PAINT
Garden structures like walls, fences and sheds are a backdrop for your plants, so choose a colour that will flatter them. Dark tones visually recede and are an excellent contrast for flowers and foliage, but consider too how well your chosen hue complements the colour of the house walls, garden furniture and any nearby paving. For a long-lasting finish, use paint that’s specially formulated for the outdoors. ‘Mastered to withstand a multitude of conditions, outdoor paint is flexible and will expand and contract with the temperature to prevent cracking and flaking,’ says Mark Bannister, Sandtex’s decorating expert. ‘Make sure the surface is clean and smooth before you start to paint, and apply an undercoat to give the new colour opacity and help cover previously painted wood.’