Even though most of us are still in the midst of that most wonderful of seasons, the Great British Winter, that is no excuse to leave our future planning to the last minute. True, we don’t all have the benefit of Buckingham Palace sized gardens, but that’s no reason to not let a bit of that spring and summertime energy into your home.
With a little creativity and some elbow grease, you can transform your outdoor space into a spring and summertime pad that’s the envy of all of your neighbours.
We’re going to help you find a little bit of garden zen, with plenty of time to spare.
First, let’s understand what you’ve got.
Before you can start plotting your dream outdoor retreat, you have to be realistic about what it is that you can do. If you have a home with a back patch, a flat with a balcony or an estate that Lord and Lady whoever would be envious of, are all going to have an impact on what you can and cannot achieve.
Then, consider that if you have young and boisterous children, a garden full of expensive trinkets and statues might not be in your immediate future, but an outdoor cinema experience may – compromise. You might also need timber merchants, specialist contractors or painters.
Also, work on how much money you want to spend now so that you can start putting away for that garden experience later – Rome wasn’t built in a day, but she was built, so plan for it. Do take some time to consider the skill level that you have at your disposal too. Not all of us can be Martha Stewart, so if you and yours are not particularly handy, you’ll need to account for getting in some help too.
Now, get busy dreaming!
Once all of the boring stuff is out of the way (in other words, all of the above), it’s time to get everyone around the table and get their opinions for what their perfect garden would look like. Do you want wendy houses or a treehouse? What about a wooden deck in the corner for afternoon story and nap times?
If you live in a part of the country that’s prone to summer showers (hey, who doesn’t), then maybe you’d like a conservatory or gazebo, or maybe you just want to make your garden a little more private?
Also, think about your lifestyle. Do you entertain regularly or are you homebodies that like your own space? You have to keep in mind that some work may require digging or excavating – what is the council by-law situation like in your area?
Of course, all of that depends on how fancy you want to go, you can make dramatic impacts without having to remortgage the house, and you’ll find some fabulous ideas – here.
There are so many wonderful things that you can do to make your outdoor space more liveable and enjoyable, and they don’t have to cost a fortune. Before you know it, it’ll be Pimm’s in the garden.
Disclosure: this is a collaborative post