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Are you looking for some easy ways to perk up your garden?
The arrival of spring and the prospect of spending more time in the garden prompts many of us to start thinking about our outdoor spaces more. It’s not unusual to take a look at the garden after a winter of neglect and realise there’s a bit of work to be done. I know my garden is definitely in need of some attention to give it a boost right now!
Simple garden ideas to perk up your outdoor space
The good news is there are lots of easy things you can do to make your garden look better and get it ready for more use over spring and summer. I’ve listed some simple garden ideas here to get you started.
To help with the inspiration, I’ve been browsing the Time to Blossom 2022 trends from Ningbo. This handy guide is full of suggestions for simple ways to embrace the latest garden trends and style predictions in your own garden.
Declutter
When it comes to tackling the garden after winter, I think this is the ideal place to start. If the shed is a jumble of things that haven’t been put away properly, or the garden is home to lots of toys or junk, it’s time for a good old declutter.
Simply clearing the decks makes a space look smarter, and makes it much easier for you to actually use the garden too. Having a tidy up will also help you to identify which areas need some attention.
Add instant colour with bedding plants
Adding a shot of colour to the garden is a clever way to draw the eye away from any less-than-lovely areas, and you can do this really easily with bedding plants.
You could stick to a simple colour scheme, or really go for it with a riot of bold colours. Think about what’s going to work well with your existing plants before making your final choice.
If you don’t have lots of time or are gardening on a budget, it’s a good idea to focus your bedding plant displays in containers. You can even embrace the popular up-cycling trend by repurposing things like colanders, wellies, old teapots, wheelbarrows and even furniture into a thrifty and unique container display.
For more ideas on what to plant at this time of year, take a look at my planting calendar series of posts.
Neaten up the lawn
Another clever trick to give the illusion of a smarter garden is to tidy up the lawn.
Start by mowing it, then trim the edges to create a neat finish. You’ll be amazed what a difference this can make to your overall impression of the garden.
Blitz the weeds
Tackling weeds in the garden is definitely time well spent. Getting rid of weeds makes your garden borders look better straight away, and it also helps your plants by giving them more space to grow and less competition for nutrients.
It’s a good idea to get into the habit of dealing with weeds on a regular basis. If you don’t let them get out of hand they’re much easier and quicker to deal with – this ultimately means less time weeding, which is always a bonus!
Refresh garden furniture
Tired garden furniture can make a patio look a bit shabby, so this is another area where you can make a quick win.
Give tables and chairs a brush down, then wash with warm soapy water and rinse. You can also bring faded wooden furniture back to life with a coat of wood protector; make sure the wood is dry before you start though.
Another way that you can refresh your garden furniture is by taking on a few DIY projects. This can be anything from reupholstering cushions to painting metal furniture and building new garden benches. For a DIY building project, you will want to consider MDF sheets cut to size as your base; they’re cheap, easy to work with, and will provide a stable platform for your project. Refreshing your garden furniture with a few DIY projects is a great way to add your own personal touch and make it unique.
Clean the patio
Don’t stop at the furniture – grubby paving or decking is another culprit when it comes to making a bad impression.
Use a stiff brush to get rid of dust and leaves, then give the whole patio or deck a wash down and rinse afterwards. If you’ve got a pressure washer, now’s the time to use it.
Feed your plants
This final tip for sprucing up your garden won’t give you an instant result, but it’s still definitely worth doing.
Feeding your plants is a brilliant, low-cost way to encourage them to grow bigger and produce more flowers – which in turn will mean you need to make less effort to keep the garden looking good.
You can add concentrated liquid feed to your watering can, add granules to the soil around the base of plants, or embrace the sustainability trend and make your own plant food.
If your garden soil is looking exhausted, it’s also well worth taking some time to enrich it with compost or manure to give plants a boost.
Share your simple garden ideas
I hope this list of easy garden ideas helps you to get your outdoor space looking good with minimum effort. If you’ve got a brilliant tip for creating a lovely garden do share it in the comments – and make sure you check out Ningbo’s Time to Blossom campaign for even more ideas.
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