Nice or naff outdoor stuff

fairy_lights

I have a few strands of solar powered lights, I love looking out of the window at night and seeing them lit up, makes the garden look so cosy.
Wind chimes are a crime against humanity and I would gladly vote for any political party that would make them illegal. (Japanese water gardens would be allowed special exemptions.)

jackyann

Ah, someone else who finds the noise of wind chimes irritating!
I think it's fine to have anything you like, as long as it doesn't impinge on the neighbours.
If you're concerned, you can always ask them if they mind........

Georgiegirl256

fairy_lights wrote: »

Wind chimes are a crime against humanity and I would gladly vote for any political party that would make them illegal. (Japanese water gardens would be allowed special exemptions.)

Agreed. Wind chimes are irritating!

Regarding solar lights and garden ornaments, less is more or it can look cheap and tacky IMO.

alias*alibi

Jagraf wrote: »

I never had solar lights, but my neighbours garden looked so nice I've been born again and I've bought some.

While I was there I treated myself to some metal wall art and a sun and a moon. I even looked at some little frogs on stones but removed myself promptly from the aisle.

I know this is a gardening question, but its more to do with what people will think! I can see a couple of mini wind chimes coming on .....

What do you have in your garden?

I have multicoloured solar lights round my shed, an Easter Island head ornament, gold butterfly on one fence, gold metal sun on shed door, metal gecko on a wall and metal welcome sign with owls. I love my garden :-)

Ooh and garden king and garden queen metal plaques and a metal sitting dog which nods in the wind ��

Callie22

I hate wind chimes, they're such an irritating noise, especially at night. I don't really like garden 'stuff'. I once had a neighbour that had a garden that was absolutely bursting with it - solar powered meerkat lights, wind chimes, light up mushrooms, gnomes, mini windmills, 'whimsical' stuff with plants in (concrete boots, tortoises etc) and signs everywhere (the kind that say 'garden' and 'shed'). Each to their own, but I thought it looked awful, especially as she never got rid of anything and after a couple of years everything got a bit faded and tatty looking. I'm a plants and grass person, I'm afraid. Although I will admit to having a couple of home-made tea-cup bird feeders but I don't put them out anymore as the local felines viewed them as a handy snack-bar ...

Slinky

Two gnomes, 3 pigs, a concrete frog called Denis, a concrete toad called Alastair (after 2 of OHs old bosses), plus some wall ornaments that go up in the summer only.


I'm looking at some wind chimes as we speak, bamboo ones we bought for our conservatory but have nothing to hang them up on so I said to OH they need to go up in the garden. We have neighbours on one side we're not keen on so will be good to hang them up not far from their windows they leave open all night........

meritaten

I just bought a wrought iron trellis thingy for a clematis to grow up (I thought my usual method of stringing wire across the panel fence might not look so brilliant on my brand new fencing panels). I don't like those concrete cast animals, statues etc - tho OH loves them! I don't mind solar lights but as lights the dam things are useless! so haven't replaced ones that died.
No - Wind chimes are out! very annoying for neighbours and us, as its flaming windy here in the valleys and I prefer the gentle lull of traffic on the two main roads.

LilElvis

jackyann wrote: »

Ah, someone else who finds the noise of wind chimes irritating!
I think it's fine to have anything you like, as long as it doesn't impinge on the neighbours.
If you're concerned, you can always ask them if they mind........

....... or move to a house where your neighbours are far enough away that they can't hear them.

kingfisherblue

My front garden has a lawn and border plants. We have steps with rails either side (disability rails for my son). At the top and bottom of each rail is a solar light, just a plain one, nothing fancy. There are two pots near the front door, with pansies in. There is also a solar light in each pot.


My back garden is a disgrace at the moment. It's paved but with weeds growing between the flags. There's a trampoline that will be going to the tip shortly - a shame, as it is in good condition, but nobody on Freecycle is interested.


However, we are having a garden makeover by a charity next month. My son wants to grow carrots, so I applied to a charity for help with planter boxes that he can sit at. My son was shortlisted and then we heard that the charity is going to do the garden for him. They do everything, not just the planter boxes. There will be boxes with seating in between, as he cannot stand for long. Ordinary raised beds are too low for him. The boxes will be planted with veg, and a flat fruit tree will be trained against a wall.


There will also be a fake lawn, sensory area, and water play. A small weather centre will be in one corner.


The sensory area will include a large garden mirror, wind chimes, hanging crystals in a spiral wire, herbs, and a string of solar lights. There will be some other sensory stuff, but I don't know what until the garden is completed.


My son is really looking forward to it (well, we all are!). He wants to grow his carrots, but is also keen to grow other veg as well. He is learning horticulture at his special school and this is an activity that he can continue into the future.

GlasweJen

KFB I'm so glad your garden is getting done. I remembered you mentioned the grant last year and it's nice to see things progressing