Gardens are often the most underused spaces of our homes, but with summer just around the corner, now is the time to start making the most of yours.
Whether you have a large area to work with or a small space you’d like to get a little more use out of, one of the best ways to start enjoying your garden to the maximum is by bringing elements of indoor living into the outdoors. From cooking to socialising, there’s nothing you can’t do outdoors when the weather is on your side, and there are some easy ways to create the perfect set-up.
The trend for bringing the outdoors indoors has been huge over the past few years, but now it’s time to turn things on their head. Here are some simple ways to bring the inside to the outside this summer.
Take your cooking al fresco
Eating outdoors is one of the simplest pleasures of summer, and cooking your food al fresco is something many of us look forward to throughout the year. Barbecues and summer garden parties are a great excuse to gather family and friends for a social occasion and make the most of the great weather, and if you like to host regularly then having an outdoor kitchen built will ensure you have all of the equipment and storage space you need to hand without having to go back into the house every few minutes and miss out on most of the fun.
If a full outdoor kitchen set-up isn’t possible then there are still some fun ways to bring cooking and eating into the outdoors. First, there’s investing in a quality gas-fired barbecue – but if you’d like to do something a little less obvious then why not splurge on a portable pizza oven and make pizza night a weekly family occasion throughout the summer? The Ooni pizza oven has quickly become a highly coveted piece of kit amongst pizza enthusiasts and allows you to make your own restaurant-quality pizzas, all in the comfort of your own garden.
Create a space for late-night lounging
Creating a private, dedicated spot for late-night stargazing and entertaining friends and family is another amazing way to ensure you squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of your garden this summer. Choose a space in your garden and place an assortment of sofas, chairs and other stylish and comfortable modes of seating around a focal point, like a modern gas fire pit, and you’ll have instantly created a space for guests to gather during social soirees, as well as a peaceful spot for you to sit and read or enjoy a drink on a quiet evening at home.
Placing the set-up close to a hedge or a man-made wall will offer some added privacy and cut down on noise travelling to your house or your neighbours. Try to make a circular space to facilitate free-flowing late-night conversation – and don’t forget to keep some blankets handy so you can keep warm when the temperature drops as the sun goes down.
Opt for picturesque landscaping
The more aesthetically appealing your garden looks, the more reasons you’ll find to use it, and a glance out of the window on a sunny day will be enough to tempt you to get out there.
Having your garden professionally landscaped is a great way to inject a sense of luxury and will show that you take pride in your home – although with just a small amount of money and a bit of hard work if you’re prepared to do the job yourself, you can transform the space around your home into something truly beautiful.
Consider giving your garden a theme. Asian influences are popular at the moment and can help to create a stunning yet relatively low-maintenance space. Easy-to-build structures like pergolas, arches, and simple water features are a great way to get the look and will create visual interest and a range of focal points in different areas of your garden.
A reiki garden, also known as a healing garden or a Zen garden, is another great option and is designed to promote a sense of peace, healing and relaxation, combining elements of Japanese aesthetics, Zen Buddhism, and the practice of Reiki.
The classic Italian garden requires a little more maintenance but gives a garden an incredible look with tailored topiary, finely manicured lawns, and intricate stonework to add decoration. Make sure you plan carefully to ensure it turns out exactly as you visualise it – sit down with a pad and pencil and draw your dream garden layout, and enlist the help of a landscaper to help bring it to fruition.
Add a room with a view
Nothing adds value like an outdoor living space, and garden rooms are becoming increasingly popular. If you have space to spare and are comfortable with a bit of DIY then buying and building a pre-fabricated structure will allow you to create a room that you can use for all kinds of purposes, whether you’d like it to be a social area, a cosy reading nook or a hideaway for the children.
If you want to go all out, then you can make it a multi-use space that can be a home office by day and a spare bedroom at night. You could use it as a home gym or relaxation space away from the hustle, bustle, and distractions that can be found in the home – the possibilities really are endless.
Farming a homestead garden
If you’ve always liked the idea of becoming a little more self-sufficient, then why not turn your garden into a pantry filled with foods you grow yourself? Home farming is becoming a very popular trend as prices increase at grocery stores. Start small with a herb garden that you can use to bring fresh flavours to your dinner, and then build up from there.
Vegetables can be incredibly easy to grow – just use raised planters to grow underground food staples like potatoes and carrots. For more delicate foods, you may need to build bigger structures where you have the space. Glasshouses or poly-tunnels give you the warmth and protection needed to grow your own tomatoes, bell peppers, and chillies.
The ultimate addition to a home farm garden is your own chickens, which will provide you with fresh eggs to eat, every single day. You will need to build a chicken coop for them to roost in, but as the price of eggs keeps rising and UK-wide shortages continue, it’s a great way to ensure you always have high-quality eggs on hand.
