The days are getting longer, gardens are getting greener, and the weather’s getting warmer. Now that we’re right on the edge of summer, your garden is really about to come into its own. With the sun out, it’s going to form an extension of your home: a little more space where you can entertain guests and relax with your family. If your garden has started looking pretty poor over the bulk of the year, here are a few effective ways to refresh it.
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Start Planting Wisely
Around this time of year, plants are going to be shooting up rapidly, and it’s easy for a garden to become overgrown in no time at all. With this in mind, a wise planting scheme can pay off massively. Low-maintenance, Mediterranean herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary are all great in hot climates, and can survive for long periods of time without needing any watering. They also come in handy in the kitchen, of course! Other low-maintenance plants such as spiky yuccas and hebes will thrive with dry soil and a lot of sun.
Create an Entertainment Area
Obviously, you don’t want to let the summer pass you by without making the most of it with barbecues and other opportunities for entertaining your friends and family. If the space you usually use for this is looking really worn out, one of the best ways to spruce it up is laying new paving. A big, contoured patio with contemporary design sensibilities can totally transform even the roughest-looking gardens. Obviously, the summer isn’t going to be here forever, but you can still add some temporary features to make the most of it, like an easy-to-assemble gazebo or an inflatable pool with seats.
Let There Be Light
We’ve all had times where we’ve enjoyed relaxing in a comfortable garden long into the night, but this can be tough if you’re finding it hard to see your hand in front of your face! There are a range of garden lighting options you can choose from, ranging from little solar lamps to garish floodlights. Smaller solar lights can be positioned almost anywhere in the garden, and will create a low, ambient glow. This makes it easy to accent certain areas of the garden and outline garden pathways. However, if you were planning to light up a fairly large area for entertaining guests, they can quickly become expensive.
Leave Room for Nature
Birds, bees and butterflies all have a part to play in the landscape and ambiance of a garden, so leave at least a little room for them in your green patch. Try incorporating a more varied planting scheme with a fair concentration of nectar-giving flowers and plants. Butterflies in particular love cottage garden plants such as honey suckle, Sweet William, and buddleia. Birds, on the other hand, will go wherever there’s food, water and shelter, so start attracting them with feeders, baths and houses. After setting up a few of these simple features, your garden will be brimming with life.
