Chilly temperatures and wet weather can make some of us a bit resistant to garden makeovers in the transitional winter-to-spring period. However, it can be a great time to focus on short creative and maintenance projects that make you want to spend more time outside, whatever the weather.
A splash of paint colour, a refresh of timber stains, a clean-up of furniture and surfaces and the addition of some creative flair can make a huge difference, even to just one corner of your winter garden, making it an uplifting, relaxing or fun place to offset any seasonal blues and pick up some much needed sunlight and fresh air.
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Starting a winter garden makeover with a good tidy up might seem like a chore, but the reward for your efforts will make it worthwhile.
Just a weekend spent cleaning and re-staining a wooden deck, concrete patio or your outdoor furniture will give your whole outdoor area an amazing lift, which should inspire you to move on to other makeover projects in the space.
Painted pavers add practical flair to a patio entertaining zone. Walls painted in Resene Triple Dune, pavers in Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path in Resene Relic and Resene Traffic, seats stained in Resene Woodsman Iroko, side table in Resene Dune, planter trellis in Resene Quarter Truffle and tray in Resene Half Sea Fog. Cushions from Nood. Project Megan Harrison-Turner. Image Bryce Carleton.
Tips torevive your timber deck:
Start by clearing debris and treating any areas of mould or moss with Resene Moss & Mould Killer. After 48 hours, use a broom to scrub the surface with Resene Timber and Deck Wash, then rinse and let completely dry. Apply two coats of Resene Woodsman Wood Oil or Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain wood stain in your chosen shade, allowing dry time between coats. Resene colour consultant Jill Marsh says the same approach will also work with wooden outdoor furniture but finished with Resene Timber and Furniture Gel.
“To help make future maintenance work easier Resene has a great range of cleaners to use around the exterior areas like decks, paths and patios,” Jill says. “My favourite is Resene Deep Clean because it’s a slow acting exterior cleaner that keeps your outdoor areas free from moss, mould, algae and lichen.” Simply spray or brush the product on your surface and leave nature to do the work of washing away mould and lichen.
Another project suited to a sunny weekend, or even a half-day, is to walk around your property and trim back any planting or weeds growing up against painted finishes or stained woodwork. This will prevent moisture build-up that can lead to paint bubbling and flaking as well as mould and eventually rot. Plus, it helps avoid pavers and pathways from becoming slippery and unsafe.
A textured finish on an exterior or patio wall can be a good way to disguise imperfections. Wall painted in Resene Bitter with accent colours in Resene Celeste, Resene Miso and Resene Gimblet mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium, deck stained in Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain in Resene Natural, wall light in Resene Celeste, table in Resene Half Barely There, teapot in Resene Rhino, cups and saucers in Resene Bitter, bottle in Resene Celeste, jug in Resene Gimblet, fruit bowl in Resene Cobblestone, small planter in Resene Triple Tana, lipped pot in Resene Half Barely There, large planter in Resene Celeste and watering can in Resene Miso. Wall effect by Hannah Tapner, project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.
The joyof colour
If you don’t have winter-blooming plants in your garden, your outdoor areas can start to feel a bit drab and depressed through winter. Give your garden a quick and simple mood booster by adding bolts of bright, painted colour.
Jill suggests starting with small items in your garden that can give a huge lift to your space when painted in bold, rich colours. Smaller projects can often be fun tasks that only take a few hours and can involve the whole family.
“Freshening up your letterbox is a quick and easy weekend project. Refreshing it with a couple of coats of paint or stain can make a huge difference.
“Painted planter pots or stained wooden planters are also fun to do through the winter, so they are ready for planting flowers for the spring. They’re also a great way to add your own flair and personality to the garden when you’re a tenant rather than the homeowner.”
For maximum impact against earthy greens and browns in your garden, try colour-saturated floral shades in accent pieces like bright red Resene Amped, hot pink Resene Drop Dead Gorgeous or golden Resene Daylight.
Working with deep charcoals, browns and blacks in your garden whether in paint colours like Resene Karaka and Resene Eternity or stains like Resene Woodsman Charred Black and Resene Woodsman Treehouse, can be a surprisingly effective way to make your other colours really pop - including the greens of grass and foliage. They can also smarten up older timber on fences, furniture and raised garden beds.
Top tip: A darker stain like Resene Woodsman Pitch Black on fences can recede from the eye, especially behind foliage, making your section feel bigger.
A front or back door painted in a bright shade is another quick project that can have a huge impact on the street appeal or overall look of your home. When it comes to choosing your front door colour, this is a good time to indulge in a favourite colour that you might not want to use in a full room. Exterior weatherboards in a neutral like Resene Half Stonewall will work well with a bold colour like Resene Moroccan Spice or Resene Spinnaker. The expert staff at a Resene ColorShop will also be able to help suggest other brights to work with your home’s exterior colours.
Top tip: Paint your letterbox the same shade as your bold front door for fun and cohesive street appeal.
Darker wood stain shades add drama to outdoor spaces and recede from the eye making spaces feel larger. Walls stained in Resene Waterborne Woodsman Charred Black, bamboo screen in Resene Waterborne Woodsman Bark, deck in Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain in Resene Tiri, planter box in Resene Dark Rum, table base in Resene Cobblestone, stools in Resene Burgundy and pot and house ornament in Resene Bullwhip. Lanterns from Look Sharp. Project by Melle van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.
Otherwinter exterior design ideas:
- Add colour to paths and create thoroughfares through muddy lawns with painted pavers. Paint in elegant neutrals like Resene Arrowtown, verdant greens like Resene Turtle Green or bright blues like Resene Now Or Never. Or use Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path paint for an anti-slip finish or refresh concrete pavers with a tough low-sheen finish using Resene Concrete Stain tinted to Resene Autumn Leaves.
- Add garden tool storage to your shed by upcycling a wooden pallet into a tool rack. Paint or stain your pallet in your chosen Resene shade - a Resene testpot will do, and add hooks or nails to hang tools.
- Get the kids involved in the garden by building a simple wooden box bird feeder to hang on the fence or from a tree branch. Let the kids pick the colour and use a weather-durable exterior paint like Resene Lumbersider (the paint used in most Resene testpots) or Resene Sonyx 101 semi-gloss. If you have paint leftover from painting your home’s exterior you could use this on the bird feeder to keep it in tune with your home.
- Revive a tired patio or boundary wall with Resene Sandtex Mediterranean effect. A textured look can be an excellent way to cover imperfections such as dents and marks on a wall and give it a new life.
- Revamp a section of fence with a freehand mural using Resene testpots. If you want to add colour and personality but don’t want to paint freehand, try a large, stencilled pattern or attach a section of trellis to your fence and paint it in a bright contrast colour.
- Create shelter with painted or stained moveable section of wood-slat trellis or a curtain hanging from a moveable wood frame. If you're a confident DIYer, consider repurposing wooden pallets or leftover timber from past projects. Add weight to the bottom by adding a planter for stability and castor wheels for ease of movement.
- If you have a small porch, paint the walls in a bold colour that contrasts with the exterior of your house. Add some soft fairy lighting and a comfy chair or two for a secluded and cozy shelter. Try a rich warming shade like Resene Avant Garde against a creamy neutral house colour like Resene Pearl Lusta.
Top tip: Be mindful of air temperatures and drying times on the shorter, colder winter days. Most paint need a minimum air temperature of 10 degrees to dry properly. Too cold and you risk your paint finish becoming powdery. Jill’s best advice is to check your laundry. “The rule of thumb is if it is too cold for the washing to dry, the paint won’t dry either.”
Resene Wintergrade Additive can allow paint to dry properly in temperatures as low as 3 degrees – just add it to selected Resene paints when you’re painting on colder days.
Simple shapes, screens and colour create a dynamic outdoor kids’ play area that’s sheltered and fun. Wall and rear trellis painted in Resene Eighth Spanish White, front trellis stained in Resene Woodsman Bask, decking in Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain in Resene Tiri, wallpapered section in Resene Wallpaper Collection 313010, cubby in Resene Raven, table in Resene Petal, stools in Resene Rulebreaker and Resene Highland, blackboard in Resene FX Blackboard Paint, boots in Resene Cest La Vie and Resene Sunbeam, skittles in Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Vibe, Resene See The Light, Resene Watermark and Resene Cest La Vie, planters in Resene Petal, Resene Tana and Resene Baltic Sea and tic tac toe in Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Cest La Vie, Resene Woodland, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Vibe, Resene Watermark, Resene Highland, Resene Petal and Resene Manhattan. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.
If you need help getting started or deciding on the colours and products that best suit your home whatever the season, come in and visit your local Resene ColorShop, Ask a Resene Colour Expert free online, www.resene.com/colourexpert, Ask a Resene Paint Expert free online, www.resene.com/paintexpert or book a Resene Colour Consultation free instore or virtually or a paid home visit in selected areas, www.resene.com/colourconsult.
