Gardens are a gift. They are consistently the number one feature for people looking for a new home and offer some amazing opportunities for adding value and desirability to a property as well as living space. They often go underused, overlooked, and underdeveloped. To get more from your home’s outdoor spaces and make them a part of the home, this has to change. You can have a huge impact on the look of your home and create a functional outdoor living space with one of these seven top garden design ideas.
Formal And Ornamental
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If you are looking for a low-maintenance garden that has a beautiful and stylish look, consider choosing an ornamental design. This gives you a lovely place to sit and enjoy the sunshine without having to spend hours over the weekend weeding and planting. It does require some investment, as to give your garden an ornamental look you will have to add features like brick or stone paths, fountains or ponds, and objects like mirrors or a sundial.
Working with local landscape gardeners to plan your ornamental garden is highly recommended. They will be able to tell you what is possible in the space and help you identify low-maintenance grasses and plants. You can find local landscape gardeners near you at MyBuilder that are experienced and come recommended by people in your area who have used their services. MyBuilder makes finding the right landscaper easy, and there are often photos of their work helping you to choose a gardener with confidence.
Modern But Minimal
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Traditional gardens are going out of style. For a modern look, you can remove border plants and trees to give a stripped-back and clean appearance. This is also low-maintenance and creates spaces that you can use for dining, entertaining, or even cooking. Making a garden a functional space is a great way to get more for your money from a garden, and add a desirable and valuable feature to your home. A garden can be more than a pretty sight, it can be a part of your living space.
Decking or paved patios are the perfect way to add some usable living space and reduce the amount of regular maintenance your garden needs. Clearing your garden’s borders of plants and trees allows you to make a feature of your fences. You can add colour to wooden fences instead of the traditional varnishes or creosote to brighten the area, and use mirrors to bounce sunlight into dark corners.
Go Zen
Asian-themed gardens are gaining popularity. They make a garden more peaceful and create a space for relaxation that is perfect for yoga. Achieving the Zen look will take some work, and it will take some investment. Pergolas, archways, and water features will add to the cost but they add a huge amount to the look and give you a unique and attractive garden design. The money you invest in creating a Zen-style garden will come back to you in property value and reduced maintenance costs.
One of the most beautiful aspects of a Zen garden is the curved edges. These stand in stark contrast to the traditional straight edges and right angles of a traditional British garden. Pathways can wind through the space, creating a journey through even the smallest space and passing through the pergolas and archways. A Shishi Odoshi is a traditional Japanese water feature that belongs in every Zen-style garden, adding sound as well as a visual feature.
Small Can Be Beautiful
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Many houses in the United Kingdom are only small patches, and this can lead people to overlook and underuse them. This is a big mistake. Having a small space to work with should not prevent you from having a beautifully designed and useful garden. Working with a small space actually comes with some advantages, namely the low cost. Less space means less investment. It is also easier to make a small garden a functional living space.
Add raised planters to create the depth a small garden is lacking. Split-level planters add both design and colour without using up too much space. Create a seating area on a small square of decking or stone patio, and hang mirrors on the wall to add extra light and give the illusion of space. Make use of external walls and fencing by adding trellises that plants like ivy or roses can grow on to maximise your planting potential.
An English Country Garden
If you have some space to play with and your home has an old-school design, you should consider remodelling your garden with a traditional English country style. Generous flower beds on the borders of your garden are a must for this style. Take advantage of any elevation changes in your garden by creating stone-walled planters and flattening out any mounds or depressions. This will give you areas to use for lounging or dining.
Archways covered in climbing plants are the perfect addition to an English country garden and can be used to add some detail to a winding stone path. Choose English plants to complete the look. Roses, peonies, and poppies can be accented with lavender, honeysuckle, and foxglove. Give any fencing a traditional coat of creosote and add trellises with climbing ivy to bring some colour to your borders.
Low-Maintenance Mediterranean Looks
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For a garden that always looks sunny and summery, and requires very little attention, you should go for a Mediterranean look. White walls, sand-coloured paving, palms, and pampas grasses give any garden a fresh and inviting look without the need for weeding and watering. Decks and patios look great in these gardens too. Use split-levelling where possible to add more white walls and define areas for dining and sunbathing.
Herbs are more important than flowers in a Mediterranean-style space and can add something to your cuisine as well as your garden. They also provide pleasant aromas to activate another of the senses when people are visiting. Use sculptures to add features, this is a signature Mediterranean look. Avoid cherubs and opt for modern art-style pieces that can also inspire some conversation when you are entertaining.
Create A Kitchen Garden
The smartest way to make more use of your back garden is to use it as a food source. Creating a kitchen garden is great if you have kids, as they love getting involved in planting vegetables and learning about how food grows. It is also a great way to save money on many common foods. If you have the space, add a chicken hutch to give you a constant supply of fresh eggs. It will pay for itself in no time.
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Raised planters are the perfect venue for potatoes, and you can grow dozens in just a small space. Create a little herb garden by your back door so you can quickly harvest some fresh herbs for your evening meals. Polytunnels are an inexpensive way to create a greenhouse for more sensitive plants like tomatoes and chillies. Once you get one of these going, you will be taking money off your shopping bill every week.
Any one of these great garden designs could be perfect for your outdoor space. Work with an experienced landscaper and share some of these ideas to find out what is possible and what you can achieve with your budget. Whether you have a small space, or acres to play with, this list should have you covered.
