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The weather is glorious. At this time of year there is nothing we want more than to get out into our gardens and enjoy the sun and the warm evenings. There has to be more to it than just getting out, sitting on a lounger and drinking cocktails though, so how can we make the most of our gardens this summer? Here we give 6 great ideas of how you can improve your garden experience.
Entertaining
We all love to entertain don’t we and, typically that just means we all sit around a table on the patio, but why not create a bespoke entertainment area? If you only have lawn to your garden, consider building a small decked area or lay some patio slabs. This will allow you to use the space even if it has been raining. The last thing you want is to entertain in mud. Once you have your hard standing area, you can embellish it and make it your own, what about putting a trellis over it, which you can add some lights or even install a simple awning. This will mean that you can be safe from the rain if needed. Add some comfortable garden sofas, a fire pit, a coffee table, sprinkle in some garden lights or outside candles and for the real party people, why not install some outside speakers? With a bit of imagination, you can create a really cosy, intimate entertainment area for you and your friends and family to enjoy.
Vertical garden
Most of us have the standard lawn with a border and perhaps a few tubs filled with beautiful flowers and there is nothing wrong with that, but we all miss a trick and we don’t use the height in the garden. Why not create a vertical garden? If you’ve built that trellis for your entertainment area, you can plant climbers to grow up the support posts, or how about some grape vines? You can also use the garden wall or fence to create another dimension to your planting. For a unique look try varying your planters. You can reuse anything from old plastic bottles to wellies to pallets and even buy a bespoke vertical garden kit. There are some really creative vertical garden ideas on this page by Horticulture.co.uk.
Aesthetics
Now this might seem a little mundane, but your garden will grow at pace over the summer and can, very quickly become a little ragged and overgrown, so spend some time making all your plants, shrubs lawn and trees look neat and tidy. You’d be amazed what a difference a bit of pruning and tidying does to the overall feel of your garden space.
Shape your lawn
If your lawn is the normal square or rectangle, why not shape it and create some flowing curves or strange angles to turn it into a bit of a talking point? You can let your imagination run wild with you, but if you’re struggling for some ideas, try some of these ideas on the trulawn.co.uk website you are bound to find something that suits you.
Create a quiet area
At the other end of the entertainment spectrum is creating a hideaway for someone to escape to and find some peace from the daily grind. Find a little nook in your garden and plant some climbers, bushy plants or build some shielding to keep external noise out. Put some comfortable seating in place and, for the more adventurous of you, enclose it all with either fencing or bushes with only a small entrance to create a secret retreat. If you really want to push the boat out why not go for something like a Tepee or even an enclosed dome?
Play area
If you have little ones, then creating a dedicated space to play just for them is a great idea, but rather than buying everything new, why not try some upcycling? You’d be amazed what you can do with some old pallets. Ask around on your local Facebook group to see who has any, quite often people are just giving them away. We found some great pallet play areas, mud kitchens and forts on Pinterest which are all made using pallets. Don’t forget to give them a good sanding before allowing little ones to use it!
We hope we’ve given you some great ideas on how to make the most of your garden experience this summer, but the main thing is to get out there and just enjoy yourself.
