If your garden is feeling rather dull and, well, uninspiring, the reality is you likely don’t need to do the big “Instagram overhaul” and spend thousands designing a Pinterest-perfect garden. You just need to make strategic updates that deliver what you want, make sense for you, and what you want from the garden, and are practical improvements, not aesthetic changes.
Let’s take a look at a few upgrades that will make your garden a more enjoyable space to spend time in.
A Seating Area
All gardens need a seating area, but what takes it from any seating area to one that actually enables us to create a space that works with any weather?
We’re talking about finding the right position in the garden so that you’re not burning in direct sun nor are you freezing in the shade. You need to avoid wind tunnels and pinpoint the perfect space that is comfortable for you.
Then you need to build in boundaries to create definition: a rug can work well, as can planters, even a fence panel. That creates a neat place; fence panels or walls, etc., can create privacy, parasols provide protection from the elements, and when you need it, a garden heater can keep you warm once the sun goes in.
Structure You Will Use
You’re not creating a garden for other people, you’re creating one you will use. This means designing structures that make sense for your family. It might be that you want to choose bar sheds for entertaining family and friends. Or you might prefer a fixed roof over patio doors so you can enjoy the garden even if it’s raining. Or you might want a summerhouse to spend time in, regardless of what the UK weather is doing; to watch movies, for the kids to play in, or simply to relax away from the house.
Power Points and Taps
OK, so not exactly the most aesthetic of features, but arguably one of the most practical ones. And if you’re wanting a garden you can enjoy, it makes sense to add outdoor sockets and taps. You can connect the hose to water plants or clean hard surfaces, you can wash the dog and have water fights easily with the kids without traipsing water through the kitchen.
Outdoor sockets allow you to bring electrical features outside. You can plug in lights, heaters, or other outdoor equipment like a hot tub without wires running through open windows.
Of course, you need to use a qualified electrician and plumber for correct installation, but they are definitely worth investing in.
Functional Lighting
Every garden needs lighting, that goes without saying, and layering garden lighting is where it really gets good.
Think of functional lighting to light up those darker spaces of the garden. Then consider pathway lights on the ground to illuminate underfoot so you can see where you’re walking after dark. Then you can add in overhead lighting on structures or draped from the house to fence panels, for example, or you can add task lighting in spaces like an outdoor kitchen. And then once you do that, add in decorative lighting. Fairy lights to set the scene, ornamental lights, lanterns by doorways, etc. The more lighting options you can add, the more enjoyable the space will be.
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