The physical and mental health benefits of enjoying an outdoor space are well known, and if you have a garden, it’s a fantastic chance to make somewhere that feels special to you.
It doesn’t matter if you enjoy a carefully structured modern aesthetic, love a cottage garden, or long for the grandeur of a stately home – there will be a way to make your garden a little slice of paradise.
Sometimes people can reach the point of having everything just as they want in their garden; all the plants are there, a wonderful spread of colour and form, but still, something does not feel quite right – a vague nagging that something is missing. Below are some ideas if you want that extra spark in your garden that brings happiness every time you enter.
Introduce Chaos
Yes, even if you have a carefully structured garden, grass lines carefully laid out with a ruler, and perfect symmetry of the borders, sometimes, introducing a little chaos can help bring a spark of life that is missing. If you’re embracing a cottage garden, remember that it should feel like it has been alive for hundreds of years – include random pots lying around, a wall with mortar missing, and always encourage wildlife to scuttle through by creating habitats, introducing food sources, and only using pesticides when absolutely necessary.
With a very strictly controlled and designed garden, you should not underestimate bringing in other textures against your controlled areas. A beautiful piece of hard landscaping can really stand out if you contrast it with some softer chaotic planting – it will become even more of a statement.
Accessorise
Accessories in a garden – you might think that once you have somewhere to sit, perhaps a table, and the tools you need, there aren’t any more accessories you might need or want in your garden. You might be right. However, there is a resurgence in having garden decorations and making your garden unique and personal. This is not a new concept; throughout history, people have added decorations to their gardens – you might have come across an empty window frame in a hedge to highlight a distant view or stood amazed at huge vases placed near benches. It was only recently that decorations were deemed ‘tacky’, but that view has been very short-lived, and once again, you can fill your garden with beautiful surprises like a garden hanging sign, a clock, vases, and mosaics. This can really add a spark of something special to your garden.
Lights
It would help if you treated garden lighting like a room in your home – there should be different lighting layers for various purposes. Fairy lights and hanging lights have become very popular recently, and for good reason; they’re incredibly versatile and add a little sparkle to an area. If you want a space to feel appealing, hanging and wall lights are a quick way to make it look cosy and magical. The standard up-light to highlight trees or house features is always good, but play around with the light colour and direction to get the effect you want. Don’t forget highlighting pathways, putting lights under plants so it shines through, and moveable lanterns.
You’ll probably need more lights than you expect, but make sure the space sparks for you and brings the wow factor every time you step out at night. Then, once everything is lit up and enticing, bring in heating elements so you can sit and admire it for hours.
Bake your way to the perfect street party