The Garden is the New Living Room

There was once a time when the garden was considered an afterthought for people who were buying a new home or decorating. It was a place where you went if the weather was warm enough for sunbathing and apart from that, it was usually a neglected space.

Today however the garden has become a highly valued, important part of the home. It can even be what sets the standard of your overall house. The garden’s reputation as a secondary accessory that came with a house has developed into it being an important space with the potential to do lots of creative things.

If you have been to some extent neglecting your garden or think that you have not used it to its maximum potential then you may well be correct. 

However there are lots of ways in which you can update your garden and transform it into a space that you are proud of, even without spending very much time or money at all.

Here are some ideas for you to have a think about...

 You may have noticed that many modern gardens feature lots of different textures in one space. Regardless of how large or small your garden is, this effect is easily achieved.

Take a look at the garden to the left. This imaginative design has combined grass, decking, slabs, pebbles, and sand (around the tree) all in one.

The merging of a range of different textures is a modern development which allows you to structure your garden in a unique and interesting way.

Here you have a delicate pavement – identified by the slabs which leads a route though the natural grass to an area of decking where friends can gather and enjoy one another’s company. The tree even looks as if it has been planted on the decking itself; a clever way of merging the artificial with nature, bringing the whole garden together.

Vegetables

Part of what has made the garden such an important room in the home is the increasing convention for gardeners to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

This concept has gained a lot of momentum over the last few years with increasing numbers of people taking an interest in gardening as a whole, and the joy of nurturing one’s own food and eating it with the added satisfaction that one’s own hard work has literally put food on the table

Colours

One of the elements of a garden that appeals to most people is a lot of different colours. By adding plants of all sorts of different colours to your garden it instantly becomes a vibrant and inviting room that everybody feels welcomed by.

Daffodils, Crocus, Polyanthus, Alliums, and Gazanias are just a few of the plants that would add spectacular colour to your garden.

Remember to research which plants thrive at what times of the year, just because it is winter does not mean that you have to have a dull, bare garden; plants such as Viola Tricolour, Sedum 'Herbstfreude', and  Erica carnea thrive in colder conditions and can therefore keep your garden looking colourful all year round. 

Highlight Features

To truly bring your garden up to the standards that have been set today, you need to think hard about your landscape lighting. 

Landscape lighting serves a variety of functions including decoration, guiding you in the dark, and security.

The lights on the left for example can be used to highlight particular features in the garden that you are particularly proud of. 

If you have an impressive water feature that you would like to draw attention to in the evenings, using this type of lighting can achieve just that and make your garden look truly spectacular.

Likewise, if you spend a lot of time in the garden during the evenings – this is something you probably enjoy during the summer especially – then these small spotlights can give you a little bit of guidance as to where to stand, and can help to set a relaxed atmosphere.

 

Sociable Space

   

 The garden is the new living room which means that it needs to be just as welcoming, calming, and comfortable as its indoor counterpart.

Prepare your garden with cosy chairs which are not hard on the back, but can happily be used for several hours over dinner.

Finish your garden design with some stunning, temporary festoon lighting. You might choose to add brightly-coloured festoon lights that bring your garden to life, or classy, refined, economically-run LED rope lamps which look pretty without costing too much money.

At Garden Lighting you will notice that most of our outdoor party lights are long-lasting, low voltage lights which means that they will not need replacing for a long time and will not vastly affect your electricity bills either. 

If you would like to find out more about our outdoor lighting and how it can transform your garden, contact us on 01773 541 003.