Thread: Mirrors in the Garden

Hi leahciM

The only thing I know about mirrors and gardens is to place them carefully, so the reflection doesn't blind anyone, or shine into a dwelling eg when watching tv or using a computer or anything else.

cheers
Wendy

I have seen mirrors used in surburban tropical gardens in behind the plants in the shade. That way they add to the percepted depth of the garden but are unlikely to reflect sunlight as Wendy mentioned.

rekon that you might attract a few birds, birds love looking at themselfs in the mirror.

Use the mirrors !!! Just be careful where/what they reflect light on. I knew a bloke who used mirrors to warm a cold south facing room. It worked !! He also damaged paint work and plastic where mirror reflections overlapped.

Have you ever been blinded by sun reflection I'm with rufflyrustic

Good garden design is 90% observation (Bill Mollison)

I'd be careful that they are not anywhere that they might get walked into, or if in the case that they do break that you can clean the glass easily and safely (not digging it out of the garden bed with bloody hands 10 years down the track). I would use it mounted onto a fixed wall with an area of gravel mulch under it with plants surrounding. Could be fantastic to extend perception of space, focus attention onto a focal point or just provide a bit of a surpriseing element. Please post photos if you decide to do it.
Cheers
Justine

How are you going to prevent water damage?

Originally Posted by echnidna

How are you going to prevent water damage?

Is water a problem? Haven't got too far in the thinking yet. These are old mirrors, with some damage already - not fit for inside use anymore. I was thinking of mounting them to a piece of 15mm structural ply, either with glue/silicone and/or bolts through the holes. Either capping, flashing or sealant should stop water getting down the back I guess.

Cheers
Michael

Hi, FWIW, I put in a mirror behind a water feature quite some years ago. the mirror people were all shy and hesitant about the install because of water damage causing pealing of the back of the mirror. I ordered one eventually with an aluminium frame and had it hung - it was pretty much constantly wet, and showed no sign of ageing when I sold the house about 4 years later.

I did however have the frame installed with silicon under. If you can protect the edges then great - sounnds like if they are already 'aged' you are going to be needing to hide the edges behind frame anyway. Another good look I have seen BTW is to make a frame within brickwork and put the mirroe in the 'grottto" - tends to look like a throughway rather than on a flat wall where it looks like a mirror - mine was on a flat wall - but the mirror look was what I was after. Have since used same on the back of my island bench and splashback in kitchen (Mirror Mad!)

Move to Sydney
We don't get any rain here!!!