Pebble mosaics

. Pebbles are of course delightful. That is why children instinctively collect them on beaches. They are a feature of classical Chinese gardens. And making them is a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon in the garden.

Coloured mosaic tiles in garden design

Mosaic tiles are another way of getting ‘permanent colour’ into a garden design. You can buy sheets of small square tiles but it is better to follow Gaudi’s example and use broken bits of larger tiles. They combine well with broken crockert.

Mirrors in garden design

This is not the easiest way of doing it, but mirrors have long had a place in garden design. They introduce light and life – and the effects they produce change with the day and the seasons.

Painted wood in garden design

Here is another way of using coloured paint in garden design. The square-section poles have been painted in different self-colours. The result is funky.

Wire wild boar sculpture

. Steel wire is very well suited to garden sculpture. If you had it indoors, it would always look much the same, except for getting a little dustier each year. In the garden it keeps changing, with rain, sun, cobwebs and everything else which happens in gardens. And the rusty iron is an excellent foil for a wide range of leaves and flowers.

Copper swing seat

. Copper is a beautiful material to have in a garden. It is heart-warming, eye-pleasing, reflective and ever-changing. But what can one do with it? As this photograph shows, a swinging seat is a good choice. It is fun to have, nice to see and loved by children.

Upholstered garden furniture

‘Outdoor’ and ‘Garden’ furniture makes one think of hard, durable materials – which last well but are none to comfortable. But a range of modern fabrics is available which can resist the weather. They will not be damaged by getting wet. But we would still recommend taking them indoors when there is a long period of rain, or when they are not likely to be used because of the winter weather. Uneven surfaces are always likely to support green moulds if they are wet for extended periods of time.

Recycled steel garden fires thriftily recycle garden wastes - instead of wasting butane on outdoor space heating

This blog and this website are about high quality designer products for gardens. In the long term, high quality provides the best value because it gives the most use and the most pleasure. We are therefore attracted to thrifty garden design, with ‘thrifty’ meaning ‘a reluctance to spend money unnecessarily’. If we have to spend money, we do it. But if we can do things in a thrifty way –  we like it. Thrifty garden design is related to 

• recycle garden design
• green garden design 
• sustainable garden design

But it is not the same as any of them and it has a very distinghished pedigree. Composting is an ancient garden practice and was done for thrifty reasons. Using local materials was often for thrifty reasons. So was using local plants. Though happy to do what what we can to recycle materials, support a green agenda and save  the planet, we are even happier to work as our gardening predecessors have always worked: thriftily, conscientiously and with restrained good taste. So look at the below  photograph. It shows a thrifty use of garden ‘waste’ to make a beautiful pavilion. We like it. The above image is of a garden firebowl, by Ungers, which recycles garden wood.

Crinklecrankle Fibreglass Planters  are elegant, durable, good for water conservation and a thrifty choice in terms of value for money.

Please let us know of any other beautiful and useful items – we would  be pleased to sell them!

Thrifty and sustainable garden design - recycling branches, rushes and reeds

Trompe-l’œil (French for ‘trick the eye’ it a way of making a 2D object look as though it is 3D. The term comes from the  Baroque period  but the idea can be seen in frescos from Pompeii. Trompe-l’œil trellis work was used in Baroque gardens eg to make trellis work tunnels look longer than they are by distorting the perspective.

Combining mirrors with Trompe-l’œil is a really good idea. My congratulations to the designer.

Download photograph of trompe l’oeil mirror