The summer months have finally arrived, and there’s no better time to venture outside and get your greenery looking shipshape. There are so many different factors to consider when renovating a garden, from decking, to landscaping, even down to the smallest of shrubbery. But it’s all worth it when you can sit back with a cold beer, relax, and admire the little patch of heaven you’ve created.
Making a start on designing your dream garden may seem overwhelming, but we have some great tips and tricks to get you well on your way to paradise in your very own home. Where do we begin?
Consider Hiring a Professional
Sometimes those ‘do-it-yourself’, step-by-step Youtube videos work like a charm. However, often it’s entirely necessary to bring in the big guns. Hiring a landscape gardener might seem like it’ll burn a hole straight through your pocket, but a lot of the time it might save you money on fixing a project that was done incorrectly and could pose a hazard to you and your guests.
Always think reasonably when it comes to DIY projects. Do you have the ability to do it yourself, or is it a 50/50 guessing game? Spending a little extra on hiring a pro can really make the difference between almost reaching that dream garden goal, andliving in paradise.
You may want to go in all guns blazing and get straight to digging up that old lawn, but have you considered what look you are going for? First things first when it comes to any new design project, online research is the most important part.
Before you begin, the best call to action is to outsource inspiration online. You can do this anyway you like, but our absolute go-to for creating a moodboard of ideas is, of course, Pinterest. Pinterest is a mammoth platform, full of information and imagery from all over the world.
Start by creating a board, searching up some relevant words and just watch the magic happen. It can however be easy to get lost in the sea of images. So once you’ve saved all of your ideas to your moodboard, make sure to set some time aside to consider which of them are achievable and within your budget, and which of them may need to be set aside for future projects.
Another important step you’ll want to take before digging out the gardening tools, is to measure your space. It can be very helpful to create a miniature sketch of your garden, measuring each section and structure and penciling them down to scale.
This way, you can work out exactly how much room you have to work with, and can juggle things around accordingly. For example, if you want to plant trees consider future growth and installing gutter guards. By doing this, you can avoid any awkward situations where items and structures you’ve purchased won’t fit in the space you imagined. This will save you time, money and effort in the long run.
Try Beekeeping
Beekeeping is a valuable addition to designing your dream garden, offering ecological benefits and personal satisfaction. By integrating a beehive, you support local biodiversity through enhanced pollination, essential for robust plant life, and you also gain the sweet bonus of fresh honey. When arranging your garden, choose a sunny, sheltered spot for the hive, positioned away from heavy foot traffic yet accessible for upkeep. Employing a bee smoker during hive maintenance can ensure a calm environment for both the bees and the beekeeper. Include a variety of bee-attracting plants, such as lavender, rosemary, and clover, to create a haven for these vital pollinators, thus improving both the beauty and health of your garden. Additionally, taking up beekeeping deepens your connection with nature, providing a unique perspective into the complex world of these diligent creatures.
Once you’ve done the online research and the measuring, you can get to the fun part – designing your plot! Use your blueprints from the previous step to sketch out a new plan, using all the best bits from your Pinterest moodboards.
Make sure whatever you include in your plan is achievable, and within your budget to avoid disappointment and spending money on items that may not workout. Consider whether you are able to pull-off all of the design elements as a DIY project, or – which brings us to our next point – do you need to hire a professional?