You helped solve the problem!

Yvonne wrote:

I was wondering if you had some ideas for me. Below are a couple of photos from a small area in my garden along the path up to our house. It is an area which needs to remain accessible to the maintenance man as you can see in the back ground a bio cycle tank (like a septic tank) for our waste. Not much apart from weeds grow there. I was thinking maybe a fence panel of some sort with decorations? but hubby thought that was a bit weird – a fence going nowhere.
Anyway, here are the photos. I’d appreciate your thoughts if that’s not cheeky. We live in Western Australia, close to the coast. Oh, and Flea Markets are very rare here and rare and old things extremely expensive. Thanks so much, Yvonne

Yvonne’s problem area

And a huge advantage…below

Yvonne’s shady entrance through the hedge is a great feature!

Your advice needed!

Yvonne has a beautiful green path going to her home, but off to the side is an unattractive area she’s trying to improve. Can you help?
Can you see the little path going from her house past this area? This area gets no water at all and the cement pad needs to be a work area every three months as that is where the biocycle waste tank is. (like a septic tank)
Not a good sitting area, she says, but maybe a little display table with something attractive? Mulch for the rock-hard ground?

Meg Gutierrez You could mulch first to make a nice looking base (and keep down any weeds), then arrange a mass of large containers to fill in that bald spot, and hide the concrete slab from view. A birdbath, large item of garden art or a small bench would add a focal point.

Christy Morrow  Here’s what I would do…..since she already has gravel I would add more gravel to this area. I would remove the pallet with the plant on it and the two concrete blocks. I would add a few more potted plants for lots of color in that little area using interesting containers.  Something tall would be good to give some height.  I believe I see a hummingbird feeder in picture, so she probably likes birds. In front of the cement pad, I would put a rectangle table and maybe an old chair with Flea Market treasures on both and on the ground under the table. These could be moved when they need to work there. All these things would create a nice vignette when she and her company pass by.

Another view along the entry path, not much to please the eye!

More ideas…

Carolyn Davies Why not a child’s vintage wagon filled with potted plants that can be moved from the work area as needed?

Toni Visconti All great ideas! I like the container garden with maybe a statue or other interesting things near them, that way it takes your eye off the concrete slab. A few mosaic stepping stones leading to the new garden would be nice as well

Donna Allgaier-Lamberti I’d put down gray pea gravel as it is attractive, can be walked on as a path way. And a bench or sculpture can be placed on it.

Robin Essert  Maybe a ‘bird themed garden. ‘ The bird fence around the bio tank, add stepping stones, an old ladder with birdhouses, various birdhouses large to small, river stones large to small.. a arbor going into this space, a old glass table with wavy glass to give it a water effect. Also make the fence portable when you need to take down to get to too the tank. Happy gardening!

Robin Essert’s idea for the makeover

Junking and gardening are my passions I just wish I could rip into this project!  It would be so much fun, but the ‘land down under’ is a bit too far! I hope these ideas help her!

Sarah Tackett Fill it in with gravel. Put a bench there and add a Fairy Garden! Wish I had a picture of mine that you could see.

Yvonne:

Hi everyone, just woke up to all these wonderful ideas! Thanks so much everyone for all your brilliant input. Pictures are starting to form. I’ll start working on it soon and send a photo to Sue to share. Robin Essert, I love bird themes in the garden. We have lots of birds in our garden and they feel very much at home here. I have a number of birdbaths and feeders and a waterfall they love. Birdhouses and old ladders are very hard to come by here and when I do find, they are ridiculously expensive. Loved your photo, Robin.

Two weeks later….What Yvonne did:

Here is an update on what I did to hide the biocycle and make the path more attractive. I’m still waiting for my son to make a couple of birdhouses to put on the main posts and will probably add things as I go along. The pickets and posts were leftovers from my son’s deck and the stain, too. I picked up the bedhead for $1 and the other things I had lying around.

Yvonne’s new entry ‘pocket’ garden

Brilliant!

Yvonne says, “Thanks for all the help and advice! I was happy with how it turned out. I first really wanted to do a picket fence from old timber which I didn’t have but when my son offered these I grabbed at the offer!”

Now what guests see walking up the path

 What a difference, don’t you think?

A meditative angel