Staying home is going to be the new going away for 2021, with lots of restrictions still in place. So for many of us, we will be looking to turn our own homes into our little slice of paradise. For us, this is starting with getting some small garden ideas together.
When we brought this house back in 2007, we didn’t really consider the garden and its practical use. We were young, had no interest in the garden or the space it could become. Fast forward 14 years, 2 kids and 2 dogs later and now that is a completely different story.
Now, we are not very green-fingered at all, I can kill a cactus with very little effort. That doesn’t mean though we don’t want to have a little sanctuary of our own in our garden.
Our outdoor space is not very big, it wraps down the side of our house and behind. The first bit is fine, we have laid astroturf and it is kids and dog friendly, then comes the next issue.
The last part of our garden is on a steep incline, by the time you are at the top, you are higher than our bungalow! When we brought the house we just thought it would be fine, we’d find a use for it. Then we tried to start fixing it, stopped and failed at doing that, so now it needs a complete overhaul.
Here are our thoughts on small garden ideas to make the most of the space.
- Decking/patio area – Most people would like to have an area to entertain outdoors. This may just be for your family, somewhere to enjoy breakfast in the summer, BBQ’s in the evening or maybe an outside office if we are still in lockdown. We are going to utilise the top of our garden by installing decking, this is going to be amazing in the summer as we can see over the town as the sun sets and enjoy the fireworks in November!
- Raised beds or planters – I don’t expect to suddenly turn into the worlds best gardener. This doesn’t mean I don’t want to try growing some vegetables. If this fails, these beds will be used for some hardy grass or plants!
- Be clever with the lighting – Making sure you have good lighting means you will get better use throughout the year. Although I think the solar lights are a clever idea, we are paying to have lighting wired in as I just find it brighter.
Pinterest is a great place to get inspiration for your garden. If you don’t have the DIY skills, reach out to a professional for their advice. After all, if you are investing the time and money in the garden, you will want it to look how you envisioned it.
