Garden

[Sooner]

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@chihuahuamom wrote:
I have a good-sized concrete slab a few feet from my patio that used to house a hot tub. It's no longer there and the slab is in need of help, being totally bare. When my granddaughter was little, I had a plastic pool on it, but she is 14 now. I already have a patio table and chairs on my covered patio or I could put a table with an umbrella on it on the slab. Not needed though. I am in need of someone with creative ideas to help me. I am financially strapped so it will have to be inexpensive. Thanks.

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@chihuahuamom  How about staining it a nice natural color, putting a potted plant or two (even some big palm plants are inexpensive at big box stores), and an inexpensive small table and chairs?  

I have also seen inexpensive fence sections (metal or faux picket) might put around it, grow roses or vines on them. Or put a swing with a canopy on it. . . those arent terribly expensive either--the 2 person size. 

[godi]

Buy a little shed and make it your she shed. 

[gardenman]

A cheap option would be to sketch out a giant flower of some sort on it and then hand your 14-year-old granddaughter some paints and brushes. You could make it a giant paint-by-number art project for her. A large sunflower against a blue background could look pretty neat. It would make the slab look better, give her something to do when she's around, and would be cheap to pull off. Bottles of acrylic paint are readily available at most Walmarts in the craft department and are cheap. (Typically under a dollar per bottle.) A few bottles of yellow, brown, blue, green, in various shades and you'd be in business.

You may say you lack artistic ability to make the drawing, but there's a neat cheat for that. Simply find an image you like, maybe something like this. 

Then print it out, draw a grid pattern on top of the image using 1/4"-1/2" squares. Then divide the slab into the same number of squares (each square on the slab will be a lot bigger than the ones on the original) and simply draw what's in each little square in each bigger square. Once you get the lines laid down then you simply give each color a number and label the drawing and bottles of paint accordingly. Easy-peasy. (A bit time-consuming though.)

You'd end up with a beautiful piece of original art by your 14-year-old granddaughter instead of an ugly old slab. If you want it to last, a coat of something like white DryLok applied to the bare concrete first might be advisable. That should seal moisture from leaching up through the concrete and give the paint a nice surface to adhere to. When finished a clear coat of poly would provide extra long-term protection for the work. For under $100 in total, you could create an original (ish) piece of art for your backyard.

[Mimi 1883]

@chihuahuamom  Can you have it removed and replaced with sod? That shouldn't be too expensive.

Or, depending on the amount of sun, you could use all terra-cotta pots and plant herbs in them. Just use the same type/color pots for a uniform look. Maybe add a small chair and eventually add a birdbath in the center with the pots around it. ?? 

You may want to look on Pinterest for some ideas as well! They have a gazillion garden/patio ideas. HTH  🙂

[Snoopp]

A swing or a hammock?  Walmart has nice inexpensive outdoor furniture or Wayfair.  Wayfair is supposedly lowering prices but I haven’t checked.

[JustJazzmom]

What about plastic chairs & a few small side tables? They do sell cushions that can fit the seat bottoms too. Those pictured come from Ames Manufacturing Corp in PA. I found them last year sold at Lowe's & Rite Aid. Very inexpensive.

[Mom2Dogs]

@chihuahuamom   Fire pit is a good idea or how about a bubbler...it's relaxing..you would need electric near by or if it gets a lot of sun maybe a solar bubbler.  

We have one...it's in the ground and surrounded by a lot of pea gravel and larger stone slabs to edge it.  We really enjoy it and the maintenance is easy.

[Allegheny]

I'd probably buy a fabric raised garden bed and plant some vegetables and herbs; a project you and granddaughter still could do together.  However that would incur some cost, especially filling it with potting soil for planting.