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Let’s face it. The summer weather in the UK this year has not been the best! Whilst there have been some sunny days, there has also been a lot of rain and stormy weather. And overall, temperatures have been lower than many of us would like at this time of year.
All of which means that when good weather does show up, it’s important to enjoy every minute of it. And if you have a garden, that means spending as much time out there as possible.
But when you are out in your garden and take a look around, what do you see? Perhaps you already have the perfect garden and can take a deep breath and relax. But if your garden needs a bit of work – to say the least – it can be very difficult to relax out there, and you may need to spend some time tidying everything up before you can really enjoy yourself.
Sometimes less is more, and if you are not keen on gardening it could be better to keep the basics of your garden very simple, with paving and decking rather than lawn and flower beds. This can save a lot of time on garden maintenance, and still provide the relaxing and entertaining area that you want during summer.
But if you do this, it’s still nice to add a few features to your garden to add a bit of colour and interest, and to put a touch of your personality into your garden. Think of your garden as an extension of your home and consider how you could bring outside the same kind of decorating ideas that you would use inside your home.
So in this article we suggest five ways that can help you to add a touch of personality to your garden this summer.
If you have a patio area in your garden, chances are that this is where you spend most of your relaxing time. But if it is drab and/or grubby, it’s hardly going to set the scene. Laying a completely new patio can be very expensive, though is definitely worth considering if your patio area is in need and you use it a lot. At the very least, a professional patio clean could be well worth the investment to make your patio area a happier place to be.
Another option could be to replace just part of the patio with some coloured patio tiling. Perhaps remove the odd large paving slab and fill the area with smaller patio tiles instead. This could add colour and texture, and make your patio much more interesting.
If you want to leave the paving alone completely, another quick way to brighten up the patio is by introducing one or more pots filled with brightly coloured plants and flowers. Also look out for pots that are decorative in themselves, which then makes it less important what you actually put in them.
Any splash of colour in your patio area will add a bit of fun and personality to your garden.
An often overlooked garden asset is your garden fence or wall. But there are so many things that you can do with your fence or wall to make it a key feature of your garden. Here are five things to try:
Painting your wall or fence a different colour can totally transform the look of your garden. Whether you go for a classic colour such as white, green or duck-egg blue or a more fun option such as bright yellow, turquoise or pink, your new wall or fence will be the talking point of your garden.
A lovely way to brighten up a wall or fence is to add wall or fence planters to display colourful plants. This immediately takes away any blandness from your wall or fence, and adds a new burst of colour to your garden. There are many different styles of wall and fence planters in different designs and colours, so there will be something that’s perfect to add personality to your garden.
A living wall is a section of garden where your plants are arranged vertically – ie upwards – rather than on the ground. A living wall is a great way to disguise an otherwise unsightly wall or fence. It is easy to create a living wall. Simply add climbing or tall plants at the bottom of the wall or fence, and if needed supplement these with a few wall and fence planters that we’ve just looked at. You will create a lovely area of greenery and colour, which will look much better than a plain fence or wall.
Why not consider adding a decorative and practical feature such as a large mirror or clock? An outside mirror will immediately brighten up your outdoor space and add depth – particularly to dark corners of the garden. There are some wonderful mirror designs, such as an Art Deco style window design which gives the illusion of different dimensions to your garden.
A large decorative outdoor clock is a great decorative feature and also helps you to keep an eye on the time, so you know when the sun’s over the yardarm and it’s time to crack open a bottle or two!
A very clever way to add a touch of personality to your garden is to hang metal prints on your garden wall or fence. Metal prints are very distinctive – as well as very durable – and you have a complete choice over the subject of your prints. You could buy ready made metal prints featuring any design that appeals to you, or for a more personalised look, why not create your own metal prints? All you need to do is take a photograph of whatever you want on your metal prints, then send it to us at Print Your Memory, and we will do the rest!
Another great way to bring some personality into your garden is to install some garden lighting that you love. And there is such a wide range to choose from! Whether you want lanterns, fairy lights, festoon lights or perhaps some stake lights in the ground, you should be able to find what you’re looking for. And many garden lights are now solar lights, so you don’t even need to worry about plugs, wires or batteries.
Pretty garden lighting can make a huge difference to the ambience of your garden, and make it a place you want to be even when the sun has gone down.
Another idea to consider to add a touch of personality to your garden is to use one or more outdoor screens to partition it into different areas. For example you could position a screen or two around your patio to create an area that will then feel more private and intimate than a completely open patio. In a sense you are dividing your garden into different rooms, perhaps for specific activities or to use at different times of the day.
If you choose a garden screen with small gaps in it, this will still give you some visual access to the rest of the garden, rather than being completely enclosed. And you could always use some of the above ideas on wall decoration – for example a clock or metal prints – to add interest to the screen itself.
If you feel that the main body of your garden – whether a lawn, flowerbed or paving – is lacking interest, one option would be to introduce a key feature such as an arch, fountain, fire pit, or built-in BBQ or pizza oven.
If you go for a pretty and decorative feature such as a rose arch or water feature, this can really transform your garden and draw the eye and ear to beautiful sights and sounds. Whereas one of the practical features we mentioned can also really enhance your relaxing and entertaining times. So think about what is a priority for you and perhaps choose one key feature to add to your garden, then base everything else around that.
We hope that this article has given you some ideas and inspiration as to how to add a touch of personality to your garden, and we hope that you are delighted with the results!
Check back here soon for more lifestyle tips from Print Your Memory.
