Is your garden looking a bit worse for wear after the festivities of the summer? Or are your children ‘wannabe David Beckhams’ and you constantly have chewed up grass. When actually you don’t need a whole new renovation to spice up your garden.
Take a long hard look at any patios, paths and steps that are already existing in your garden and just think how they would look perhaps rearranged and given a good clean – it might just be because it’s dirty that you can’t see the potential.
Get some pen to paper and get your vision sketched down and then you will be able to start realistically building your budget, time frame and how much time you can dedicate to the project. Unfortunately your relaxing weekends are gone for a few weeks! The more accurate you can get your drawing the better. If you’ve never measured a garden, search for tutorials or instructional videos around the internet, you can also use basic landscaping books for reference.
How to Put Life into your Old Lawn
How is your lawn looking recently? Is it an emerald-green carpet or a muddy old doormat? A friend of mine swears by fake turf, and it’s now possible to buy types with varying coloured blades for a natural speckled effect – which I think is a great idea! I definitely will think of investing myself when the lawn starts to get so tatty I can’t repair it.
My friend weighs it down with sand that is a similar colour to the soil, and uses it in dark, shady corners to create an all-weather pitch for garden fun and games. Of course we all know that fake turf will never stand close inspection in comparison to real grass, but from a distance it might just fool the neighbours.
De-clutter
Now this is often the main task that no one’s wants to do, unfortunately it is something that will transform your garden instantly. If, like me, your garden services as your outdoor restaurant/BBQ area/bike storage/lawnmower/old furniture etc. – need I go on? You are probably reeling off a list as you read this! Get rid of broken plant pots, put away the junk and throw as much as you can! It’s amazing how much better things will look right away and you’ll be surprised at how much more space you have.
Dining
If you’re thinking about turning your outdoor space into a relaxing tranquil space for chatting with friends, BBQs in the summer, dining and just general entertaining then make sure you get the lighting right! That’s crucially. If you are after an intimate atmosphere why don’t you try some solar powered fair lights or even hanging lanterns with funky coloured candles to add a pop of colour to your evening. Peeling paint can be the bane of many people’s lives – just whip up a primer and then paint away! Go as bold or tame as you like, this colour will provide a lovely back ground for your dinner parties.
Obviously if you do want a total re-furb you need to think about getting specialist construction company to come in and use their equipment – for example they will have the proper training in order to operate the machinery, you may be able to hire it but it might not be legal for you to use it – let alone be able to use it! You might as well hire someone who already has all of the health and safety, mini digger training and NRSWA renewal training and everything else that is needed instead – saves you time and money in the long run! Whatever you decide to do with your garden – good luck, the key is in the planning.