Favourite Fakes

 

fake stone

Favourite Fakes

Jim Fogarty says he has some favourite ways of looking good in a garden design without being entirely ridgey didge.

  

It is not just timber alternatives that provide clever substitutes to the ‘real thing’ in gardens. Here are some more of my favourite substitute products that are worthy in any garden project.

• Perspex and acyclic sheets come in many colour and thickness options and are a great substitute for glass in a garden.

• Fake grass: for a balcony, rooftop, or a children’s play area, there are some good fake grass options that can not only be used on the ground, but make great wall and furniture cladding options too/

• Rust paint is a clever and cost-effective product that can change the appearance of almost any material that will take paint.

• Stone paint: Dulux now has a paint that mimics the texture of stone (Dulux Design Stone series for internal and external use) www.dulux.com.au

• Flagstones: if you like the look of old English gardens, Boral’s Bradstone Old Town Paving is a concrete paver that replicates old English flagstones and comes in a range of sizes: www.boral.com.au

• Cobblestones: it was inevitable that paving manufacturers would start making cobbles as an alternative to using real stone. Made from reconstituted stone and cement, the benefit of these fake cobbles is that you can colour-match the 100mm x100mm cobbles to other large-format pavers from the same manufacturer: www.anston.com.au

• Lightweight pots: fibreclay pots are made to look like stone but are actually made from fibreglass and clay. Being lightweight, they are easy to lift and that is especially important if you live in an apartment block and your pots are out on the balcony.