According to statistics, we are spending more time in our gardens than ever before. The cold weather isn’t putting us off either, with the additions of hot tubs and outdoor structures with heating. But if you don’t have the budget for an outdoor oasis or sunroom there are some thrifty and simple ways to give your garden a 2019 makeover.
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Revive Your Lawn
The ideal time to scarify your lawn can vary depending on your location and the weather, but as a guide, the best time is when the turf growth is at its most prolific.
- Remove any debris from the lawn and apply a moss killer
- Mow the lawn with your mower on a low setting
- Scarify the lawn on a high setting
- Apply top soil and grass seed
The Versatile and Inexpensive Pallet!
Create a secluded area: No matter what size your garden is there’s always room for a little nook. A little haven out of sight with a seating area to relax maybe, or a water feature and hammock to imagine you’re by the water. Planting can create obvious divisions in your garden, but simple wooden dividers can be painted to follow any colour schemes or left as rustic and natural. You can also mount planters, troughs and outdoor lighting on the wooden walls.
Borders and edging: Pallets can also be cut to create an effective edging to borders.
Outdoor furniture: Pallets can be used to create simple garden tables and benches.
There are plenty of tutorials on how to construct projects out of pallets on google and Pinterest.
Make Your Garden a Haven for Wildlife
With a decline in butterflies and bees why wouldn’t we want to plant to encourage them. Buddleja’s, verbena’s and hebe’s are hardy and a delicacy for bees and butterflies. A small wild flower area filled with daisies,bluebells, foxgloves and clovers can look classical and brighten up a corner in the warmer months.
You can always embrace your lawn weeds if you’re feeling particularly charitable, bees and butterflies love a dandelion….
Give Old Furniture a new Purpose Outside
Get into the loft and bring down any old dining chairs,stools or shelving and find a place for it in the garden. Chairs with broken seats give the garden a unique, but vintage look with tall grasses growing through.Complete chairs can be painted with weather-proof paint and used as outdoor seating or can be used to display trailing pots or herbs. Wooden shelves can be painted and fixed to walls and fencing with an arrangement of pots or garden ornaments, weight appropriate of course.
Clear the Decks
Decking is very popular and is a practical solution for uneven gardens, but it is high maintenance and not to mention slippery in the wet. If you have the time to level out the ground under decking and add a patio it can be less work in the long run. Laying patterned exterior tiles creates areal indoor / outdoor feel and if you have any old quarry or slate tiles hidden in the shed, these can be used to transform an old patio without spending too much.
Bold Colours and Hanging Pots are Trending for 2019
The gardening forums are suggesting we use bold and striking colour in our pots for 2019. Some vibrant, yet drought hardy choices are nemesia, pansies, violas and angelonia. Using hanging baskets around the garden at different heights adds an uncontrived, but effective style to your garden space; this idea should also compliment a wild flower area and be an artistic addition to a pallet wall if you decided to use previous tips. Don’t ditch your planters and baskets in the colder months re-plant them with conifers, ivy, snowdrops and winter flowering pansies and miniature cyclamen.
As we move forward with environmental concerns and a decline in indigenous specious, we should perhaps look to the past for inspiration in our gardens – wild flowers, growing our own vegetables, conserving wildlife and using natural pesticide’s to do ‘our bit’ towards saving the planet.
(Photo credits: The Art in Life and Fresh Mommy Blog, www.gardensandcrafts.com)