An unsightly gap in the conifers with a dusty patch of barren earth beneath.

An ugly breeze block wall that’s become a general dumping ground.

A corner of the decking now overlooked by our neighbours after they cut down the canopy of trees that had shielded us from their gaze for over 20 years.

All niggling areas of our garden that had long needed some attention. Some tlc. A facelift.

The question was, how best to disguise and transform them and create focal points for the right reasons?

Well, with a little thought and the help of a really fabulous range of garden accessories, these unsightly areas got a new lease of life and came into their own. And we couldn’t be happier with the results.

Two good sized wooden planters from the Garden Creations range placed under the trees with a choice of evergreen plants for all year cover and a pop of colour at either end with some vibrant pots and job done. What gap?

Next on our list. The breeze block wall. Not a good look for the garden.

Using the same planters as we had for the area under the conifers – the tier planter which we had positioned side by side for width but as a tier against the wall to give additional height – we added 2 matching slat screens behind to disguise as much of the wall as possible. And it worked brilliantly.

Last but not least the corner of our decking, the task to create a dining private area without being overlooked.

Again, from the Creations range, we chose the corner set – one vertical and one horizontal slatted screen and 3 planters. Combined with some climbing jasmine in the tall planter trained over the screens together with ivy trailing down from the over fence planters, this has created the most wonderful, fragrant, colourful feature on our decking. Gorgeous and practical – no prying eyes while we tuck into our barbecued burgers!

Bosh. Just like that. We couldn’t be happier with the results. We now have three stunning focal points in our garden that not only look wonderful, they get the job done.

Take a look at the Garden Creations range of planters, screens, benches and plant stands, all perfect for transforming areas of your garden to create superb, eye-catching features. As you can see!

A dark, forgotten corner of our garden has been given a new lease of life.

Beneath a canopy created by our magnificent Elder tree and numerous conifers, a lack of both light and moisture has resulted in an ongoing struggle to keep the area maintained and looking lovely.

Patchy grass, expanses of bare earth and neglected borders. We’ve never really made an effort to do much in that corner and have spent most our time when we’re in the garden looking the other way!

But as part of our garden transformation this year we agreed this had to be tackled. And we’re so glad we did. Wow, what a difference. Now we sit at breakfast on the decking gazing at the corner and loving what we see.

So what did we do?

First things first, we discovered the delights of grass seed! And are loving the lush lawn that has sprung up. Gorgeous. But that’s a whole separate blog to follow!!

Laying a few paving stones to create a short path to the workshop really smartened things up and was a great spot for some colourful garden pots to help create a bit of a feature.

Next. Plants. After a long natter with a very helpful chap at the local garden centre, I made my choice of a selection of shade loving plants that would give a splash of colour and all year round greenery – I’m a sucker for an evergreen.

Heuchera – Mulberry – a glorious perennial with striking, deep red-purple foliage with stems of small white flowers during the summer.

Heuchera – Winterberry – eye-catching, bright green, ruffled foliage with mottled green veins with stems of small pink flowers during the summer.

Fucshia – Snowcap – Ladies Eardrops – resplendent, bold, drop white and scarlet flowers on dark green foliage, flowering throughout summer. Loved by bees so that’s a big garden tick. Most fuchsias are deciduous, shedding their leaves as temperatures drop in the autumn/winter – I made an exception from my evergreen rule for this. I do love a fucshia.

Note: while some fucshia varieties may prefer full sun, those with dark foliage can thrive in the shade.

Pieris – Mountain Fire – intense, vivid, red-tinged foliage that transitions to coppery-green and then dark green, producing clusters of creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers in spring, similar to lily-of-the-valley. It thrives and blooms best in dappled or partial shade.

Azalea Diamond Pink – beautiful, striking, flamboyant pink blooms on glossy evergreen foliage, these magnificent shrubs generally prefer a spot with partial shade or dappled sunlight. What better way to add a burst of colour from March to June.

So that’s been my starting point with shade loving plants. This will no doubt be added to over the coming months.

Our neglected corner is now a thriving part of the garden we are proud of. And it really didn’t take a lot to do. A little bit of thought. A little bit of care. Happy days.

From mud bath to a little piece of heaven.

This is how we transformed a run down, forgotten corner of our garden into our favourite, go-to spot.

Having a handy husband when it comes to DIY is without doubt a plus point and he was certainly up for the challenge of laying decking and building a gazebo from scratch to house the hot tub.

After levelling the ground and removing all debris to create an even, flat base and positioning 4 paving slabs in each corner for the wooden frame to sit on…

he constructed the decking using 4×2 timber bearers and recycled pallets to ensure it was strong enough to hold the weight of the water (and us!) in the hot tub.

Once he was happy with the sturdiness of the decking, constructing the gazebo roof and, most importantly, getting the angles of the supporting beams right was the next biggest challenge and did take a little working out! Turns out his trigonometry lessons from his dark and distant school days came in very handy.

Challenge of the beams done, he fitted an OSB roof and then topped this with shingles to keep it waterproof – and looking nice!

Then it was over to me to add the all important finishing touches with some plants, wind chimes and lighting. 

And the job was done. All within a week.

We now have the most fantastic haven to escape to whatever the weather. Heaven.

It really is our happy place.

Not only a fabulous feature for your garden, a wooden gazebo is the perfect bolt hole to escape to on a sunny afternoon with a good book and pot of tea or a sneaky G&T at the end of a busy day.

So it’s important to take the time to keep it in tip top condition to prolong its life, so ensuring you get as much enjoyment from it as possible for many years to come.

What do you need to think about?

Treating the Wood

Take time to treat the wood of your gazebo as soon as possible after it has been built to protect and strengthen it against the elements.

Use a wood preserver as a pre-treatment before applying a wood stain – or paint if you want to add a splash of colour.

This needs to be repeated regularly every one to two years to prevent the wood from deteriorating.

Make sure the whole structure is coated from floor to roof including the rafters and thresholds.

* Wood Preserver

A good wood preserver will penetrate the timber and give long-term protection against rot and fungi by controlling the moisture and repelling water. It will also help with protection against insect damage and infestation.

Wait 2-5 days for the preservative to dry before staining or painting the gazebo.

Recommendation – Cuprinol Wood Preserver

* Wood Stain

This will protect the wood surface of the gazebo primarily from rain penetration and damage caused by UV radiation.

Make sure you use a stain or paint that can be used on bare cladding.

It is highly recommended that a water based stain is used to guarantee the chemicals included for protecting the wood are safe for the environment.

Top tip: A darker tone stain will give superior protection against the weather due to its greater pigmentation compared with a lighter tone stain which can be susceptible to sunburn!

Recommendation – Sadolin Opaque Woodstain

Keep Soil and Other Debris Away

Soil, mulch and debris collecting at the bottom of the gazebo are all prime spots for water to collect in and should be kept at least 3 metres away to prevent mould from the moisture developing in the wood.

Fix Cracks

If cracks appear and are left untreated water will seep in resulting in wood rot and mould.

Use a wood filler or external sealant that matches the colour of the gazebo wood.

Wash Once or Twice a Year

It is advisable to wash and gently scrub the gazebo with warm water and mild detergent to help stop the growth of mildew or moss – and get rid of any unsightly bird mess!

It’s also a good idea to hose the roof to keep it clean and clear of debris.

Forget the washing up. Cleaning the bathroom can wait.

Escape to your cabin at the bottom of the garden to recharge your batteries, be inspired by nature and get creative in your very own little art haven way from the distractions of daily life.

Relaxing, tranquil, peaceful, restful, quiet, undisturbed.

Just your paint brush and your imagination for company.

Things to Consider

Natural Light

Plenty of natural light is a must for your creative space.

Sunshine undoubtedly improves your mood and has a positive effect on the mind and is just what you need to stimulate, inspire and invigorate.

Think about…

The Style of the Cabin

Choose a design with lots of windows and glazed double doors, ideally full length, that will allow oodles lot of natural light in.

Corner Log Cabin – with front and side windows and large, glazed double doors.

eg. Lasita Oban Corner Log Cabin

Hexagonal Log Cabin – the perfect way to give you light from every direction. And fabulous 360° views of your garden for inspiration!

eg. Lasita Ilmenau Log Cabin

Full length windows and glazed double doors

eg. Lasita Barbados 3 Log Cabin

Position in your Garden

Opt for a spot in your garden that provides plenty of natural light. But it’s a good idea to find somewhere that doesn’t have direct sunlight beating down on your when you’re working and keeps the sun’s glare to a minimum.

A north-facing position would therefore be ideal.

Size of Log Cabin

Make sure you have room to spread out and enough space for all your art materials. There’s nothing worse than a cramped, cluttered area to inhibit your creative juices!

Consider whether you will be working with an easel, or on the floor or on tables. Will you need a chair?

You will also need to think about storage space – where and how will you keep all your art bits and pieces? Will you need cupboards or shelves? Make sure they are easily accessible.

Top tip – having a log cabin with its own side shed attached is a handy way to keep your creative area clutter free with all your art materials safely stored in the shed next door.

eg. Lasita Chameleon Log Cabin

Electricity

An important consideration if you are planning to use your log cabin art studio throughout the year.

A source of electricity will mean you can have:

Lighting – especially vital when natural light is hindered by dull and overcast days and as the nigths draw in.

Top tip: Look for daylight simulation bulbs which imitate natural light – a great recommendation in particular for artists and painters.

Heating – to help keep your art studio pleasantly warm throughout the colder months – see my blog How to Heat a Log Cabin for examples

Take a look at my blog How to Run Electricity to a Log Cabin for advice

Ventilation

Ensure you get a good air flow into your studio.

Fresh air and good ventilation is important in keeping your workspace healthy, particularly if you spend many hours working with paints.

Add a Splash of Colour

There’s nothing like a colourful work environment to lift spirits and stimulate your creative flow. So add a splash of colour to the walls, be inspired and off you go!

It’s crucial the base you lay for your cabin to be built on is 100% flat and level in all directions and strong enough to take its considerable weight.

Bases that are not level will create difficulties with the build. The cabin will settle into the imperfections and result in long term issues.

Problems You will Incur

1. The logs will not seat or interlock properly causing them to warp, strain and twist which can lead to gaps.
2. The roof boards will not secure to the cabin straight.
3. The floor boards will not sit square to the walls.
4. Gaps will form between the top logs and the roof boards.
5. The windows and doors will be out of whack resulting in them not opening or closing properly.

None of which are ideal. But all preventable if you lay a level base in the first place!

Tips for Laying a Level Base

Before you lay the base for your cabin it is imperative the ground of your chosen spot is level and flat – so ensuring the base itself when constructed is level and flat!

Mark out the base size required and level out the soil:

1. Make a frame with planks of wood placed around the footprint measurements of the cabin ensuring it is flat and even by using a spirit level – the bubble needs to be completely in the centre of the two lines.
2. Secure each plank in place with a stakes at both ends.
3. Cut a further plank a little longer than the width of the frame with the bottom corners cut away to enable it be slotted inside and butted against the frame top (so it looks like a fat letter ’T’).
4. Move the plank backwards and forwards along the length of the frame to make the ground flat and even by scraping off any excess soil and packing down areas where the ground is too low.
5. Add a layer of sand and compact this down by again moving the plank backwards and forwards over the top.
   

Once you are happy the ground is 100% flat, even and level, remove the frame and lay your chosen base.

Take a look at my blog Which Base is Best for a Log Cabin for advice on this.

Sharing your cabin with an array of crawling, scuttling and buzzing intruders is certainly not tantamount to producing the relaxing, chilled haven it was intended to be.

So having the know-how to help create a pest-free environment would undoubtedly be very welcome!

I have put together a few pointers that will certainly help and are definitely worth considering…

Keep the Interior Clean and Tidy

Insects are not houseproud. They don’t like clean and tidy spaces. (Not unlike my teenage son it has to be said!)

They are attracted to any sources of food, areas that are damp and to clutter and mess which provide great hiding spots that are perfect breeding grounds.

So it’s a no brainer that keeping your cabin well maintained and clean and tidy will lessen the likelihood of an infestation.

Natural repellents/essential oils

Not only safer for the environment, using natural cleaning products including essential oils, in particular peppermint, lemon and lavender, are an excellent (and fragrant!) way of fending off insects.

They can be added to cleaning solutions or why not just use them as natural sprays by adding about 20 drops of essential oil to water in a bottle (it’s a good idea to change the scent often to maintain the benefits.)

Lemon and lime peel are great for rubbing along skirting boards and around windows and doors.

Lemon-scented candles, household sprays and polishes are also great for repelling insects.

Cracks and Gaps

Thoroughly check over the inside of the cabin – floor, walls, and ceiling – for any cracks, gaps, nooks or crannies, as well as areas near any electrical outlets or cables. It’s also worth checking for any gaps around skirting boards.

Fill any obvious entry points with flexible sealant, caulk or putty.

They can also be sprayed with the natural cleaning products mentioned above.

Check Windows and Doors

Inspect windows and doors for any gaps.

1. Add weatherstripping – tape or adhesive – around window or door frames to produce a tight seal.
2. Consider adding a door sweep (these can be bristles or flaps) to the bottom of the door to reduce any gapping
3. Add screens to the windows and doors – ideal for keeping insects out and fresh air in

Exterior maintenance

1. Treat the cabin with wood preserver to prevent rot
2. Regularly inspect the cabin for signs of wood decay

A lot of insects like rotting wood for both a food source and for nesting.

3. Keep foliage, bushes and any overhanging branches away from the outside of the cabin. They can be used by insects as a means to reach the cabin walls and find a way in.

Regular Inspection

Inspect at least annually, ideally before the summer months, and repair or seal any cracks or gaps that have appeared.

It’s fair to say that sharing your fabulous outdoor living space with a mouse or rat – or both! – is not particularly desirable.

The sheltered, covered area under a garden building will attract rodents so you really don’t want to tempt the little critters to any areas near your cabin. Keeping temptations to a minimum will stop them moving under and then moving in!!

Check out below some handy tips on how to help prevent them becoming room mates!!

* Keep vegetation growth away from the under and sides of your log cabin

Rats and mice love a bit of vegetation to make a home in so best to keep this at bay and out of the way near the base of your cabin to keep them away!

* Don’t use ground feed for birds near the cabin

* Don’t grow vegetable patches near the cabin

Avoid attracting rodents with a ready and tempting food supply from a vegetable patch and bird feed on the ground. This is a sure way of encouraging them to make their home under your cabin close to all the enticing food!

* Inspect the cabin frequently for any obvious access points

It really doesn’t have to be a big space for rats and mice to wriggle through so keep an eye out for any really small places and fill with flexible sealer.

Use wire mesh to cover any larger areas to keep them out.

* Peppermint Oil

There are several scents rodents dislike, one of which is peppermint oil.

A good tip is to add a few drops of peppermint oil to water and use this to spray around your cabin and on possible entry points. Not only do you have yourself a rodent deterrent that will help keep mice away, your cabin will also smell fresh and lovely too!

Clove oil, cinnamon, citronella and vinegar are other natural fragrances that will help keep the rodents at bay!

Cracks and splits in wood occur naturally and should not be detrimental to the structure of your cabin.

Wood is a natural product and is greatly affected by its surroundings.

As both temperature levels and moisture content in the air rise and fall throughout the year, particularly during the summer months, the timber shrinks and swells as it contracts and expands to try and match this. Any cracks that appear are a normal reaction to this.

Recommendations for dealing with splits and cracks

1. Use an external sealant or wood filler

Fill in cracks and splits with a flexible sealant or wood filler that matches the colour of the wood.

2. Make sure the base of the cabin is flat and level

It is imperative the base is level.

Cabins that are constructed on bases that aren’t level will settle into the flaws. This will result in the logs not seating correctly and the roof boards not attaching to the cabin walls straight.

This can result in issues such as cracking and splitting of the wood.

Do remember, however, that any cracks and splits are generally only cosmetic and can either be filled or disregarded as desired.

Log settlement is a natural occurrence that happens following the building of a cabin where the wood shrinks and settles. This period of “settling” is caused by the timber reacting and adapting to the climate.

The wood continually expands and contracts as it attempts to reach a moisture content balance with its surroundings. This also results from changes in the weather, particularly when it is exceptionally hot or extremely cold.

Low humidity together with dry and warm air in the summer are ideal conditions for contraction and it is therefore particularly common during these months. During the damp, cold winter months, the timber will absorb moisture resulting in the wood expanding slightly.

Gaps can form in the timber due to the shrinking and shifting which can lead to air and water seeping in between the logs.

What can be done to help deal with problems caused by this contraction and expansion?

1. Storm Braces

A majority of log cabins include storm braces. These are long battens of wood fixed at the top and bottom to the 4 corners of the cabin. They can be adjusted by loosening their bolts which closes any gaps in the logs and allows them to settle.

How do storm braces work?

They secure the top walls logs to the bottom wall logs which are held down by the weight of the cabin.

* Attach to the top and bottom of the walls with a nut and bolt

* There is a slot at the bottom for the bolt to go through which enables the storm bar to move up and down while the walls settle and then expand and contract.

* You may need to release the tension from the top bolt to permit the storm brace to move freely. It is important to check this regularly throughout the cabin’s life to prevent gaps between the logs.

Click here for handy video: How to Install Storm Braces

2. Treat the cabin walls inside and out

The natural occurrence of the wall logs expanding and contracting can be limited by applying a treatment to the exterior walls.

Without treatment, the wood is continually exposed to the elements throughout the year. The moisture it takes in during wet conditions causes expansion and when the moisture dries out during sunny conditions it causes contraction. These continual movements in the wood can result in gaps in the walls. Treating the cabin produces a waterproof layer on top of the wood, inhibiting the moisture levels from changing.

It’s important to treat the exterior of the cabin with a suitable treatment as soon as possible after it has been built – ideally in the first week and certainly within 4-6 weeks. This will repel water and condensation from the logs.

Choose a treatment that allows the moisture inside the logs to make its way out.

• It’s vital the timber is completely covered, including all the sides and edges of the eaves and apex fascia boards

• Paint the windows and doors on every surface, including the battens, to stop warping and swelling.

*Recommendation* – Cuprinol Wood Preserver

It’s advisable to treat the floor and roof boards before the cabin is built:

• The underside of the flooboards will be protected from rising damp and prevent any moisture from penetrating the boards
  
• The roof boards need treating to stop air moisture seeping into them which can lead to lifting and swelling, particlarly where there is high humidity.

It’s important to remember to also treat the interior walls of the cabin to prevent moisture building up inside and reduce any movement further.

See my blog How to Treat a Log Cabin for advice.