When renovating your home, the garden is often the last space you think about doing up. When you’re focussing on the inside, the outside can be overlooked. But a well-designed and styled garden can be a beautiful extension of your house, and become a space you can enjoy all summer. Here are some quick tips to get your garden summer ready and up to the standard of the rest of your house.
Think About How You’ll Use Your Garden
What are you going to use the garden for? Do you want a space for the kids to play, or somewhere to entertain friends in the evening? Are you someone who enjoys gardening or are you looking for something more low maintenance? Will you be growing flowers or vegetables?
When you’ve decided on what you need the space to do, you can plan a design. You can prioritise a lawn for games, a patio for seating or a space for a vegetable garden.
Be realistic about the space you have to work with. If you have a small garden, priortise the things you want most instead of trying to pack in a design that’s better suited to a large garden. Don’t set your heart on growing your own vegetables if the soil is poor quality and you usually can’t keep a cactus alive. If your children use the garden to play rugby, don’t fill the space with delicate plants that can’t survive a ball landing among them.
Mark Your Boundaries
Nothing spoils the look of your garden like falling down fence panels or rusting fence posts. Invest in a good quality, hard-wearing fence. Something sturdy will stand up to the weather and will be cheaper to maintain in the long term. You could go with a traditional wood or a more modern material. Aluminium is a strong, low-maintenance option for your fencing that looks smart.
A sturdy fence can offer privacy, an anchor for climbing plants, and security to deter intruders and keep young children or pets in.
Consider Safety
Consider who is going to regularly use the garden and make sure you’ve taken any necessary safety precautions for them. This could mean filling in or covering a pond if you have small children, or making sure any steps are clearly marked if you have elderly relatives or have failing eyesight. If you have pets, make sure anything you plant is safe for them if they decide to eat or chew any thing in the garden.
It isn’t nice to think about potential accidents, but making sure the garden is safe will minimise the risk of anything happening, and means you can enjoy your garden without worries.
Set up storage
A dedicated garden storage area stops your newly renovated house from getting full of clutter that belongs outside. You’ll need somewhere to store any gardening tools, a lawn-mower or any garden furniture that can’t be left outside in bad weather. This could be a large storage box, a shed or a space in the garage. A brightly coloured shed can be made into a fun, pretty feature, especially with some climbing plants on the side.
Plan your plants
Not everything will grow well anywhere. Find out what kind of soil you have in your garden to help you decide what to plant. Take note of where and when your garden gets the sun. You can use this to decide where to put flower beds or sitting areas, and decide what to plant.
Consider your gardening experience when you decide what to plant too. If you’re a beginner, choose hardy plants rather than something that will need lots of skill and attention.
Light it up
Lighting can add an extra special something to your garden. Start by planning practical lighting. Light up any areas where you might like to sit at night, and any paths or entrances to the house.
You can also use lighting to highlight any favourite areas or plants. You can choose different colours to create beautiful effects and show off your planting.
Create views
Most people only think about what their garden looks like while they’re in it, but can you can get even more enjoyment out of it from inside the house too. Which windows can you see the garden out of, and how does it look from there?
Create a space that looks great to be looked at out of the living room window, or while you’re standing at the sink washing up so you can feel proud of your outdoor space even if the weather isn’t letting you be out in it.
Be brave with colour
Use colour to make your garden unique. Pick a colour scheme that will bring you joy to look at, and choose plants that will work with that. Bright flowers are the easiest way to add colour, but certainly not the only way.
You could choose bright deckchairs in a funky pattern, or buy tableware for outside in colours that complement your flowers. Paint the front door a cheerful shade to make you smile when you come home. Paint the shed like a beach hut, or choose colourful fence panels to add colour in unexpected ways. A garden can be so much more than green.
Choose the right seating
A garden’s no good if you can’t relax in it. Choose a mix of seating to fit how you’re going to use the garden. A picnic table or a set of table and chairs is ideal for eating outside. Look at comfortable deck chairs or outdoor sofas for relaxing with a book or a glass of wine. Why not treat yourself to a hammock for lazy days snoozing in the sunshine? A range of seating gives you a range of ways to enjoy the garden.
With a bit of planning and some creative thinking, you can create the perfect garden for you and your family. Create a space that works with your well planned home and that you can enjoy for years to come.
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Use colour to make your garden unique. Pick a colour scheme that will bring you joy to look at, and choose plants that will work with that. According to the flower’s expert from lamouretfleurs.com, a bright flowers are the easiest way to add colour, but certainly not the only way.
You could choose bright deckchairs in a funky pattern, or buy tableware for outside in colours that complement your flowers. Paint the front door a cheerful shade to make you smile when you come home. Paint the shed like a beach hut, or choose colourful fence panels to add colour in unexpected ways. A garden can be so much more than green.
According to RJ Fencing Brisbane, a well known Brisbane fencing contractor, a fence completes a garden setting, adding privacy and a personal touch to your outdoors area.