Despite the UK’s rainy reputation (just ask any cricket fan), there are plenty of sunny spells to be enjoyed throughout the British summertime too. Even as Autumn begins to arrive, there’s still plenty of September sun to soak up, and where better to relax in the warmth of a hot ball of glowing gasses 26,000 light-years away than in you comfort of your own garden?
And with so many of us either opting for staycations this year or delaying our holiday plans altogether, every last ray counts. Whether you’ve just moved into a new home, or you’re rejuvenating your current outdoor space, there’s never been a better time to freshen things up, not least because you’ve probably never had so much time to do so! So, assemble your artillery of garden tools, put your Grand Designs cap on and get ready to get creative.
In the meantime, here are a few of our favourite ideas for turning even the most deprived outdoor space into a spectacular garden. *Spoiler Alert*, we can even make your wheelie-bins looks good!
Decking
Perhaps the biggest change you can make in your garden is to add in some wooden decking. Decking can be built to fit into any garden, regardless of shape or size. You can even add multiple tiers!
Adding decking to your garden created an ideal social space that is a great place for barbequing, relaxing on a garden lounger (other garden furniture is available), cooling down with a nice cold drink, or simply admiring your outdoor space and the wildlife in and around it. There’s also no better place to toast a fresh new morning with the perfect cuppa.
Decking is often made of oak which offers a pleasant natural look and can be easily stained to the colour of your choice. Furthermore, wooden decking requires very little maintenance beyond the occasional sweep and yearly layer of protective coating and can last for many years from the day it was built. All of this means it will add plenty of value to your home, creaing a space for you to enjoy in the years to come or otherwise proving an attractive feature for any potential buyer should you decide to move.
Wooden frame structures
If you have a large garden, you may want to add a pergola or another wooden structure to your decking. Pergolas can take a decking or a porch and make it look and feel much nicer. You can also use pergolas to build a roof that allows you to relax outdoors even when the weather takes a turn for the worst. And if you’re keen to add a magical ambience to your garden pergolas are where it all happens, from the sparkle of the fairy lights to the remarkable aesthetics of growing vines that wrap around the oak beams.
Wheelie bin covers
A small but clever addition anyone can make to their garden is adding in wheelie bin covers as a convenient storage space. Wheelie bin covers are wooden fenced structures and normally include a lockable fenced double door for easy access. They’re an excellent choice if you feel like your bins make your garden untidy, or you just don’t have an isolated corner to shove them in.
Wooden wheelie bin covers can also be easily stained to match the rest of your garden decor, so they blend in naturally and don’t appear out of place. Never has waste been so majestic.
Wooden planters
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or not, wooden planters are a MUST and are an especially smart option if your garden doesn’t many spaces for digging permanent flowerbeds. Their light weight also means they can easily be picked up and moved to another spot of your garden, so you can reshuffle things whenever you feel like it. Remember how convenient it was to redesign your living space on The Sims? Well now that joy is a reality, and it’s all thanks to wooden planters! Crucially, planters offer a way to stimulate your senses with vast array of life, colour, scent and sound (the bees, not the flowers) that they will bring into your garden.
Metal fire pits
Perfect for patios, metal fire pits are a great choice if you’re looking for a striking centrepiece to tie everything together, but they also complement a pergola very nicely. Whether you’re staying home or off on a Great British staycation (socially-distanced of course), be sure to stock up on cheap bags of firewood; great for starting up a fire and keeping it burning long into the evening. And firepits aren’t just a great place for toasting marshmallows (although that reason alone is more than enough justification to buy one); their warm glow and crackling flames makes them the best place for reminiscing, playing cards and sharing a drink with your favourite people.