Home and Garden Repairs

Decking has replaced traditional terracing and patios in much of the country these days. It is very versatile because it can be easily adjusted in height to accommodate slopes and uneven land. All you need to do is to build a higher sub-frame for your decking to make it stand taller. However, many homes with decks in their gardens still look a little drab. In order to make your area of decking stand out and offer a little more visual interest, consider the following landscaping products which are ideal in any back garden. 

Raised Planters

The idea of laying a deck is to create a firm area of ground in your garden without a lawn or other planting. Nevertheless, decks without any pots or plants nearby can appear to be very monotonous in appearance. Instead of building your deck next to flower beds to add interest, use raised planters on them to create divisions and 'rooms' on the decking itself. If you raise up planters on wheels or castors, then you can orientate your planting in any way you see fit depending on the time of year. Raised planters keep your foliage from dominating the area since they can only grow so much. In addition, they bring the flowers they contain closer to eye level when you are seated on the deck.

LED Ground Lights

If you drill out a circle in some of the planks that make up your deck, then it is simple to install LED ground lights into the recesses left behind. LEDs are perfect for garden lighting because they offer a good amount of light for a very minimal amount of electrical power consumption. Therefore, you can connect them to the mains supply without worrying about your bills as well as using external batteries if you prefer. This sort of landscaping feature is especially effective when fitted to steps or walkways on the deck to mark the path clearly at night.

Pergolas

A pergola is a structure that extends the deck upwards to make much more of a three-dimensional feature. When you fit one of these, you can adapt it to the exact dimensions of your decking or just create a section of the deck which is covered. Ideally, the pergola's roof will allow light to flood through whilst still keeping you in some degree of shade. As such, pergolas with adjustable awning-style roofs are a great idea given the Australian sun. Pergolas can be adapted with other landscaping products, too, such as shade sails and trellises to make them even more of a garden feature.