Stunning gardens are a treat for our senses. Dynamic colors, diverse designs, the fragrant smell of flowers, the insects and birds that populate the space – a garden is a living, breathing captivation of nature.
While producing a beautiful garden is hard work, it’s far from impossible. For a helpful starter point, read the following five tips:
Add vibrancy with flowers
If there’s a starting point for designing an attractive garden, it’s with the greenery and flowers. A patch of plants can jazz up even the drabbest of spaces.
When selecting plants for your garden, consider going with a certain theme or color scheme. The theme could be Mediterranean, Japanese or cottage-inspired, while a set color pattern assists with giving your garden an appealing balance.
With regards to flower colors, take into account how pale-colored flowers give your garden a more spacious feeling. They give it a brighter, lighter feeling as opposed to hot colors – like red – which can cause small spaces to feel cramped and stuffy.
Have a dedicated seating space
Is there any point in having a beautiful garden if you can’t fully enjoy it? To do this, one of the best options is featuring a seating area in the garden. This way you can unwind in comfort, surrounded by the soothing segments of nature you’ve created.
There are numerous choices available when opting for a dedicated seating space. One of the most popular is a patio. It provides a well-sized area, free from other garden features, which is great for relaxing and mingling with others. Add a barbecue and a patio and it’s the perfect space for outdoor dining.
If your garden doesn’t have enough space to facilitate a patio, not all hope is lost. A bench, deck chairs, or, for the more adventurous, a hammock – all of these supply a comfortable spot for your garden.
Get creative
In your house, the garden is where you can truly unleash your creativity. You can upcycle old furniture by giving it a splash of paint. Repurpose an old bathtub and turn it into an eye-catching display with a vibrant flowerbed. Add a little flourish to a fence with some charming bird ornaments. The possibilities, as they say, are endless.
When getting creative, you should add a focal point (or two) to your garden. This could be anything from a flamboyant water feature to a sunken trampoline that’ll delight younger residents.
Don’t go overboard
If you are viewing various garden examples for inspiration, there is a temptation to try and shoehorn a million ideas into your plot of land. However, it is important to curb your enthusiasm and not throw everything at the wall. A cluttered, overly busy garden will only be memorable for the wrong reasons.
To avoid going overboard, consider the following points:
- Ensure the garden paths are spacious and free from overhanging plants.
- If the garden is spacious enough, keep it simple with a patch of versatile turf.
- Limit the amount of focal points. Too many can cause the garden to appear overdone.
- Small garden? If so, utilize the vertical space with the likes of hanging baskets and railings. This will clear up floor space.
- Don’t be overzealous with your flower options. A variety of flowers is fine, but you want to avoid planting every species or turning it into a confusing fever dream of colors.
Be diligent with maintenance
Once the garden has been transformed into a stunning, tranquil slice of paradise, you might believe the work is all done. In reality, this is only the start. It’s vital you stay on top of everything and consistently maintain the garden.
Thankfully, not much effort is required if you’re diligent. This includes watering all flowers and lawns once or twice a week. If doing this manually doesn’t sound too appealing, there’s the option of well pumps that feature a sprinkler system. Combine this with an irrigation system, and you can automatically schedule watering the garden, which is ideal if you’re away from home for an extended period of time.
Aside from the issue of watering, maintenance also requires tending to weeds. If you plant beds in a dense fashion, this will minimize space for any weeds to develop. Although if you see any weeds crop up, remove the source immediately. To do this, use a weeding trowel to get at the roots.
Oh, and you should mow the lawn frequently and keep it at around 3-4cm. This leaves the grass long enough so it can continue to grow healthily, while it’s also short enough to appear nice and neat.