As a homeowner, one thing you will always want to do is keep your garden looking nice and tidy. We all have different tastes when it comes to gardening. Some of us might spend a lot of time tending to our outdoors areas, others not so much.
What surprises me about some people’s gardens is that they look like urban jungles! You might think it’s because homeowners just don’t have the time. Often, I’m told the reason is down to lack of inspiration!
Does your garden need a makeover? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Today I will show you how to transform any tired-looking garden into a memorable work of art. And the good news is that anyone can follow these tips! Here is what you need to know:
Get rid of the rubbish
The first thing you need to do is clear the unwanted items out of your garden. It might surprise you to know that you’ll find all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff in your garden! To begin transforming your urban jungle into a glorious garden, you may need to hire a skip!
Depending on the size of your garden, the cost of doing so will be inexpensive. Even if you had to get a builder’s skip, it shouldn’t cost you any more than £150.
The rubbish you will need to remove from your garden include:
- Large, overgrown weeds;
- Broken fence panels;
- Damaged garden sheds;
- Broken concrete and bricks;
- Other rubbish.
I recommend that you check with your skip provider if you can mix garden waste with household waste. In some cases, you may need to get two small skips for the different types of rubbish.
If you’ve got an estate car or a van, you could always haul your rubbish off to your local waste and recycling centre. But it’s easier just to have one (or two) skips outside your house.
Replace your fence panels
A typical wood fence panel will last several years, especially if they get treated or stained. But, even if you protect your fence panels, there will be times where they get damaged beyond repair. Examples include weather damage or accidental damage from you or your neighbour!
Broken or missing fence panels can spoil the look of an otherwise attractive garden. For the sake of a small investment, you can get new ones delivered. Just pop down to your local hardwood timber merchants and select the sizes and styles you need.
If you need six-foot panels, be sure to get someone to help you install them. And, whatever you do, don’t fit them on a windy day! Trust me; it’s no fun except for whichever of your neighbours happens to be watching your antics!
Next, it’s worth staining your fence panels to improve their longevity. I recommend using the Cuprinol range, especially as you can get different colours. I painted my fence panels in “Forest Green” and they look much better than the standard orange colour.
Be sure to secure any plants or trees away from your fence panels. Otherwise, you will end up painting them too!
Build an island or feature
Did you know that islands make attractive garden features? Although you can pay a landscaper to make one for you, I recommend going for the DIY approach!
You can build one out of wood using railway sleepers or some other timber. If you’re a keen DIYer, you could construct yours out of brick and concrete. Just make sure your feature island can keep the soil contained. And install drainage holes in it if you’re building one out of brick and concrete.
If that isn’t something that appeals to you, consider buying a garden feature. This could be anything from a water feature to a round fire pit or even a large sculpture. A garden feature often brings a garden together and creates a beautiful focal point.
Spread some grass seeds
It’s likely your garden may have had lots of weeds in the soil. It can be a painstaking process to get rid of them, but now your garden’s weed-free! Depending on the time of year, you should start spreading some grass seeds on top of the soil.
Be sure to scatter them in a uniform way, so that you don’t end up with patches of grassless soil! There are different varieties to select, so choose the one you like the most.
Install some decking for your patio
Do you have an ugly patch of concrete greeting you whenever you walk through your back door? If so, it can be something of an eyesore in your garden.
A cost-effective and simple way to solve that problem is to install some decking. Again, if you’re handy with DIY projects at home, do the work yourself. Decking is cheap to buy from any timber merchants and is cheaper than adding block paving.
You will need some power tools like an SDS drill to help you cut through the concrete. That’s because you need to install some supports for the decking framework. You’ll also need to set those supports in concrete. The good news is that you can use a product called Postcrete to do that.
Oh, and don’t forget to make sure your decking is level. The last thing you want is to undo your hard work because you forgot to use a level!
Get some plants
There are thousands of different plants you can get for your garden. I won’t make any recommendations because it’s down to personal taste at the end of the day. The only thing I would suggest is that you make sure you sow any seeds according to the instructions on the packet. Many skilled gardeners also recommend using aquatic gravel while potting plants. Gravels provide extra weight to the planted baskets and minimize soil leaching into the water. Furthermore, it also helps protect the plant roots!
Also, remember that the time of year you plant things makes a big difference to how well they will survive. You should also check that your plants will grow well in the areas of your garden where you put them. Some plants need lots of sunlight, whereas others prefer shade.
Maintain your garden
Once your outdoors area is looking fabulous, you need to keep it looking that way! The only way to achieve that goal is by regular maintenance. That means cutting the grass when needed, and watering plants on dry, sunny days.
By following these tips, you’ll soon end up with a superb garden. Thanks for reading!