Two Shades Of Grey

Painted garage 1

You may recall that last year I set myself the challenge of prettying up a rather hideous block-work garage that runs along the left side of my garden. I considered various solutions in Up The Garage Wall (Part 1), and then we built a pergola (Part 2). And now, here is Part 3, a post I’ve titled ‘Two Shades Of Grey’ because gardening can be sexy too (… not really, just kidding, unless you find getting sweaty, dirty and covered scratches sexy… ooh, actually… hmm…)

Pergola 3

I was very pleased with my new pergola, and it certainly improved the look of the garage. I planted a clematis, rose and honeysuckle beneath the trellis sections, as well as some heucheras, geraniums and nasturtiums. But even if the pergola were covered in flowering climbers, I realised that it still wouldn’t completely disguise the ugly garage, which would continue to draw my eye away from my lovely borders and trees.

So, this month, I decided to paint the garage. To begin, I cleaned the walls using the jet setting on my hose nozzle. The surface of the fake stone blocks was very sandy and crumbly, and I was concerned that it wouldn’t take the paint well. I got some advice from my brother-in-law, Alex. (I do love having a builder in the family.) He recommended applying a sealing coat of diluted PVA before I started painting, which solved the problem brilliantly. The paint went on easily and, more importantly, stayed on.

Once I’d painted the garage, it was obvious that the pergola also needed painting to match. I’ve spent most of the last three days painting, and now that it’s all done, I’m delighted with the result. What do you think? I think the dark, slate grey shades set off the greens of the grass and plants fantastically, and really make them pop!

I’ve listed the paints and PVA that I used below, in case you’re interested to know exactly what products I used. My final job will be to replace the linseed putty that’s holding the crittall window panes in place, and paint the frame and sill white.

A fresh lick of paint on some woodwork or masonry can clearly do wonders for the look of a garden. If you’re looking for a way to brighten up your garden this month, why not perk up your shed, fence, window box or garage wall with some paint? August is an ideal time to do it; the weather is (mostly) dry, and there aren’t many other garden jobs that need doing now. If you do do (or already have done) some painting in your garden, please share a photo on The Small Gardener Facebook page. x

Painted pergola 2 Painted garage 2

Painted pergola 1

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