After four wet summers and two severe winters several of our oriental ornaments were very much in need of rejuvenation. Our garden stepping stones each have the name of one of the seasons (spring/summer/autumn/winter) in Chinese.

We gave them all a good scrub under water using a fairly firm plastic brush. Next day they were warm and dry so firstly we applied the red paint base coat however this bright red is not the final colour!

After the quick drying base coat of red paint we next applied a scanty antique black spray and used a cloth to remove excess black. We leave stepping stones a bit darker like these; however, we prefer some of the other ornaments, like the Foo dogs, to be a brighter red than this!

As a final stage we next would apply a laquer spray which would enhance the colours, give them a sheen and also some extra protection against the elements.