13 ways to use concrete in your garden

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At homify we absolutely love gardens. They're a fantastic addition to any home, offering a place for relaxation, meditation, and reflection, as well as a great way to keep busy in your spare time. They're not always the easiest things to design and decorate though. Garden's can be incredibly labour intensive, and due to exposure to the elements outside furniture and features can quickly become weathered and worn.

That's why concrete is such a fantastic material for the outdoors. You won't find a more weather resistant and sturdy material than concrete, making it the ultimate in low maintenance materials. But doesn't concrete look drab and boring? It certainly doesn't have to, and we're going to prove it! Today we're looking at ways you can incorporate concrete into your garden that are practical, but more importantly look fantastic, to inspire you for your home garden. Now let's get started!

1. Planter boxes for the terrace

Unfortunately the rapidly increasing prevalence of apartment living has meant that few of us actually have a green space to call our own. The upside is you don't need much room to create one, so if you've got a balcony why not turn it into a fantastic mini garden with planter boxes! 

These concrete planter boxes are sturdy and big enough to grow some pretty serious plants, providing a little extra privacy for your home, and making the balcony look lush and green.

2. Grounding the design

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When a garden features such stunning artistic design features as this, it's important not to overwhelm the senses, which is why reliable old concrete is the perfect material for keeping it all together. The concrete retaining wall provides neutral relief to the bouncing light and vibrant garden, and it also perfectly complements the steel feature piece.

3. Bright and vibrant

Another great quality of concrete is that it's easily decorated. Paint your concrete retaining walls and planter boxes with bold colours to introduce some fun and whimsy into the design. The hot pink works really well against the vivid green of the garden, giving the space a fabulous tropical vibe.

4. Use it for furniture

If you love to entertain on your patio, then it's crucial to have as many seats as possible, and the decorators of this garden have a fantastic solution. The far wall is lined with concrete planter boxes with the space in between used for benches. Add a coat of cream paint to give it a Mediterranean feel, and you have a fantastic patio ready for a family barbecue!

5. Vertical garden

This is one of the most innovative uses of concrete we've ever seen, and it looks magical. Vertical gardens are great for small spaces and balconies as you can fit in a lot more greenery, plus when they're as artistic as this one it will really make the space!

6. Shaping a space

Modern homes are often built from concrete; it's sturdy, weather resistant, and low maintenance, so it's also a great material to use to shape your entire patio or balcony. The concrete planter boxes on this balcony extend around the boundary, where they have been covered in cushions to create a massive colourful sofa, and it looks stunning!

7. Texture and shadow

Casa Sorteo Tec No.191, ARQUIPLAN ARQUIPLAN Varandas, marquises e terraços modernos

Concrete comes in more forms than the traditionally smooth grey surface that usually comes to mind, and can be textured and coloured as you can see on the planter boxes that mark the boundary of this patio.

8. Concrete terracing

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While timber has been used for most of the floor of this garden, it all sits atop a concrete base. The entire frame of the garden is one large concrete shape, creating levels and terraces that make this a dynamic space that feels much bigger than it is. If you like the look of this garden talk to a landscape architect to see what is possible in your home!

9. Climbing vines

The passageway to this garden is absolutely full of inspiration, featuring a number of innovative uses of concrete. Those tall panels at the end of the passage provide privacy and shelter from the sun, using the neutral colour of the concrete to reflect the pebbles, while one feature panel uses a rich wine red to add colour and invigorate the colour palette. 

What we really love though are the climbing vines along the wall, they're a really great addition to every home that only look better as they extend messily across the surface.

10. Industrial chic

Concrete has a really cool industrial vibe that's perfect for designing modernist outdoor spaces that are at once funky and calming.

11. All grey everything

Concrete is an incredibly versatile material, as evidenced by this impressive balcony, absolutely everything short of the cushions on the chair has been made from concrete. This provides aesthetic unity, but it's so creative and unorthodox that it doesn't feel bland or boring.

12. A winding path

The reliability and resilience of concrete makes it a great candidate for pathways in the garden, as you can see with these concrete tiles. To add a little romantic ambience try small lights that run along the path, gently illuminating your way.

13. A private park

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Tap into the beauty of unbridled nature by filling every available space with greenery. With concrete floors and planter boxes they've used every gap for more plant life, while the wooden bench gives the area the feeling of a private park!

There are so many great ways to use concrete in the garden, we've barely scratched the surface! For more great home tips, check out this article on tiny bedrooms!

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