Monday, 04 April 2022
On a warm and sunny day, there's nothing better than relaxing outdoors in your favourite garden chair.
On a warm and sunny day, there's nothing better than relaxing outdoors in your favourite garden chair. But how do you make your outside space more appealing and welcoming? Of course, there's more to creating a garden than simply focusing on furniture. There are some simple changes that can transform the look of your garden, even if you're on a tight budget. So, we've shared our top tips to help you get your garden summer-ready.
1. How will your garden be used?
Are you someone who entertains family and friends regularly or do you spend your weekends enjoying quiet moments of solitude? How and who uses your garden is the first step to designing a space that can be used throughout the summer that suits your needs. Think of your garden as an extension of your home - an outside room.
2. Declutter your outside space
In springtime, everything starts to grow including weeds! So, give your garden a good tidy and remove any deadwood and plants you don't want. Prepare your flower beds with mulch and sow seeds, so you can enjoy those plants that will bring your garden to life over the coming months. If you want to add extra colour to your garden, fill a trough or planter with colourful flowers and plants to see you through to the summer.
3. Do you need to landscape the garden?
Simple landscaping does not have to cost you the earth. If you have a wild area of your garden, first remove as many weeds as you can and then lay down a ground cover sheet to act as a membrane. Cover with gravel or wood chips, which are cheaper than paving slabs and will help to stop weeds from reappearing. Give this area a purpose, for example, this could be the perfect place for garden furniture or a BBQ.
4. Design spaces for different needs
If you're a family, you might decide to zone off your garden to create separate areas for the kids to play and the adults to sit and chat. This can be simpler than you think, as gardens can easily be partitioned using trellis panels or planters with tall shrubs. If you have nothing but lawn, dig out new flower beds to separate areas of your garden. Install a conical trellis frame and plant a climbing rose or clematis to split off the area.
5. How do you choose the right plants?
First, get to know your soil. If you have a heavy clay soil, then roses are likely to thrive, whereas a sandy soil is ideal for plants that need drainage like lavender. Next, look at the aspect, for example, south-facing gardens will have more sunshine, which means different plants will thrive. And then decide whether you want decorative floral displays, lots of trees and shrubs, or an edible garden full of herbs and vegetables.
6. Create the mood for entertaining
If you enjoy cooking outside then an outdoor pizza oven is an on-trend, popular alternative (or addition!) to the standard BBQ. If you entertain regularly, you could install an outside bar as an easy way to make drinks and to create a fun talking point with friends. If you're looking to save money, build your bar counter using an old wooden pallet and use a gazebo as a shelter if it rains. Get creative and upcycle.
7. What will make your garden exciting?
There are so many ways to make your garden exciting these days, you'll be spoilt for choice! Again, think about how the space will be used and by whom. If you like watching the sunset and chatting long into the evening, then your priority might be to keep warm, so you could build a fire pit to keep you cosy on cooler nights. If you love sporting activities, you could install an outdoor dart board on a fence or facing wall.
8. Design a botanical gallery
If you have a plain fence or wall, you could create an outdoor gallery using plants. Choose your background and add a splash of paint if the colour isn't quite right. Depending on the strength of the wall or fence, you can hang multiple plants on fixed hooks, a rail or floating shelves. Add some interesting objects or river stones. You could also create a living wall of greenery with lines of planters that fix to the wall.
9. What garden furniture do you need?
Rattan furniture is all the rage this summer, so why not enhance your garden with a gorgeous rattan sofa or rattan dining set? The perfect way to spend quality time with friends and family on a lazy weekend, your choice of garden furniture will determine how your outside space is used. And for lazy days in the sunshine, a rattan egg chair will allow you to sit back and while away the hours, reading a book or having a nap.
10. Light up your outdoor space
A simple way to add ambience to an outdoor space is to add some lighting. There are a wide range of affordable outside lights that won't break the budget but will add instant appeal to your garden. Solar lights or battery-powered, outdoor fairy lights can be hung from fence posts, trellis or trees. If you're likely to be partying late into the night, then some soft spotlights will help people to safely navigate your garden.
Once you've upscaled your outside space, getting the right garden furniture is the key to outdoor entertaining. Not only do you need to ensure you have enough seats for visiting friends and family, but make sure your garden furniture is comfortable and stylish. Along with summer parties, you'll want a comfy garden chair to sit back and relax in on sunny days.
Our new garden furniture collection is perfect for outdoor entertaining. Choose from a wide range of rattan sofas, rattan dining sets and more in our garden furniture range. If you need advice, contact our friendly customer service team - use our online web chat tool.
