Our gardens are a highly important aspect of our homes and require just as much TLC as the interior rooms. In our gardens, we have the opportunity to indulge in the natural world, grow plants and flowers, take in the wildlife, and to fully relax outside. Gardening has been widely associated with improving our mental health; the benefits of being around nature to encourage feeling positive and calm of mind are widely celebrated. As well as this it’s proven that sunlight can also lift one’s mood; moreover, this is because the sun can actually trigger the release of the hormone serotonin. If we do not get out in the sunshine enough then our serotonin levels can go down and cause us to feel low. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some things you can do to make the most of your garden space and get the garden of your dreams!
Beautify the patio
The patio is a significant area in our garden because this is where we often sit to relax with food, drinks, friends, and family. If you ensure this area is all in tip-top shape you’ll naturally want to spend more time in the garden, whether for a bbq, garden dinner party, or simply relaxing and reading a book in the sunshine. If you don’t already have a patio, there are patios builders you can call in to give yourself this beautiful garden boost.
If you do have a patio, an easy and straightforward way to give your patio a lift is to simply give it a good old clean up! The patio area can really quickly become dirty, and if you leave the dirt over time, it can make it harder to get off. If everything is all dirty, then it’s doubtful that you will want to use the space to eat or to relax! You can sweep the patio with a brush, and you can also put on a patio cleaner to make everything sparkle again! If you need a deeper clean, you can either use a hose or use a jet wash if you can access one. Using a jet wash is the best option, especially if your patio has hard set grime over it that is difficult to remove by scrubbing alone. If there are weeds growing up through the paving slabs, make sure you remove them, you can use scissors or a knife to pull them out or even just your hands. There’s nothing worse than weeds to make a patio area look ugly, and it won’t take long to banish them all away!
Spruce up your fences
Fences are often neglected in the world of garden revamps, yet this is a wasted opportunity. By taking care of your fences, or even getting creative with their decor, you can really make your garden look extra beautiful! You can look after your fences by either applying coats of stains or paints, this will protect them while keeping them looking lovely. You can choose either or depending on the look you are going for and the benefits of each. For example, paints are more vivid in colour and will remain on the surface of the wood whereas stains are less thick and soak into the wood, (these will leave you able to still see the grain of the wood). Unlike stains, paints will chip over time; however, the opportunity to get some beautiful bright colours into your garden is there if you’re willing to grab your brush and get going! Both options, however, contain water-repellant that will keep the wood intact from damage resulting from different weather conditions.
Spruce up your shed
If you are one of those people who accidentally piled up the clutter in your shed, now’s the time to change that! Sure we all need a little storage space, but you’ll feel better about your garden once everything is a bit neater and better arranged. Holding onto clutter that you don’t need serves no purpose and can generally make one feel lethargic, distracted, or demotivated (as this goes for your whole house too). So be brutal, throw away anything that you don’t use and organise the things you want to keep in the neatest way that you possibly can (you’ll feel better for it)! If you need a little help to store items properly, why not invest in some shelving units to stack it all sufficiently. You could also paint the shed (much as you did with the fences) to make everything in your garden look beautiful and bright. Definitely go for a paint that contains a wood preservative to ensure that you are protecting the wood, either this or apply a stain that does the job separately. If you are in the market for a he shed, there are more and more options available to you online.
Pots and herbs
Another easy way to spice up your garden life is by adding some potted plants, flowers, and herbs. If you’re not much of a gardener (yet) this is the easiest place to start and you don’t have to worry about what type of garden you have to get started. These are a gorgeously practical and low maintenance starting point to get you on your merry gardening way! First off you’ll need to choose what kind of pots you require. Ensure that your containers are going to be big enough to contain your plant. Fill your pot with compost (the type will be dependent on the kind of plants you are growing) don’t forget that compost can be improved by chucking in some water-retaining crystals. These handy things will grow when the plant is watered, later providing extra water to the plant when it needs this. Next, you’ll want to place a layer of crocks (broken pots) at the bottom of the pot. These crocks will function to stop the soil from getting lodged in the pots drainage holes. What you put in your pots is up to you from shrubs to flowers, maybe a vegetable or fruit plant? Herbs are straightforward and effective to grow too, plant them in containers, or buy some ready potted ones and you’ll be good to go!
Take care of your lawn
The importance of taking good care of your lawn should not be underestimated; one of the key things to consider is not to over-mow your lawn. Some people think that a close-cropped lawn looks neater than slightly longer grass, however, by keeping the grass at least at 3 or 4 inches tall, you may be able to stop yourself from accumulating too many weeds. This is because stronger grass will be better at fighting them, space-wise. Another thing to consider is that, although it’s tempting if there are dry spells ensure that you are overwatering your lawn. If you want to try to keep your lawn green consider watering it heavily but at intervals (not too often). Apply weed killers and fertilizers to help your lawn further; this should ensure all stays in tip-top healthy shape.
Garden Furniture Accessories
Getting yourself some stunning garden furniture and accessories can work absolute wonders for revamping your garden space. You can choose furniture that suits the interior of your home for a feel that brings everything together or takes the opportunity to use this space to define a new look. With your garden furniture it all depends on the style you are going for, do you want bright colours? An arty feel? Or some chic modern and minimalist looks. Accessory wise, you could opt for cushions and tablecloths to match the outdoor space. Ornaments and lights? Or cute birdhouses and bird feeders to encourage wildlife into your garden while making everything look fab too!
Consider the sun
It’s always a good idea to make sure that you are considering where the sun hits your garden at what time of the day to ensure that you can place your furniture and plants to compliment this! You’ll not want to be moving furniture away from your patio too much or having issues with your plants that love the sun, so make sure you take this into account, and you won’t go far wrong.
Make a plan
As with interior design, it’s a good idea to have a plan for the exterior parts of your home too. Have a little research online and in gardening magazines and decide on what kind of looks and themes you want to go for your garden. It’s much easier to have a plan in mind rather than jumping straight in and buying lots of things you like but which maybe don’t match together. Think of the colour scheme of your plants and furniture and try to coordinate them as best as you can to make everything look amazing!
Regardless of the size of your garden, you’ll want to make it look as pleasant as possible so that you and your family are more likely to spend lots of time there (when the weather permits)! Sure clearing out sheds, investing money in accessories and gardening hacks can take a little time- but you’ll unlikely regret this when you are relaxing in a beautiful space!
