The trend for seeing the garden as a series of outdoor rooms – or indeed just one if your have a small space, has been going a very long time.
I suppose we could say since Medieval days, when the hortus conclusus was an outdoor retreat, cordoned off from the ever present dangers of wild nature beyond.
John Brookes gave the idea a fillip with his 1970 publication, Room Outside, which brought Californian style living to the attention of the British public.
These days many people want a whole kitchen outside with furniture that looks very much like it does inside, sofa,s coffee tables, dining sets and a fireplace.
Taking this trend one step further is inevitable and the latest must-have is a living picture to adorn your outdoor walls.
You will notice that these, in theory, can be used inside and out. It’s a trend that’s really catching on with young people who may want to do a little ‘gardening’ but have neither the space or cash to do it on any great scale.
How’s it done?
The basics are really quite simple – bear in mind that it is recommended that you take your picture down every few weeks to give it a good soak on the flat, so don’t make it too big, heavy or awkwardly placed.
Choose a frame – this will be the surround that shows and can be as simple or as fancy as you desire. Then buy or make a shadow box to give the frame depth. Fix the two together. Add a sheet or chicken wire or similar as seen below.
Put a backing of either boarding or garden fabric on. Then, fill with potting soil, making sure the wire grid remains on the top.
All that’s left to do is create your living picture with a selection of succulents. It is generally a good idea to stick with a limited palette – maybe three or four types. Water and leave flat for a while for the newly planted succulents to become properly rooted.
And, of course, you could always go mad and seriously upscale your project:
Have fun!
