Garden · Summer dreams

My garden my little private island

As soon as it turns warm outside, I’m hard to get back indoors. My garden has grown slowly over the years – much of it self-built, much of it gathered together, much of it loved. Come along, let me show you what I find especially lovely out here.

Sunny summer garden spot with wooden deck, oleander in a basket, lavender and a Labrador on the lawn

Summer in the garden · oleander, wooden deck and a contented dog

There are those days when everything comes together: warm wooden boards underfoot, a hint of lavender in the air, oleander in a basket planter, and right in the middle of it my dog, who knows exactly where the sun stays longest. It’s for moments like these that I garden.

Self-built dining table on the terrace with Rivièra Maison lettering

The dining table · heart of the terrace

In summer, pretty much everything happens at the dining table – breakfast, long afternoons, evenings with friends, a glass of wine, fairy lights overhead. I built the table myself, which is why I love it so much. And the best part: for a few euros’ worth of materials, there now stands a piece that looks like it came from a furniture shop.

How the table came to be

From the hardware store to a favourite piece

I picked up a few thick planks from the hardware store, built the tabletop and the legs from them, sanded everything nice and smooth and finally coated it with boat varnish – that way the thing really withstands a lot, rain and sun don’t bother it. The “Rivièra Maison” lettering I simply stuck on with adhesive letters – looks bought, but it’s ten minutes of work.

What you need

Thick plank boards · from the hardware store, cut to length
Table legs · four sturdy ones, also from the hardware store
Screws & brackets · for stable joints
Sandpaper · coarse & fine, for smooth edges
Boat varnish · weatherproof, in several thin coats
Brush & cloth · for applying and wiping
Adhesive letters · for the lettering

View into the garden with lantern, beach-house cushion and Le Jardinier pot

Cosy garden corner with Adirondack chairs and fairy lights in the evening

Quiet corners · two favourite points of view in the garden

Self-built white beach chair with Private Beach Club lettering

The beach chair · Private Beach Club

My retreat · Private Beach Club

If I could only have one spot in the garden – it would be this one. My beach chair. A view of the hydrangeas, blue-and-white stripes inside, a little porthole on the side, “Private Beach Club” lettering on the front. Feels like a holiday without me having to travel anywhere. And the best part: I didn’t buy this one either.

And the secret

From an old frame to a new favourite spot

I’d been given an old beach chair – completely worn out, the wickerwork hanging in tatters, the fabric thoroughly yellowed. Really a case for the bulky-waste collection. But the basic frame was still okay. So first I tore out everything that no longer worked, clad the whole thing in wood, put boat varnish over it, and finally fitted new blue-and-white outdoor fabric inside. The old thing has become my favourite summer spot.

What you need

Old beach-chair frame · flea market or classified ads
Wooden boards for cladding · narrow profiled boards work best
Screws & staples · for the cladding
Boat varnish · weatherproof, white for the country-house look
Brush & sandpaper · for the wooden surface
Outdoor fabric · blue-and-white striped, UV- and waterproof
Foam & upholstery material · for the new cushions
Final details · lettering, porthole, maritime decor

“Almost everything out here I picked up second-hand somewhere – flea markets, classified ads, sometimes given to me by neighbours. With a bit of boat varnish and some patience, it always turns into something really lovely.”

The pool · day & night

In summer, the little wooden pool is the absolute main attraction. A quick dip during the day between the grasses and the fig tree – wonderful. And in the evening, when the fairy lights come on and the lanterns flicker, the whole corner feels like a holiday. Without having to go anywhere.

Wooden pool in summer light between grasses and a fig tree

Pool in the evening, cosily lit with fairy lights and lanterns

Summer still life · two moods, one favourite spot

In high summer, everything simply happens out here. Breakfast with birdsong, afternoons by the pool, evenings with friends at the table, and when it gets late, sitting in the beach chair a little longer and gazing at the stars. My little piece of Riviera – right in the middle of Saarland.