Time to give your garden a shakeup; is it in need of a makeover? We all like to have a change every so often, and it not only applies to ourselves, our home, but why not our garden?
Here are seven ideas that you may like to consider from Rattan Direct, furniture specialists designed to bring a garden to life and make it liveable all year round.
FIRST GLANCE
When you look out of your backroom windows what do you see? Does it appeal, match up to the quality and finish of your interior home decorations, or does it let all your other efforts down? If it makes you sigh, then it’s definitely time to get out there and make a few alterations. Think of your window view as a painting, would you have it on your wall? Do a quick sketch of what you would like to see, bearing in mind the practicality of suddenly having tall trees or a lovely summerhouse, quite that instantly.
THE BOUNDARIES
Your surrounding fences may need repair or just completely replacing, depending on the view beyond, and whether you wish to keep it in sight. There are numerous natural or aesthetic substitutions that will smarten up your borders. If it’s an ugly wall, then paint it, and start to grow some creeping plants, that will cover and break up its formal character.
CLEAR OUT
A common used phrase is ‘If in doubt, grub it out.’ A fresh start not only gets rid of uninspiring growth, but helps to freshen up the soil, especially if you feed it by digging in some fertiliser.
LOOK FOR IDEAS
There are so many fantastic home and gardening magazines, full of coloured photos and ideas, that maybe you have not thought of. You don’t have to buy them all, libraries stock such publications, go and do a bit of investigation. Consider colours, seasons and heights of intended growth. Imaginative ideas are worth pursuing, but bear in mind the difficulty of construction or undergoing a major overhaul. Costs and functionality are best considered calmly and preferably with the whole family. Decide what you really want, and if it is possible. Remember maintenance is a big part of any gardens requirements.
HIDE THE RUBBISH
Having your waste bin just outside the kitchen backdoor, may be very useful, but it hardly looks elegant. Why not let your creative skills bloom and design a place for the bins to reside that actually looks pretty. Make a little house, use wood, rustic bricks, plenty of colours and of course some flowers. Likewise keep the compost heap out of sight. Buy some ceramic or terracotta pots and containers.
BREAK UP THE VIEW
It may be nice to just have a big back lawn, with a flower bed running around the edge, but isn’t that a bit boring? Try sectioning off areas, by partly cutting across the site line with a hedge, small conifers, a trellis, or rose bushes. A straight path heading into the far reaches of your garden may be functional, but why not have something that turns a few corners or just happily meanders between your flowers, lawn, and vegetable patch? Encaustic tiles and patterned concrete tiles, or small brick pavers, are excellent for paths, and makes them look attractive. If you have uneven ground to cope with and don’t want to expend a lot of time and energy levelling your garden you could use gravel but it tends to spread and is not kind on tiny knees. Small steps to different levels can look very ornamental.
USE WHAT IS THERE
If you are lucky enough to have trees, consider if they could be trimmed to open up your vista. It always helps to also open up overgrown shrubs. Trees are ideal for children, provided you design carefully, what about a tree house or rustic swing? Some people may have a small pond that could be made to look very pretty with Japanese water stones. Having circulating running water via a small ornamental but natural waterfall, keeps the pond fresh, cutting down on the potential for insects. Areas of concrete may prove too difficult to remove, so clad it in natural wood decking or reclaimed timber that has integrity to it
This blog post was written by Rattan Direct, furniture experts and specialists in supplying high quality garden products to suit all styles of gardens. Using sympathetic garden furniture such as Rattan Direct’s excellent range, will give you an outside living area to enjoy all year round.