One of the many perks of being a homeowner is the ability to design your own garden. If you enjoy horticulture and like to keep the exterior of your property lush and full of life, why not get creative with the task? The wonderful thing about planning your garden is that the possibilities are truly endless. If you’re willing to put in the time, effort and money, you can do some amazing things with the outdoor space.
A garden that’s truly complete features more than just trees, bushes and flowers. With so many unique options available, there are quite a few different directions you could go. Here are a handful of nifty tips for designing your garden and realizing your vision for the project.
1. Use Art and Accessories
By placing pieces of art and other accessories throughout the space, you can add variety and style to your garden. There are numerous options for how you can spice up the garden area with decorative items. One very popular choice is to hang personalized wind chimes. In addition to being beautiful, wind chimes will bring peaceful music to your garden whenever a breeze rolls through.
You could introduce small sculptures, decorative wind spinners or customized plant pots. Ultimately, it’s your garden, so make sure that the art and accessories you choose are reflective of your personality and taste.
2. Represent Your Family
If you share a home with your family, you may want to consider putting something in your front garden that represents all of you. This can serve as a nice touch when you’re having friends or extended family over. It’s also a great choice if you live in a tightly-knit neighborhood where most people know one another.
There are several ways you can achieve this, but the most popular method is using personalized garden flags. Your flag can have a photo of your family or any other image that you feel represents your home. Most households choose to put their family name on their personalized flag as well.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a bit more subtle, personalized garden stones are another excellent choice. The stones will mainly be visible to people who visit your home, and they can serve many purposes. For example, you could display a stone memorializing a pet or loved one. You could even use the stone as a friendly greeting for your guests as they approach the front door.
3. Implement Water Features
If you want your garden to be a peaceful, relaxing space, adding a water feature or two is a fantastic choice. Did you know that water is scientifically shown to be naturally calming? If you want to do something fairly simple, you can buy a beautiful fountain to use as the centerpiece of your garden. You can add a few smaller birdbaths, a koi pond or even a little stream with a bridge or stepping stones to walk across it.
Water is not only pleasant to look at, but if the feature you add includes moving water, it will provide a gentle, serene sound. With the right water elements, your garden can become a true oasis and a wonderful place to escape from the bustle of everyday life.
4. Choose Your Favorite Plants
One of the most challenging parts of designing your garden can be deciding which plants to use. Unless you have a massive yard, you’ll be relatively limited on space. And because there are so many beautiful plants to choose from, you may not be able to include every flower or shrub that you’re fond of.
A good way to approach this conundrum is by making a list of your absolute favorite plants and selecting some or all of them. This list should encapsulate what you envision as your dream garden.
Once you’ve finished your list, you can start planning how you’ll arrange the garden. For example, you could separate the plants you’ve chosen into color patterns or find shades that contrast well. You can have a lot of fun envisioning the layout of the garden and playing around with different ideas in your head.
Also Read: Top Plants to Add to Your Garden This Summer
5. Add Edible Plants
Your vision for your garden may simply be a pleasant outdoor area where you can relax and find some peace. However, if you want to add some utility to your garden, why not introduce a few edible plants? Growing your own produce is not only an awesome hobby, but it can save you a significant amount of money on groceries.
On average, gardens in the United States yield approximately $600 worth of produce per year. Plus, there’s just something that makes food taste better when you know that you grew it yourself.
There are lots of great edible plants you could grow in your garden. For example, you could grow vibrant green lettuce, bright purple cabbage or succulent strawberries. You could also take the space in the direction of an herb garden and plant some thyme, rosemary, sage or oregano.
If you live with your family, consider getting suggestions from them or taking a vote on which types of produce to choose. After all, they’ll probably be enjoying the harvests regularly!
Also Read: 5 Simple Pest Control to Keep your Garden Shrubs and Plants healthy
Make Your Garden Your Own
Ultimately, there’s no wrong way to design your garden. Of course, if you want the area to meet the standards of serious gardening, there are certain guidelines you’ll want to follow when it comes to colors, textures and layout. However, as long as you and your family enjoy the garden, those things aren’t important. Go with whichever type of design you prefer, and don’t be afraid to inject your own personality into the space.