How to create the perfect summer garden

What a delight it is to come home from a long working day in the summer to spend some quality time in the garden, catching the last of the day’s sun. If you work from home, or are lucky enough for early finishes, that’s even better. But, wait a minute! Is your garden looking more like a jungle than a place to relax?

Do you lack the right outdoor furniture? Are you going green with envy peeking at your neighbours’ perfect lawn? Well, now is the right time to get your garden ready for summer; here’s how to create the perfect summer garden to raise some eyebrows.

Sun and shade

When planning your dream summer garden, take into account where you get the most and least amount of sun, and where you want to sit. Maybe you want a cosy corner for people to chill in the evenings, but does everyone end up facing the setting sun, causing frowns? Is a shed or tree blocking the sun at certain times of the day? Before you get stuck into buying furniture or redesigning your garden space, make sure you have checked and tested the sun and shade.

Get into a theme

Themes work brilliantly for gardens. It also makes the whole project of sprucing up a garden even more enjoyable. Once you’ve got a theme in mind, you’ll find it easier to filter out options. Nautical is a fun one, but you may prefer pastel tones and wooden materials, so you know what to look for and how to visualise.

Garden theme ideas:

Alice in Wonderland

The Eden Project

Farmer’s land

Romantic

A family resort

Far Far Away

Gnomeland

GardenFest

A bit of renovation

Before you get the tools out to hammer away or get rid of anything, what could still work with a little TLC? Is the garden shed strong enough, but needs a lick of paint? Or maybe a clear-out is needed. If it’s become redundant, why not change it into a hideaway, ‘beach hut’ or garden bar? Get creative and decorate it to suit your theme, or to bring your garden to life.

Plants and foliage

Garden. Noun. Definition: ‘a piece of ground adjoining a house, in which grass, flowers, and shrubs may be grown’.

Many of us have gardens, but it’s surprising that we often don’t do much with them when they can do so much for us. If you haven’t planted anything, you’re missing out on a beautiful place to take joy from. Gardening itself is a therapeutic hobby that gets our brains stimulated, our creativity flowing, problem-solving skills buzzing, and it gets us outdoors; all in all, raising our spirits. It’s also a brilliant way to get the whole family involved.

Let the little ones pick out flowers, vegetables, fruits and plants to add to patches, beds, and planters. Don’t forget about hanging baskets, trellises, arches and plant pots to add more colour and foliage to your little green sanctuary.

Decking, lawns and paths

A garden can be instantly transformed with a simple decking feature or whimsical path and archway. Think about what you like to do in the garden. Do you have a big family who love to play games and sports? Then a good space of lawn is perfect. Maybe you live alone, but like to entertain when you can. A lovely decking platform with a dining set, chairs and hanging lights will work. If you’re fortunate to have a very spacious garden, create little paths that lead to different areas. For instance, you might have a path that leads to a fountain feature, a corner sunbathing spot, or one that leads to a treehouse. Old wooden pallets can be used to create paths, or you can use flags, stones and decking.

Garden furniture

For those warm, sunny weekend mornings, what’s better than a good full English breakfast sat in the garden. Newspaper on the table, a fresh glass of orange juice and a colourful, serene view of the flowers. That picture you’re dreaming up now can be reality because garden furniture doesn’t have to be expensive. When summer time comes, even local supermarkets offer their own garden furniture sets. You can get a classic dining set with a parasol, a corner outdoor sofa unit, wicker textures, and steel, plastic or wooden materials. Create a space for sunbathing with sun loungers and tables for your summer reads and drinks.

Light it up

When the sun winds down, create a garden glow with the use of fairy lights, lanterns, spotlights and motion sensor lights. Lighting is important for both the back and front gardens, especially to light up any trespassers. Hanging lights can drape across gazebos, structures, fences, trellises and can hang from trees. As well as your artificial light, outdoor candles are perfect for creating romantic moods, and you can get ones that help to keep bugs away.

Statues and features

Bring out your garden’s personality with quirky statues and features. Today, you can get garden wells, water falls, fountains, arches, statues and sculptures to bring them to life. On top of that, you can even get water pump fountains, spheres, mushroom falls, and solar water features. One popular feature is the birdbath, and you can get them in so many different styles to give your birdy visitors a luxury stay.

The BBQ or outdoor kitchen

We can’t think of a perfect summer garden without our minds jumping to the BBQ. If you love to entertain and have the budget, then you can really go all out. These days, you can set up outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens are also popular. You can go out and buy a great BBQ, or even build your own using bricks. If you really like a garden party, add a tiki bar for cocktails and alfresco drinks.

Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits

We may be talking about summer, but the evenings can still be chilly, and when in the garden, a fire pit or fireplace can provide the ideal setting for late-into-the-night drinks and storytelling. An outdoor fireplace can take the shape of one you would expect indoors, with the same structure and frame, against a garden wall. Just make sure wood is stored in a dry spot. Fire pits are also easy to get hold of and can be placed in the centre of a seating area for a cosy, chill-out spot.

Gardens are brilliant for hosting get-togethers and summer parties, but remember to keep on top of your home security when in the garden. In summer, we leave doors and windows open, and often forget about the potential for sneak-in burglaries when we’re in the garden entertaining, especially if music is playing. With smart motion alarm sensors, you can get alerted instantly on your smartphone if there’s an intrusion. You can also get visual footage of break-ins if caught on a alarm sensors security camera - whether you’re hosting a garden party or you’re away from home.

To understand more about how a smart home security system works, contact SimpliSafe today.