Garden ideas for Summer

Stuck for Garden ideas this Summer? This Clarendon insight will suggest some classy and affordable ways to spruce up your outside living space so you can enjoy the sunshine ☀️

Landscaping

Landscaping refers to the planning, laying out and construction of gardens that enhance the appearance and create useable space for outdoor activities around a home (Landscaping Network, 2023). A well-designed landscape can be inspiring for the homeowner and guests alike. It can provide a sense of calm, a sense of awe, and a sense of balance, as well as being an outlet for creativity!

In addition to the further sections in this article, some examples of design trends include water fountains, fireplaces, and footpaths. Landscaping is entirely subjective, so we urge you to do your own research to help facilitate the design of your dream garden. At Clarendon Homes, our new build homes come with stunning landscaped gardens – such as the one below – as standard.

Structure

One important contributor to an aesthetically pleasing garden is to have structure. Aspects like proportion and symmetry are easier to get right than you may think, especially if you consider them at the start of summer. This can be applied to furniture, lawn space, flowers, garden ornaments and more!

Begin by drawing a quick sketch of what your dream garden looks like and ask yourself “how do I create that?” Once you have your garden visualised, it will be easier to map out a plan to work towards. For example, you could start with landscaping, buying new plants, or even something as simple as rearranging furniture.

Consider utilising a focal point to centre your garden aesthetic around too. A strong feature can add impact and serve as a good discussion piece to have with your guests.

Colour

An added sense of colour can make your garden feel more vibrant in the summer months. An excellent way to achieve this is through flowers! Not only will flowers brighten up your garden, they will also offer a lovely aroma from the mixture of summer scents. There is a huge variety of flowers to choose from; Country Living provide a great list to choose from on their website!

Outdoor furniture

A cosy and stylish collection of outdoor furniture allows you to celebrate your garden in style. Firstly, think about what purpose your outdoor furniture will serve. For example, if you are looking to eat meals outside with immediate family, a table and chairs is the best place to start. Alternatively, perhaps you are more concerned with creating a relaxing communal area with family and friends, in which case some sofas with a centrepiece might be more suitable.

The next step is to decide what colour and material you want. Choose easy-care materials and pieces that compliment that look and feel of your landscape and home. Different materials have different pros and cons:

• Natural wood is sturdy and comfortable, but it will require regular maintenance and preservative treatments for weather and UV protection. More weather-resistant woods include teak, redwood, cedar and cypress require less maintenance.
• Synthetic rattan and wicker provide a casual, comfortable look, but require weatherproofing every few years.
• Steel and Wrought Iron are both very sturdy, but will need cushions for comfort.
• Aluminum, Plastic and PVC are rustproof, lightweight, inexpensive and easy to maintain with a little soap and water. The catch? Due to their lightweight construction, they may need to be secured in high winds and storms.

Ensure to weather-proof your furniture too with covers or storage space, especially if you have accessories such as cushions!

Vegetable plot

If you are looking for a hands-on garden project which produces delicious results, a vegetable plot could be for you! Cultivating your own home produce has several benefits; it can be cheaper, it is more sustainable (as you are not buying packaged vegetables), it bypasses chemicals put in shop-bought food and it is great for mental health. Carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, and cucumbers are all great vegetables for beginners to start out with.

If you are interested in growing your own vegetables, Gardener’s World has helpful instructions to help you get started!

Maintenance

When it comes to gardening, you should take the time to preserve and appreciate your hard work. Trees, hedges, flowers and vegetables will all need looking after with varying frequency, so it is important to keep an eye on all aspects of your garden to keep your garden fresh. By developing a regular garden maintenance routine, you’ll cut down on the work required to keep it looking good year-round.

Maintenance tasks around the garden include adding fertiliser to plants, pruning and edging hedges, mowing the lawn, removing weeds, cleaning gutters and cleaning outdoor furniture. Homebase and B&Q are great places to start for garden tools and equipment.

Water

Several areas of the UK surpassed 40°C for the first time on record last year (Statista, 2022). Subsequently, a hosepipe ban was set in place in 2022, to help alleviate the strain on water reserves, which caught a lot of homeowners off-guard. A similar hosepipe ban has recently been introduced for Kent and Sussex from 26th June 2023. If you have invested a lot of time and effort into improving your garden, you will want to be prepared for how to keep your garden healthy.

You need to ensure you water your garden within the UK guidelines on water usage. Here are a few tips on how to be extra efficient with your watering:

• Try reusing water by saving washing up water (as long as it doesn’t contain bleach) or bathwater by decanting it into buckets.
• Water in the morning or late evening to allow the plants to absorb more water while it is still cool and before it evaporates.
• Target the roots as they will take moisture from the surrounding soil or compost..
• Water plants slowly.
• Don’t overwater! Check the soil before watering your plants. Signs of overwatering include moist soil, orange spots or rust on the leaves, as well as a droopy appearance.

Got any questions or feedback on the article? Or maybe a topic you would like to be covered in a future blog? Email caitlin.willis@clarendonhomes.co.uk today, I would love to hear from you!