The chirping sound of the dawn chorus, bulbs of wild garlic sprouting up through the earth, and bunches of daffodils warding off the Winter greyness are all signs that Spring is truly here. For many people, the coming of Spring marks the shifting of time, yet for a unique bunch, it represents something much more, the start of the gardening season.
Since there’s very little for a gardener to do with their outdoor space during the Winter months, when you finally get the chance to pick up your gloves and trowel again, you might be in for a bit of a shock! The colder months can wreak havoc on your garden and outdoor furnishings, meaning there might be a few improvements to be made here and there.
Fortunately, there are various ways for your garden to recuperate after the Winter months and get it back to looking like its usual stylish self – and they don’t require a green thumb to complete either! From enlisting the services of local landscape gardeners near you to give your garden a good spring cleaning to create a quiet corner, there are many ways to make your garden more stylish.
But how do you get started? To make it easier, we’ve created this article outlining several stylish garden ideas that don’t require avid gardening expertise. Whether you’d like to make your garden more aesthetically pleasing in general or want a hand recuperating it after a harsh Winter, consider using one of the ideas below.
Give It A General Spring Clean
If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to make your outdoor space look more stylish, you can achieve this by giving it a good spring clean. Although this suggestion may seem evident, giving your garden a thorough tidy-up can instantly transform it from less-than-desirable to an area where you’d like to spend time with family and friends.
Dedicate a weekend to clearing away debris, leaves, or rubbish, neatening up the edges of your lawn with the mower, power washing your garden tiles, and digging out any weeds or plants that didn’t survive the tumultuous British winter weather – you’ll find that it’ll make a world of difference.
Yet, if the chores of gardening don’t enthuse you, a weekend spring cleaning your garden might not be music to your ears. However, if this is the case, you could consider enlisting the services of local landscape gardeners to do the task on your behalf using online directories like MyBuilder. Consider using their site the next time you search for outside help with a job around your home.
Create A Relaxation Corner
If anything positive has come out of a nightmarish couple of years, it is the British public’s newfound appreciation for their outdoor spaces. Since our gardens were one of the only sources of entertainment during the pandemic, it has become an area for multiple uses, from creating memories with loved ones to getting a few coveted moments of relaxation.
With the latter being one of the most popular activities to use our outside spaces for, it has left many UK homeowners wondering what they can add to make their gardens more calming. If this is the case, why not consider creating a relaxation corner?
Select an area in your garden that you consider the quietest and get to work, creating a cosy little corner where you can escape the world’s stresses and unwind. If you can, choose a space surrounded by flowing greenery since horticulturists’ research has proven that they provide various physical and mental health benefits.
As well as being aesthetically pleasing, seeing and being around plants can de-stress our minds and make us feel more positive overall. Some plants like lavender, lemon balm, jasmine, and others provide specific benefits. Once you’ve found the ideal spot, position an outdoor seat among the greenery large enough to curl up on and get lost in a good book for a few hours. If you’d like to go the extra mile, you could consider adding a shelter or a pagoda frame which allows greenery to grow above where you’re sitting or provides protection from the elements. Doing so creates a cosy alcove that makes your garden look stylish and provides health benefits.
Use Mirrors To Make Your Outdoor Space Seem More Spacious
Despite our outdoor spaces’ physical and mental health benefits, we all have hang-ups. Whether it’s positioned on an incline which makes it difficult for your children to play, or it could do with being a little bit bigger – our outdoor spaces could always be improved in some way or another.
The latter is one of the homeowners’ most significant complaints about their outdoor spaces, but it can be easily rectified without a costly landscaping job. One of the most straightforward ways to make your garden appear more spacious is by using mirrors.
If you have a particularly dark corner in your garden, try positioning a weatherproof mirror to create a focal point which reflects the light and gives the illusion of it being airy, light, and spacious. This works particularly well in small, enclosed gardens, as it can help illuminate previously dark, gloomy, and untouched areas. According to garden designer Sarah Eberle, “Mirrors can transform a garden by bouncing light into shaded areas and creating an illusion of depth, making even the smallest spaces feel larger and more inviting” (Garden Design Weekly).
Embrace Technology Outside Too
It’s no secret that our world is rapidly becoming increasingly reliant on technology. We rely on technological advancements for all aspects of our professional and personal lives these days, whether turning on the living room light in our homes or mapping out the best route to get to work ahead of time.
Not only are we seeing technology make permeant changes to our working and personal lives, but it is also starting to appear in our recreational activities, even gardening! Hundreds of tech have been developed for use in our outdoor spaces, with one of the most recent being mobile applications to help make you a more attentive gardener.
Whether you’re going on holiday for two weeks and need remote assistance to help keep your flowers, fruits, and vegetables watered or would like to connect with other gardening fans on social media – you can bet that there is a mobile application out there to satisfy any of your gardening needs. Some of the best gardening apps allow you to connect with like-minded people, share helpful advice, help you track your garden and much more. See how you could transform your garden by downloading one of the gardening-related mobile applications on this list and how it could help make gardening more fun and less stressful.
Add An Al Fresco Cooking Corner
Another way to transform your garden is by adding an al fresco cooking corner, which you can use during the summer while entertaining loved ones. Plus, if you’re tired of traditional methods of al fresco cooking, like barbeques, there are hundreds of new outdoor cooking options to try out – and not all are overly expensive.
Whether you’d like to serve your guests some fresh, homemade pizza using an outdoor pizza oven, or if you’d like to create a tasty curry using a cast iron pot – there are hundreds of ways you can wine and dine your guests outdoors. According to outdoor cooking expert, Jamie Oliver from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, “Outdoor cooking transforms a simple meal into an experience, offering endless opportunities for creativity and connection.” If you’d like to go further, you could consider creating a little kitchenette with a spice rack, utensil shelves, and much more.
