COLOUR in the garden doesn't only come from plants, but you can really brighten things up, especially in winter, with paints and coloured stains.

It may be too cold and wet now to paint fences or trellis, but it's a perfect time to do the shopping, when there are few really urgent garden tasks to do. It's also a good time to clean and paint furniture or plant supports if you can take over the garage or shed for a weekend, and smaller items such as pebbles, canes and wooden labels could be a fun indoor project for younger gardeners. With a wide range of colours now available, you can be as bold or as subtle as you like.

Try painting tall canes in pistachio green or pale lilac, to tone with sweet peas, or stain them rich blue to contrast with golden sunflowers.

Sand bamboo canes first, to create a rough surface to hold the paint, and paint the cane caps to match or contrast.

Painted pebbles can be a feature in their own right, or use them as a toning or contrasting mulch in containers, or round plants with a short flowering period.

Cheap terracotta flowerpots and paint testers give lots of scope and if you change your mind, or change your plant displays, it's easy to change the pots to match.

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By Rosemary Ward