Gardens can be a little piece of paradise of our own. We can create anything we like, but sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming when you have so many different ideas. In general, you want to have a little bit of space, some green pops of beautiful blooms and spruce up your home's exterior too. So here are some easy tips for any level of gardener and DIYer to tackle.
"Gardening is learning, learning, learning. That's the fun of them. You're always learning." - Helen Mirren
Clutter
Depending on where you live and how open your garden is you might find that you end up with other people's rubbish, stray bits of wood, empty plastic pots and more. As soon as the weather permits it, head out and gather all of the clutter in the garden. For containers that you can reuse, stack them somewhere for later use. Try to recycle anything else that has landed in your garden.
Garden toys and pet toys can often find themselves in the lawn and embedded slightly too. So take the time to scoop them up also.
Grass
Any grassy areas are probably going to need some attention. Head out with the lawnmower, a strimmer and edging tool. Neaten it up as much as you can. After it is done, you might consider if you really want to keep a grass section. If you want to keep the green of the grass but aren’t in love with the maintenance, then fake grass makes an excellent option.
Something else you can do to change the look and feel of your garden is changing the shape of the grassy spaces. Transforming it into a circle or a smaller square can give you a quick upgrade without too much effort.
Flowers
Creating beauty in the garden can be as simple as adding some perennials. They take up just the right amount of space and bloom for a few weeks of the year. The hardier sorts of perennials will bloom for up to 20 years. Annual plants only have a life cycle that lasts one year. However, they produce seeds that you can use. They will need to be replanted each year. So for the lower amount of work required, perennials are your friend.
While most people will plant flowers along the edges of the garden you can bring colours further into the middle of the garden. Use varying sizes and style of pots to add colour and texture to other areas of the garden. If you like the idea of being able to smell your garden and bring in butterflies, bees and other pollinators, then consider pots of the following plants:
- Lavender
- Myrtle
- Sweet Bay
- Rosemary
- Lemon Verbena
They have great scents that will smell even more fantastic in the long summer evenings.
Lighting
There are a lot of choices when it comes to lighting in your garden, so have a look and see where you can create a cosy spot. It might be that you’ll need to add a simple wooden beam construct to your garden to help accommodate them. Use climbing plants to cover the beams and eventually become thick enough to provide some shade too.
Solar lighting is also a great option for enjoying the long summer evenings too.
Garage
If you have a garage, and it is a little worse for wear right now, then it is time to spruce it up. The outside can stand to have a lick of paint, or perhaps a replacement door is on the cards. If your garage door needs maintenance, then here are 8 Garage Door Issues (and How to Fix them).
Painting
While there is a lot of beauty to be found in a simple stained wood effect, you might want something a little more exciting. After you have decided which colour plants you will be having, you can think about a wood stain or wood paint that will complement your garden.
You can use a range of deeper colours like black, dark green or midnight blue to help the fence almost disappear against the green of your leafy plants.
While you are at it, you can give your old pots or garden furniture a lick of paint too.
This will bring the whole garden together and will give the impression that it was done by a professional too. Because the little details matter.
Veggies
If you want to bring a new dimension to your garden, then think about if you have the room to create a small veggie patch. You probably won’t be saving loads of money on a small veggie patch, but it is a great way to get children involved, to be able to pick fresh herbs and do something good for the environment too.
Instead of using the plastic tags, you can get with bags of seeds, spend some time creating your own versions. Use some palm sizes smooth pebbles and decorate them with the name of the veggies you are growing, and place them roughly where the sprouts will come up.
The better you get at growing the veggies, the less likely you’ll need these decorative features and the more likely it is you will be able to identify the sprouts.
There are a few veggies that are really tolerant of shade, so if you have a shaded corner, you don’t have to worry about it not being used well. These herbs and veggies only need a maximum of 4 hours of sun a day:
- Beets
- Scallions
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Chard
- Carrots
So no matter the layout of your garden, you are able to grow something edible in it.
Bug Control
If you get overrun with mosquitoes in the summer, there are a range of plants that you can have around the garden and a backdoor that will help you minimize them.
The best idea is to get a large pot and plant all or some of these and place them in areas that you sit, or where you leave windows open in the summer.
- Catnip
- Lemon Thyme
- Ageratum
- Lemon Grass
- Marigold
- Citronella Geranium
- Peppermint
Not only do they repel mozzies, but they smell great, and you can use them for your cooking too.
If you are blighted by wasps and want to do something quick and effective, you can create a wasp trap. All you will need is a plastic bottle and some sugar water. This will also work for fruit flies and other pesky insects that can ruin your alfresco dinner.
To protect your flowers and veggies from little critters who might otherwise cause some damage, use empty crushed eggshells. They provide a source of calcium for the soil and will repel certain pests too.
Wildlife
While there are some bugs and slugs you might want to keep away, there are others that you might like to welcome. You can create bird feeders out of things like plastic bottles, Kilner jars and even empty tetra packs.
If you have a lot of hedgehogs in the area, you can create a hedgehog house for them to seek some safety in. They aren’t difficult to make and provide a nice home for the spiky creatures.
Birdbaths not only look great, but they can provide endless opportunities for you to kick back and watch the birds splash around in the morning sun.
Even the smallest of gardens can be a mini paradise for you, and the local wildlife. A few hours and some cute DIY tricks will have a garden to be proud of.
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