I recently chanced on compacted pebbles held together with wire mesh to form a beautiful garden decoration.
I peered closer to catch a glimpse of this beauty and realised that the pillars and the sculpture were made out of pebbles.
According to Dorothy Mukasa, a business consultant in metal and concrete products, a homeowner can add beauty to their home by using pebbles and wire mesh. “One can create different decorative features to enhance the home’s beauty, value and the owner’s personality,” she says.
She adds that features like animals, planters, sculptures, garden furniture and the like can be created to make one’s garden beautiful. However, she states that one has to be careful when packing in the stones (pebbles) because they are heavy, they may displace the shape of the feature if not well managed.
“Make sure the wire mesh is hard enough to hold the pebbles so as the shape of the feature is achieved. The material has to be rigid given the number and the weight of the stones,” she notes. Ensure the outer layer (wire mesh) which determines the shape is welded in the desired form. However, for technical designs like sculptures, consult an expert in sculpturing.
Where to place them
Leonard Muzahura, landscaper at Superior Landscapes in Nsambya, says such ornaments can be placed both in and outdoors like the garden, porch and on the wall.
What you need
- Muzahura says to achieve your desired design, you need wire mesh, pebbles and paint. The quantity of the materials depends on the design someone wants.
- You can use stones (pebbles) in different sizes and colour depending on what you want to achieve.
- A bucket of stones ranges from sh1000 to sh15000.
- He says one can use expanded metal lath, a 6ft x 4ft goes for sh26,000 whereas 8ft x 2ft costs sh32,000.
Maintenance
Unlike plants, Muzahura says these features are easy to maintain, if the pebbles are dirty, clean them using water. Paint the wire mesh to prevent it from rusting.
Steps
- If you are to do it yourself, make a sketch of a feature you what to develop.
- Weld the wire mesh into the shape of your choice.
- Before filling in the stones, apply concrete at the bottom if it is a planter.
- If it is a garden boundary, fold the wire mesh into a cage format.
