Whether you are planning a do-it-yourself garden border or a large-scale fountain, think really hard — as in concrete.
Concrete is a great choice for many gardens, and the options keep growing.
You can get it stamped or acid-stained on walkways, or decorate it with imprints of leaves or nuts. Or use it for retaining walls or waterfalls.
“Concrete is experiencing a resurrection all across the country,” said South Carolina horticulturist Jenks Farmer, who has used concrete extensively in his work designing and maintaining gardens.
Farmer said his inspiration comes from travels in the tropics, where houses, steps, walks, fountains, balustrades and flower pots are all made from concrete.
Some projects require a contractor; others, a beginner can complete. Either way, there are myriad things to love about concrete in the garden. Here are eight:
1. It can look old — even when it’s new.
When Farmer was drawing a plan for the redesigned historic garden at the Seibels House in downtown Columbia, S.C., last year, he copied a design from Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., which was built and designed in the 1920s. (The bench at Dumbarton Oaks was designed by Beatrix Farrand, one of the country’s first female landscape architects.)
Farmer wanted to replicate the look in the Seibels garden and build it out of concrete.
He hired carpenter Andy Adams to create the new bench. Adams used about 25,000 pounds of concrete to sculpt the semi-circle bench, which looks as if it has been sitting in the lush garden forever.
2. You can do it yourself.
If you are tackling a basic project, it’s easy to learn. Edging a walkway, for example, is a repetitive process just about everyone can do.
“Anybody with a car can get a couple bags of concrete,” Farmer said.
Of course, if you plan to add a large fountain or wall, you probably will want to find a contractor who is experienced in working with concrete.
“Depending on the skills of the craftsman, you can create some pretty amazing stuff with cement,” said David Jackson of Stone Casting Inc. in Charleston, S.C.
3. It lasts.
Wooden edging will rot and need to be replaced eventually. Concrete will last forever. (There’s a downside to that, too. It’s hard to get rid of it if you change your mind.)
4. It can be modern
or rustic.
Concrete can look hard and sleek, perfect for a contemporary home and garden. Or it can be treated to look old and textured, more in place near a historic cottage or rustic cabin. Concrete gets a natural patina over time, Jackson said. “It’s a fashionable trend to have antique looking pieces in the garden,” he added.
5. It’s ideal for
warm climates.
“Concrete makes sense in a hot climate,” Adams said. “It won’t crack in the winter, and it’s cool to sit on in the summer.”
6. No natural rocks?
No problem.
In a place like Columbia, waterfalls made with rocks from the mountains look imported. But a waterfall with concrete, especially on a small city lot, can feel more urban and sleek, Farmer said.
7. You can let your imagination go into overdrive.
Textured concrete can be decorated. You can throw ice cubes on it before it hardens to give it an unusual finish. Baking soda fizzes and makes it look old.
8. You can get any type
of coverage you want.
Specialty Concrete, a Columbia-based company that manufacturers decorative concrete, promises to “make gray concrete look good,” salesman Richard Brigman said.
The company has textured rubberized stamp mats to make concrete look like old bricks, slate, textured brick — you name it. It can even make mats to leave an elephant’s footprint in your walkway.
Plus, you can find concrete in 28 colors — from redwood and terra cotta to black and slate.
The company even makes a tree out of concrete (using molds made from the bark of a real tree). This one is drought- and storm-resistant.
