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If you’re anything like us, you will have spent so much time in the garden last summer and will be planning another summer with a lot of time spent at home. So how do you make your garden the place to be this summer? Here are a few ideas, taking inspiration from Very’s Home and Garden range.
Invest in practical garden furniture
I’ve come to realise that garden furniture comes in so many different styles and sizes but for family life having furniture that is practical makes all the difference. Because of that, we have a dining furniture set to eat at and then other furniture that is purely to use to relax and unwind.
Work out what furniture you need in the garden. It might be furniture to use to eat outside. It might be furniture to relax and enjoy your morning cup of coffee before the day gets too hot. Or, it might be a lounger to sunbathe on or benches to frame your outdoor space. Get practical furniture that works with how you’ll be using your outside space.
Bring in some shade
As much as everyone loves the sun, there are times when you just want to be out of it. We have a south facing garden and so get direct sun all day. This is fantastic but it also means that we really need shade so the children can play outside without being in the sun for too long.
Parasols are great for shade and can easily be moved around the garden when needed. With cantilever or traditional parasols there are ones to suit all garden designs. Make sure you get good quality bases or supports to stop the parasols falling over in the wind.
An alternative option could be a more permanent structure like a pergola or gazebo. Or, you could even get a trendy sail shade if it worked with your garden layout.
Soften the area
Whether you have maily lawn, patio or decking, it’s great to soften your garden with some nice homely accessories. Garden rugs are a recent discovery of mine that are fantastic for bringing the outside space together and also give the children somewhere extra to play, bringing all their toys outside to enjoy on a garden rug.
Cushions, beanbags, throws and even footstools are great for making the garden feel homely. They’re practical, add extra comfort and give the children something else for making dens and assault courses in the garden too! This is definitely the sort of thing you have to think about when planning a garden for the whole family.
Add decoration
You add accessories to every room in your home, so don’t forget the garden. We love having bunting along our fences, twinkly solar powered lights for when the sun goes down and candles or lanterns dotted around to give a really homely feel at any time of the day.
You can add strings of lights throughout the garden and there are some beautiful trends at the moment to bring more of the indoors outside by adding mirrors, ornaments and even things like flower walls and decorative screens. Add whatever suits your tastes and your outdoor space.
Don’t forget the practical side of the garden
Every garden has a practical aspect. You need storage solutions for tools or gardening supplies. You might need a hose or watering can, maybe a water butt or a compost heap. Make sure you don’t forget the practical side as they are much easier to plan around than to add at a later date.
You can always hide unsightly aspects of the garden behind screening, paint a shed your favourite colour or plant some trailing plants to cover anything you don’t want to draw attention to.
One thing I love having in my garden is a potting table and it’s something I know many green fingered families now have. A space to make plants happy, repot them and plan where they’ll live. You could also have a greenhouses, either a full size one or a mini version or even a little cold frame if you have the space.
Enjoy it
The most important thing in creating a garden you want to spend time in this summer is that you enjoy it. Even if it isn’t perfect or you have more plans for it, enjoy having that outside space. Spend time outside and really make the most of it.