It’s getting to that time of year where we’re thinking about what we want to do with our gardens. Little ideas come into our head about changes that we could make, and the what seem like distant memories of last years parties aren’t seeming so far away for this year. If you’re an avid gardener, it’s likely that you love to show off all of your hard work, and why not? When you’re entertaining, there’s nothing better than the great company you’re in complimenting your home and your garden. So, are you looking for ideas for how you can improve your garden this year? Take a look at these trending garden ideas that you absolutely must try.
Photo by Eco Warrior Princess on Unsplash
Welcome the wildlife
One thing that really makes a garden spectacular is when wildlife feels comfortable enough to enjoy your garden too. And we’re not just talking about birds and bees here either. Take a look at these ideas to welcome the wildlife into your garden:
- Place small shelters around your garden in secluded areas like behind your hedges so that smaller creatures like hedgehogs have places to create a nest and keep warm during colder seasons.
- Provide bird feeders around your garden with a mixture of seeds, bread, and nuts so that small animals such as birds and squirrels have access to food at all times.
- Plant some berries. Animals such as butterflies drink the nectar from the blossoms.
- Digging a pond so that animals such as frogs, toads, and tadpoles can set up a home for themselves.
There’s something very satisfying and relaxing about seeing animals in your garden without them being frightened or uncomfortable. Welcome the wildlife to your garden!
Setting the ambiance
If you’re someone who regularly likes to entertain during the summer seasons, then you should be thinking about the ambiance that you’re setting in your garden. Here are some ideas on how you can set the ambiance in your garden:
- Buy some windchimes and scatter them around your garden. A mixture of wooden and metal chimes will create beautiful sounds throughout your garden.
- Create a water feature so that you’ve got the gentle sound of water trickling when you’re in the garden. It’s more relaxing than you think!
- Consider alternative lighting for when the sun finally sets but you’re not quite ready to head indoors yet. Gooseneck barn lights are really in trend because of their shapely designs and old-fashioned feel that they give off.
Photo by Thomas Hafeneth on Unsplash
Choosing a theme
One of the best and easiest ways of making your garden stand out from the rest is by following a theme throughout your garden. Believe it or not, you can have anything from an all natural look to a contemporary and modern design. Match your garden furniture with the kind of look you’re going for, and remember to keep the colors in mind if you are going for a particular theme in your garden! So, if you wanted a very Mediterranean look in your garden, you’d stick to wicker garden furniture and the color terracotta. Likewise, with a more modern look, you’d go for metal and glass furniture with bold colors. Think about your theme so that you can wow your guests this year.
Put your architectural skills to the test
One of the greatest ways of impressing your guests is by building something from scratch. And no, we don’t mean buying a new shed and building it from a flat pack box either. We’re talking about building a BBQ out of bricks from scratch or creating your own pergola for plants to grow around during the summer. Anything that shows off your architectural skills will be sure to impress your friends and family. Not sure where to begin? There are tons of guides on Pinterest which can help guide you in building your own brick BBQ. Plus, isn’t it always a really satisfying moment when you’ve made something without any help at all?
Wood is always good
If you’re someone who cares about the environment, then you may have a problem with using furniture that’s made out of materials which are hard for the earth to dispose of. In these cases, the best idea is to use wood because it’s widely recycled and non-harmful to the earth. However, it’s not just the recyclable qualities that we’re looking at, there are many ways that you can use wood in the garden to improve it looks too. Check it out:
- Get some railway sleepers and create funky benches in your garden for people to sit on.
- Create a decked area for those particularly muddy days, and for furniture to lie flat on too.
- Wooden garden furniture will look great and be safe for the environment.
- Add trellises to the side of your home or even your shed so that plants can begin to climb them.
- Even wooden play equipment for the children will be long-lasting and sturdy enough so you know it’s safe.
Basically, kitting your garden out with wood will help you out more than you can imagine and it’s also helping you contribute towards saving our planet.
Create a garden that looks after itself
If you’re one of those people that wants a nice garden but doesn’t have as much time as they’d like to tend to it, then why not create a garden that looks after itself? (well, mostly anyway). Here are some ideas to help you create this and make your life easier:
- Get rid of grass or turf. While it looks nice, in the summer months you will be spending many hours trimming your lawn. Plus, getting rid of grass can help eliminate weeds around the edges of your lawn.
- Use shrubbery that falls under the category of evergreens. This will save you having to pick up lots of dead leaves in the fall – and they look great all year round!
- Install sprinklers for plants that need watering often, this will save you having to worry if you’re working late.
- Use fencing rather than hedges around your garden, eliminating the need to trim it every month or so.
Alternatively, you could hire a gardener to come in and keep up the hard work that you’ve put into your garden. Things, like cutting grass and trimming hedges, shouldn’t be too taxing for even a newbie gardener!
Become environmentally friendly
We touched earlier on how increasing the amount of wood in your garden is better for the environment, so why stop at just that? Why not build yourself a vegetable patch so that you’re contributing to the environment even more? You’ll be growing your own produce and refusing to buy or eat produce that’s been sprayed in insecticides and other nasty chemicals. Plus, you’ll become way more self-sufficient too! Vegetable patches aren’t difficult to maintain either, just follow the instructions on the seed packets and make sure they’re in the right environment for them to grow properly.
As you can see, there are many different garden ideas that you could be trying this year, and most if not all of them aren’t going to cost you an arm and a leg to do either. Which one are you going to choose for your garden this year?
Author: Katie Whiteshaw
