Summer is approaching swiftly and with it comes lovely warm, sunny days, balmy winds, and birds and bees are lured by the blooming flowers. Your garden can become a haven for you and your family and friends in the summer months, a place for entertainment and relaxation, a place to make memories. It can be glorious, but only if you put a little effort in now, as the growing season is about to start.
It’s no secret that tending to your garden is vastly different from caring for your beloved houseplants, and if you aren’t entirely sure where to start with your outdoor sanctuary, here’s what you can do to spruce up your garden and make it that magical space you want!
Water Brings Life
Let’s start with relaxation. You want to create a calm, peaceful environment to read or nap, or perhaps to have afternoon tea with family? One of the quickest ways to accomplish that zen feeling is to employ water. Whether it’s a small pond with a few koi fish or beautiful water features for your garden, the visual tranquillity of water and the sound of it flowing and trickling encourages a meditative atmosphere and gentle vibe. Water is also a great attractor for birds and other little life forms! Be sure to get a professional to install ponds and features so you don’t damage your garden with seepage when cracks form.
There are a ton of enchanting water feature designs out there to consider, which means you will be able to find the perfect decor centerpiece for your garden that will essentially tie your outdoor design theme together. What’s more, investing in such an incredible accent piece means you won’t have to worry too much about your garden decor as a few planters and a water feature is more than enough to complete enchanting garden designs. However, you could also consider installing a few charming garden lights or fairy lights to add a sense of magic to the atmosphere outside in the evenings.
Vertical Gardening – Up & Away
In many gardens, space really is an issue. One of the biggest current trends is maximizing space and vertical planting is absolutely the way to do it. There are many ways to create a vertical garden: using fence space with light hanging plants, mounting planter boxes on a solid wall and planting them up with herbs for the kitchen, creepers with cascading flowers, or even a living eco wall! The options are plentiful and can fit in easily with your choice of gardening style and can be customized to your space.
Multipurpose Plants
You want to be out in your garden in the summertime and what better way to draw people outside then plants that not only look good but serve a purpose too! Small fruit trees and berry shrubs are fun to grow and will deliver more than just their beautiful greenery! Delicious fruits for summer salads are great. On the other hand, there are plants with incredible scents that make spending time in the garden a wonderful sensory experience. Roses, jasmine, abelias, and many more – some are even night flowering making a lovely evening stroll through the garden an appealing summertime activity.
Lovely Lighting
Lighting is an essential part of a garden especially if you’re planning pool parties, barbecues or evening drinks. The one thing you want to avoid is bright glaring light, it can really detract from the beauty of the garden and also make it feel very unnatural. Harsh lights at night can also potentially do damage to plants, making them believe that daylight has returned, causing them to start growing at the wrong times. Flowers are especially affected in this way. Choose a few places, like walkways, to highlight and keep your sensitive plants in mind.
Your garden should speak to you on a spiritual level and therefore, you should decorate according to your specific and individual preferences rather than attempting to replicate images of perfect gardens from home magazines. While recreating images will ultimately end up frustrating, you should rather garden to enjoy your outdoor space as the process is part of the experience. Unlike home interior design, gardening is a favored hobby for so many homeowners simply because the practice of spending time in nature is able to provide notable calming and stress relieving benefits among others. Therefore, don’t be in too much of a rush to complete your outdoor sanctuary and rather enjoy the journey to creating your own personal outdoor retreat.
