and mirrors are quite good for fences.

Monkey1
17-03-2010, 06:35 AM
I have loads of cd's hanging everywhere. The babies especially love them. How about ribbons from the trees? Can you weave anything on your fences?

nell57
17-03-2010, 07:08 AM
On the outdoor course Fussy and I went to on Saturday, one group made a dome shape sculpture out of willow, which looked cool. The then decorated it with anything sparkly, ribbons and streamers. unfortunately I didn't take a photo of it:rolleyes: Am planning to do something similar though, if I can pick the resources cheap enough;)

angeldelight
17-03-2010, 07:24 AM
I have loads of cd's hanging everywhere. The babies especially love them. How about ribbons from the trees? Can you weave anything on your fences?

Oh yes had thought of that thanks Monkey - how did you hang them up did you put a hole in them ?

Angel xx

angeldelight
17-03-2010, 07:25 AM
On the outdoor course Fussy and I went to on Saturday, one group made a dome shape sculpture out of willow, which looked cool. The then decorated it with anything sparkly, ribbons and streamers. unfortunately I didn't take a photo of it:rolleyes: Am planning to do something similar though, if I can pick the resources cheap enough;)

Hmmmm not sure if I am that clever ha ha :laughing:

Angel xx

nell57
17-03-2010, 07:30 AM
Hmmmm not sure if I am that clever ha ha :laughing:

Angel xx

Well I'd thought the same before Sat, but it looked reasonably easy, will give it a go and let you know how we go on :laughing:

miffy
17-03-2010, 07:37 AM
They have a willow tunnel at school and it's lovely when the willow's in leaf.

I'm glad you asked for ideas Angel, my garden could do with a make-over too!

Miffy xx

angeldelight
17-03-2010, 07:38 AM
They have a willow tunnel at school and it's lovely when the willow's in leaf.

I'm glad you asked for ideas Angel, my garden could do with a make-over too!

Miffy xx

We will have to inspire each other then ha ha

Where do you get a willow tunnel from - expensive I bet ?

Angel xx

mama2three
17-03-2010, 07:47 AM
Oh yes had thought of that thanks Monkey - how did you hang them up did you put a hole in them ?

Angel xx

Angel ! they already have a hole in the middle
.
we have spinners hanging in the trees which were from the £1 shop. On my wishlist are fencetoppers , from our local garden centre and they look like animals are peering over the fence at you. I have a couple of wooden mushrooms the kids climb on , they were from a garden centre about 15 years ago!

If you put a baton top and bottom of the fence then fasten on trellis ( so its then about an inch off the fence) - it looks brilliant weaved with all sorts - think theres even still some tinsel in mine!

miffy
17-03-2010, 07:49 AM
If you put a baton top and bottom of the fence then fasten on trellis ( so its then about an inch off the fence) - it looks brilliant weaved with all sorts - think theres even still some tinsel in mine!

I like that idea! Thank you

Miffy xx

miffy
17-03-2010, 07:50 AM
We will have to inspire each other then ha ha

Where do you get a willow tunnel from - expensive I bet ?

Angel xx

Willow is easy to grow - the tunnel was willow planted and bent to make the shape.

Have no idea where you get the willow from though.

Miffy xx

sweets
17-03-2010, 07:54 AM
woa woa woa:laughing: :laughing:

your gardens all sound lovely for the children but my garden has nothing like that and never will have! a garden has enough interest without having bright things dangling everywhere, what about nature? my mindees love looking under stones for bugs and touching the bark on the trees and bushes. im sure yours all do too though. i love my garden and dont want it looking like a playground or childrens paradise! lol. i have a few balls, ride ons, a small house and thats it.

but then again im a miserable g*t!:laughing:

angeldelight
17-03-2010, 07:55 AM
:
Angel ! they already have a hole in the middle.
we have spinners hanging in the trees which were from the £1 shop. On my wishlist are fencetoppers , from our local garden centre and they look like animals are peering over the fence at you. I have a couple of wooden mushrooms the kids climb on , they were from a garden centre about 15 years ago!

If you put a baton top and bottom of the fence then fasten on trellis ( so its then about an inch off the fence) - it looks brilliant weaved with all sorts - think theres even still some tinsel in mine!

How blonde of me - I have only just got up :laughing:

Do you think your garden centre still have the mushrooms ha ha thats what I am after

I like the idea of the fence toppers I will see if I can find some online

Thanks for the ideas

xxxx

angeldelight
17-03-2010, 07:58 AM
Not cheap

http://www.jprwillow.co.uk/kits.htm

Angel xx

childmind04
17-03-2010, 07:59 AM
Anyone lives beside me can have some willow :)

Or you can buy it easily from internet suppliers :)

Susan

mama2three
17-03-2010, 08:03 AM
will be going over the weekend so will have a look for the name of the fence toppers as i cant find anything googling - was trying to add a link. these mushrooms are nice but pricey
.http://www.forestcrafts.co.uk/subprod/mushroom-seating-0001140.aspx

angeldelight
17-03-2010, 08:20 AM
will be going over the weekend so will have a look for the name of the fence toppers as i cant find anything googling - was trying to add a link. these mushrooms are nice but pricey
.http://www.forestcrafts.co.uk/subprod/mushroom-seating-0001140.aspx

Oh I like them though they are nice

Angel xx

Daftbat
17-03-2010, 08:31 AM
woa woa woa:laughing: :laughing:

your gardens all sound lovely for the children but my garden has nothing like that and never will have! a garden has enough interest without having bright things dangling everywhere, what about nature? my mindees love looking under stones for bugs and touching the bark on the trees and bushes. im sure yours all do too though. i love my garden and dont want it looking like a playground or childrens paradise! lol. i have a few balls, ride ons, a small house and thats it.

but then again im a miserable g*t!:laughing:

I agree! I have toys for the children and nature itself is a good playmate. I think it all looks good but when i am not working i want my garden to look like MY garden and when i have a glass of wine on an evening in the summer - lets hope we have one - i want to pretend i am all grown up and this is my home not a nursery.

perhaps the compromise is things to put up which can then be put away and stored?

Rubybubbles
17-03-2010, 09:50 AM
:thumbsup: My new garden is so small and looks so tired!

Great ideas everyone, some cheap garden things in Adsa at the moment too

miss mopple
17-03-2010, 12:06 PM
Im looking to revamp my postage stamp :laughing: too.

Have just ordered stands from tts for using with guttering for channelling water, and some hanging wicker minibeast shapes for weaving.

Also have some lovely little fairy shaped mirrors Im going to put up.

I saw some fantastic bright garden stuff in Matalan the other day- may be worth looking in there. They had lovely teapot shaped bright polka dot planters that Im going to get to put herb in outside the wendy house.

Im really looking for stuff that can be stored away as I dont want to sit in a playground of an evening either, and I reckon DH would divorce me if I messed with it too much :rolleyes:

sandy64
17-03-2010, 01:40 PM
hi miss mopple where did your fairy mirrors from they sound nice are they outdoor ones?:)

terrydoo73
17-03-2010, 01:41 PM
I have a concrete jungle! My yard (50 metres squared) is surrounded by dull grey buildings and it is very unappealing to look at. However when all the bright plastic toys are out it nearly takes your eyes away! I would love to have a bit of creative art done on the walls but we don't own the place so have to make do! Last year I had loads of window type boxes of plants but ended up having to put them on the ground as it was near impossible to keep them watered. I still have all those boxes to fill this year and I must move them out of the yard altogether as my twins (aged 2 next month) keep tripping over them or else pulling all the soil out of them! Have been sitting here wondering what to plant in them that would not need as much watering! There are gates at both ends of the yard and I have to keep them tied with a chain and padlock as the twins try every day to escape by either climbing under, over or though them! Every toy I have is put away each night except for a large slide which I am currently working on to be put away too! I have an open fronted shed for my ride ons which is not ideal especially if it rains but once my eldest mindee goes in June I am going to reduce the number of ride-ons - I currently have 2 Little Tikes cars, 3 tricycles, 1 bicycle, 2 tractors, 2 fire engine ride ons, 1 go kart. This does not include my 2 sides, 3 rockers and 2 playhouses as well as 1 wooden playhouse! I do have a water and sand tray and have been debating when exactly I can bring it out so that the twins don't start chucking it all over the yard!

miss mopple
17-03-2010, 01:43 PM
http://mungaimirrors.co.uk/html/kids.php

not sure how they will fair in the garden but I reckon they should be ok over the summer

sandy64
17-03-2010, 01:47 PM
http://mungaimirrors.co.uk/html/kids.php

not sure how they will fair in the garden but I reckon they should be ok over the summer

thankyou ive been looking for cute mirrors for ages that is such a fab site. should of just asked you all on here.:laughing:

Cammie Doodle
17-03-2010, 08:08 PM
will be going over the weekend so will have a look for the name of the fence toppers as i cant find anything googling - was trying to add a link. these mushrooms are nice but pricey
.http://www.forestcrafts.co.uk/subprod/mushroom-seating-0001140.aspx

Just looked at these Wow , my next door neighbour (not Carolyn lol) has offered to make me some of these, I hope he does them soon:D

manjay
17-03-2010, 08:46 PM
I bought some tree faces recently. I don't have any trees but they look fab on the fence:D

Twinkles
17-03-2010, 08:50 PM
Ah y'see now I wish I hadn't looked at this thread. I didn't know I wanted a willow tunnel and some mushroom seats but now I've seen them , I need them :D

helenlc
17-03-2010, 09:56 PM
I want to do a willow tunnel in my garden too. I want to make it a sensory one too - they have one at the environment centre near us that has herbs and strong smelling flowers/plants around it.

I have found this site:

http://www.windrushwillow.com/pages/living_tunnel.html

The ones they come and build are expensive but there are kits where you build it yourself. Not sure what postage is though.

Just things like streamers/ribbons hanging from trees or tied onto fences.

At my DDs school, they have some blackboard shapes hanging on the fence. They are marine ply (I assume as outside), cut into different shapes, then a different colour border painted on each and the main centre is a blackboard. They look quite effective.

I have one of those bed canopies that I hang from a tree and dangle down so its like a little den. Looks lovely out there too.

I like these window looking mirrors too:

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Garden-Pergolas-Arches+Mirrors/Garden-Mirror-Tudor-Window/invt/gn00073?htxt=PsAGyAqy%2FDSGVBgOHPBfATKVETOKIWHcwqo ICuDrG%2FxTcDPfxIrYzUvEu76RzzM6wutKTeo9AOCB%0AtDs7 6aYYKg%3D%3D

Not sure if its safety glass/mirror or not, so would probably make my own with that mirror-on-a-roll stuff.

Here's a couple of links too:

http://www.parenting-our-kids.com/sensory-gardens.html

http://www.lucygardens.com/gardening-for-kid-blog.html

Guess who's looking to over haul her garden in the summer!?!?!:laughing:

Chimps Childminding
17-03-2010, 10:14 PM
Really like the mirrors!!!!!! Not particularly for the children tho :laughing:

Blaze
17-03-2010, 10:51 PM
I have bought loads of mirrors from mungaimirrors - I use outdoor sticky fixers for my fairy & butterfly oh & running men ones - survived the winter:thumbsup:

helenlc
18-03-2010, 04:07 PM
Just found these coloured acrylic mirrors too:

http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/acrylic-garden-mirrors-coloured-sheets-p-608.html?cPath=83

And dont forget wind chimes for noise and effect.

Wind socks for effect too. Or flags or sails.