A garden is a luxury space that can be seen as an extension of your home. If you have outdoor space, you should consider yourself extremely lucky, and learn about the different ways you can utilise the space.
Unfortunately, the outdoor space can often be neglected or not used at all. Many feel overwhelmed when summer comes around to clean out the clutter, dust the cobwebs off the furniture and prepare the space for the hotter days. However, you can make life much easier by creating a garden space that can be used all year round.
Not only does this make life easier when it comes to summer, but it can also create a beautiful space for you to enjoy and find peace with. Spending more time outside can have a plethora of benefits for your mental health and wellbeing.
Unfortunately for some, the prospect of cold weather is not a reason to use the garden. However, if you are properly equipped, you can create the garden of your dreams, and use it with ease and comfort all year round. Regardless of what the weather has in store, you can turn your garden into an inspiring and welcoming place to be.
Declutter
The first and most important step is to set up the garden space. Once you have decluttered and tidied the space up, you will only have a little bit of ongoing maintenance to fulfil, rather than a huge clear out every year.
Start by decluttering the space and getting rid of any old items that are broken, or cannot be upcycled. This clear-out should already make a huge difference to the appearance of your garden space, and make room for nicer items.
Landscaping
The design of your garden is key to creating a pleasant, and enticing space to spend time. The colours and environment can play a key role in the theme of your garden, as well as the way it makes you feel. Plants and lots of bright colours can be a great way to make you feel good and relaxed.
The concept of having to dig up your garden every season and keep on top of different plants can seem pretty overwhelming. To reduce the stress, and make life much easier, you can design your garden space in a way that works all year round, and only requires a small amount of maintenance. Typically, a garden will pop with colour in the summer, and look pretty bleak by the time winter comes. However, it doesn’t have to be like that.
With a little bit of research, you can find the type of trees and shrubs that will last all year round, and suit your taste. The type of plants will vary, depending on where you are in the world and your local climate. Here are some of the most popular plants known to look good all year round to help you get started:
- Cercis canadensis (Forest Pansy)
- Lavender
- Crab apples
- Viburnum plicatum f. Tomentosum (Dart’s Red Robin)
- Hydrangea quercifolia
- Blueberries
- Amelanchier lamarckii
- Fruit trees
- Cornus alba (Sibirica)
- Witch hazel
- Viburnum opulus
Your garden should also include tools, such as a drainage system, that will help reduce flooding in the winter months, as well as decking or patio so that you can use the space much easier all year round.
If you have the budget, you may wish to enlist help from a professional. You can go here for landscaping services that can help you design and create the perfect outdoor space to suit your tastes.
Equipment
If you properly equip your garden, it is much more likely to survive all year round and makes it much easier to maintain. This equipment should include:
- Small gardening tools such as shovel or spade, bucket, shovel, trowel, pruning shears, scissors, weeder, gloves, tarp
- Larger gardening items such as a shed to store items in, a lawnmower, and a hose
Gardening equipment is designed to make working with your plants, shrub and soil much easier, cheaper and more pleasant. Make sure you invest in the right equipment that matches the needs of your garden.
Activities
As well as equipment to help you maintain your plants, you should also equip your garden for the type of activities you wish to participate in. You should not place limits on your garden space, as there are a plethora of different ways you can spend your time in your garden. At the very least, you can equip your decking area with an overhead covering like a pergola, a comfortable seating area, outdoor heating or a fire pit, and a place to cook food. This will enable you to enjoy mornings out on the decking with your coffee, or host al fresco dinner parties with your friends regardless of the weather, because you’ll be comfortable, warm, and protected from the elements.
You can also create space in your garden to grow vegetables. This is a great way to encourage you to spend more time outside, which is great for your wellbeing, and growing your own food can do wonders for your health, and your bank account. Food can be grown all year round if you learn about sowing and harvesting the right plants.
You can also equip your garden with swinging chairs, a hot tub or sauna, and outdoor games. These are specifically designed to be used outside all year round, and you can design the space as you wish, with overhead covers and heaters.
Regardless of how you like to spend your time outside, you can treat yourself, and positively encourage your family to use the space more. If there is anything the world has learned over the last few years, it is that spending more time is vital for health and wellbeing. Just by making a few simple changes to your garden, you can use it all year round and reap the benefits nature has to offer you. Your garden should be seen as an extension to your home, and offer a safe space of sanctuary for you and your family to spend your spare time in.
