Help with dark dingy outdoor passageway to our front door?

[MyGodMyThighs]

Please help me with this awful damp dark dingy little passageway! It’s north facing and gets very damp and algae ridden in winter. It’s now had two jet washes and a sweep.

First two windows nearest steps are our neighbours house so can’t do anything with that wall. And annoyingly they keep their wheely bin at the top of our steps… but the rest is open for anything.

Its got to be seriously cheap though as I’m skint.

Am building a wooden cover for the gas bottles.

I’d paint tropical foliage on the walls.

I would put up some outdoor fairy lights. £40?

For the algae, the traditional method for rooves is a line of copper wire along the top of the roof, which releases ions to prevent mould, moss and algae. You could employ this method along the top of your wall (just down a bit on your side) - hide it behind the fairy lights? It needs to be pinned tight against the wall, so any water flowing down the wall touches it. You can also use zinc wire but copper is meant to be better. £20 ish for copper wire.

Oh interesting about the copper wire! Thank you. Fairy lights also an excellent idea.

Im wondering about painting and plants,
too, but have no idea what might work where and have a history of making really bad decisions 😂

Hanging baskets up high near the top of the wall.

Needs plant pot and hanging baskets. Mirrors on the wall would work.

I'd paint the whole lot, even the floor and steps, bright white. I've no idea how much that would cost though, since it would need to be masonry paint. Then I'd add some interesting stuff to the walls like fairy lights and mirrors, or paint a bright colourful mural on it like someone else suggested. I don't know if I'd buy plants because they might not get enough sun. And dead or dying plants in pots are miserable.

Cover it in mosaic made from broken china, or if you have enough money, random brightly coloured tiles. Or even broken coloured glass (pointy bits to the back 😁).

Which way is north, OP — the wall either the gas cylinders or the opposite one?

North is the wall opposite the house, so that wall is actually south facing, but below road level and completely masked by the house from any sun - except for the very height of summer when the setting sun shines down towards the front door.

Painting the whole thing white is an interesting idea! I don’t think I’d be brave enough but have wondered about painting the ground a light grey?

You can get solar lights to brighten it up without needing wires. Some are very weak though.

id put one planter next to the gas cylinders and plant something shade tolerant that will cover the drain pipe. A couple of hebes might be ok.

What about painting with a stencil and adding plants in pots (fake if necessary).

I'd paint it white too

My DS's gf paints amazing murals. I'd go for something like a field of sunflowers and ask her to do it. I'd paint the floor in pale grey outdoor weatherproof paint. 🌻

I can't make the picture I want to share work.

It was a white painted wall with lots of wall mounted pots in bright blue with colourful flowers in them

Solar lights are a good shout. Make the canister cover a table planter, this can be made out of pallets. I’d paint it black. Then place troughs planted up with Ivy and white pansies. Pick up some trellised wall planters and fill with the same combination. White and green is lovely in space like this. I’d have 1 tall plant too in a large pot, a hydrangea, or maybe an acer. If your neighbours have somewhere else to keep their bin, I would ask them to do that. It could look wonderful. I’ve seen blank walls adorned with old tools, hub caps, sculptures, murals. I might put up a mirror. I’d want to keep it mysterious , classical and plant based, but if you want fun and colourful, or clean and modern or whatever., it’s achievable.Please don’t do fake plants though. They are just horrid.

Paint

Paint the large plain wall. I'd pick white again as the houses are white.touch up the white around the boiler flue.

Add an anti mould additive to your masonry paint.
Add some trellis, exterior mirrors and shade loving plants.

I'd consider painting the steps and floor on exterior non slip floor paint too, anything but white which will look dirty instantly. Black or a dark grey would look good & not show dirt or mildew.

If you neighbours won't or can't move their bin elsewhere see if they will, or let you, wrap it. Friends have a bin outside their living room window, no where else to put it & no room for a bin store. But they wrapped it in a dark ivy bin vinyl from eBay I think, planted next to it, and it is no longer a complete eyesore. Photo from Amazon, not theirs

I’d also paint the wall white and create a little Greek style passage way with Greek blue pots.
Solar lights too. Make it feel warm.

My sister has a similar wall and she painted a really vivid blue sort of Nike swoosh. It added visual interest and really works- but of course a cheap solution because not too much paint was needed.

You could try wet and forget. But the first thing I'd do is repaint the wall white, will make a huge difference.
What kind of jet wash did you use? As in a proper pressure washer? Surprised concrete is still so dark!
Have you tried bleach? I've done the concrete around drains etc at work with it and it brightens it up lovely.....

Do you one the alley and wall?
I'd be a bit considerate of what you do bearing in mind it's right outside your neighbours windows.
I'd get it cleaned up properly and repainted white first, personally I thibk sth like a mural could be really oppressive, I'd go for lights and sth like ivy in hanging baskets first.

My friend has old mirrors on her garden wall. Looks so cool and bounces the light! You could place them opposite some wall plants to double the effect of foliage.

And I meant to say paint the wall a vibrant colour like you see in India or Morocco.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vibrant-yellow-wall-arched-entrance-moroccan-1469178602

This could look lovely and quirky with a few additions. Outdoor runner rugs are pretty cheap and I think could look instantly great. Have attached a pic. Then white painted wall, and definitely some solar bulb fairy lights.

It looks like Cornwall to me so I would embrace the coastal vibes. Add some pebbles, shingle, driftwood, foliage slate (ferns work well in shade abd damp)...think like that fern gully bit at Heligan. Obviously you would need pots or planters for the plants.

https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-create-a-delightful-seaside-garden/