*Collaborative post
With all this time at home, I’m feeling so grateful to have an outdoor space. But when I took the first step outside to sit in the sunshine with a book I realised just how neglected our garden was after the winter. Weeds poking up and a dirty patio distracting me from some much needed peaceful time.
Luckily there are so many easy ways you can update your outside space without the upheaval or expense of a complete redesign. Sometimes it can be as simple as having a tidy up, rearranging your garden furniture, adding a splash of colour or some lighting.
Clean and Refresh
Use a jet washer to clean your paths, paving and decking, you’ll be amazed at the results. Add a layer of new gravel to quickly smarten up paths and do the same for any bark areas. If you have bespoke garden rooms give them a clean and spruce up too.
Give any existing flower borders a weed and a refresh. To keep weeds down and to make the beds look tidy, put a layer of compost or mulch on top of the soil, spreading it around any existing plants.
Tend To Your Grass
We have astroturf and at first, I wasn’t convinced, but now I love it. The kids can play on it all year and usually in Spring with real grass we would have to replant muddy patches, whilst somehow keeping the kids off the new seeds. But now our grass still looks perfect after a sweep!
If you have real grass give it a cut when it is dry to see a quick improvement.
Add Colour
Think about painting your fences to instantly change the look of your garden. If you have garden furniture add some new cushions for a quick and easy splash of colour or an outdoor rug.
If you don’t have any seating you can easily make some from old pallets and paint them any colour you like.
Paint old plant pots and by adding hanging plants and decorations you can instantly brighten a dull-looking garden.
Get Upcycling
From wine cork plant markers, seating made from old pallets to a wall hanging herb garden, there are so many ways you can update your garden with items you already have. Check out my Pinterest board full of ideas.
Lighting
As darkness falls, your garden can become a magical space if you use lighting. String fairy lights or hang colourful lanterns. You can light up your dining table with a big lamp or candles. And for a real magical effect try edging a path with tea lights in washed out jam jars.
If you already have a fire pit or fire bowl make it a stylish centrepiece for the garden by day as well as a hub of warmth and light in the evening. Or think about building yourself one.
Invite Nature In
From birds to bumblebees, there are lots of free and easy ways to make your outdoor space more inviting to wildlife.
Make a bee hotel by tying a few bamboo together with string, then place them in an old plant pot and it will create a lovely new bee hotel for your garden, helping with the dwindling bee population.
Invite hedgehogs by leaving any leftover dried fruit or cooked veg out in your garden for them to graze on. But the advice is ‘make sure to avoid bread and milk, as these items can make hedgehogs ill.