Rustic landscaping is one of those things that is notoriously hard to get right. On the one hand, you want your home to look authentic, and you want to include motifs that will evoke times gone by. But, on the other hand, you don’t want your home to look past it’s best.
This is something that estate agents know well. The word “rustic” is usually reserved as a euphemism for when a home is looking a little it past its sell-by date.
Getting the rustic look right is hard. Here’s what to do.
Install A Beautiful Gate
Every rustic garden needs a beautiful gate to mark the threshold. But what exactly makes a great rustic gate? One cool idea is to use a reclaimed iron gate. Don’t just fit in its current state and hope for the best. Instead, grab a wire brush and remove all the rust and then paint it with a thick coat of metal paint to restore it to a more youthful state. Next, use some reclaimed timber and affix it to the rest of your garden fence.You’ll have something that looks authentic in no time.
Block Out Unsightly Views
You might think that you have to put up with an ugly shed, ruining the view in your garden, but you’d be wrong.
No, you don’t have to knock down the shed and start again. Instead, you can dress up the offending wall with all your favourite vintage items. Build a rack or a shelf out the back and fill it with things like garden pots, old watering cans, pot plants and vintage posters from the 1950s. This way you can use it as a sort of blank canvas to express yourself.
Pick a Palette
Just as choosing a colour scheme is important for the inside of your home so too is it important for the outside of your home. Beds and borders should be color coordinated and not look like a random mixture of elements. There are also mulch deliverycompanies that offer different mulch colours if you’re not happy with what you are working with right now. Well-designed beds use the underlying soil colour to complement the plants growing in them.
Galvanise Everything
In the past, farmers living in rural areas galvanized all their outdoor metal items to make them last longer. It’s since become a symbol of rustic lifestyles and something that you absolutely have to incorporate into your own landscaping. Galvanized tubs make for great plant pots, and because they are so spacious, they offer ample opportunity for creativity.
Many people who use galvanized tubs also decorate them with other ornaments from their garden, like pieces of wood or large, beautiful stones. Just make sure that before you plant anything, you drill holes in the bottom of the container so that plants can breathe.
Use Palisade Features
Wood has been a part of the ancient landscape since humanity first settled in farming communities. Pliable twigs and branches can be made into all sorts of structures, including things like arches, giving a rustic appeal. The best types of wood are those that are resistant to water, like cedar.
