- Swap your slabs
Think of your paving as the foundation of your scheme and you’ll realize just how much cracked slabs and missing bits can let down your new look. Replacing your paving can make a huge difference to the whole space, so it’s worth taking the opportunity to redesign the area at the same time.
Bradstone’s website is full of inspiration on the latest garden trends and easy ways to get the look you want.
- Invest in some ‘faux-liage’
Real plants are great but they can also be high maintenance and dependent on the weather. Instead, try a few items of foliage – in the form of faux topiary, shrubs, and long grass. Not only are they more realistic than ever before, but they’re also a good way to brighten up your window boxes or front garden ideas all year round.
Imagine a pair of faux boxwood balls either side of a doorway, a blooming bougainvillea on your patio, or some luxuriant hanging baskets that never need watering, and you’ll see what we mean.
Try Blooming Artificial for surprisingly realistic options.
- Grow a wildflower garden
Add corners of living foliage that won’t require constant upkeep, like a single bed of wildflowers penned in with sleepers or stones to stop them from spreading out of control.
Scatter mixed packets of wildflower seeds for ease. To maintain your wildflower patch, you simply need to mow it back once in a while.
‘To encourage perennial flowers and grasses to make good root development, it is important to mow the meadow in the first year after sowing,’ advises the RHS website. ‘Cut to a height of 5cm (2in) after about six-to-eight weeks of growth, and repeat every two months throughout the first summer.’
- Create a quiet corner
Make the focus of your garden on creating a feeling of serenity and wellness. Position a garden bench or furniture set in a secluded corner to allow space for quiet contemplation, surrounded by a thriving oasis of plants. This example features a pagoda frame, to allow the garden to grow above the seating for a fully immersive experience.
- Make your own hanging basket
It’s time to learn how to plant a hanging basket. If you have an old colander at home, you’ve got the perfect starting point. All you need is a liner, some compost, and flowers to plant up and you’re done. A DIY hanging basket is perfect for adding a splash of color to a small garden that is short on floor space.
