Giving Your Garden a Makeover

The garden can be one of the most difficult areas of the home to maintain and at times can seem neglected by so many people throughout the UK especially in the winter months.  But with the modern era, it can be difficult to add valuation to your home, so it could be a quick win by simply viewing your garden as an extra living space.  In today’s article, I intend to give you some good tips for giving your garden a makeover.

How to Refresh Your Garden

So many of us will admit that we have not always given our garden the love and affection it so badly craves and deserves but maybe with it being a new year, now might be the right time for you to do so.  Our home is our own personal haven in which we can escape from a stressful day at home and relax without having to worry, and so is our garden.

Decking

Adding life to our garden is essential especially when it comes to creating a living space that is enjoyable but also

functional.  Having a proper decking area is one of the best ways of doing it – as it creates the ideal family dining area in the summer along with the perfect place for BBQ’s with friends.  Also, when a decking area is installed it can add substantial value to your home and will be seen as a focal point by many estate agents and potential buyers.

If you are planning on adding a decking area it can be done at a fairly good price, you need to think about the improvement you can see on the valuation of your home more than the cost of installing one.  You do not want your decking area to be an eye-sore in a few months time, so it is important to think about the type of wood you choose.  Although pressure-treated pine does, in fact, resist rot and repels pest it contains green-tinged lumber and is unsightly along with the pesticides it contains being unhealthy therefore I would not advise using this wood.

If you want to build a safer yet more attractive decking area then I would choose a designer, more durable wood for the flooring as well as be thinking about the matching railings and steps.  You can save the pressure-treated woods such as pine for the frame and supports.  One wood I like for decking is Western Red Cedar. It gives off a reddish brown look and also ages into a gorgeous silvery grey finish.  Although the softwood does splinter easily you can add durability to the wood by using a penetrating stain.

Furniture

Once you have selected your gorgeous decking area the next job is adding what you want and need to make it perfect.  Rattan garden furniture is one great way of creating a dining/living room feel to your decking area.  You can find different shapes, styles and sizes that will be suitable whatever your aspirations are.

Rattan furniture gives off a sophisticated look and also is completely weatherproof – perfect for the sometimes drastic weather within the United Kingdom.   When we think about rattan furniture people immediately think about single chairs, did you know that you can purchase three seater sofa sets? Coffee tables, and also planters?

BBQs

If you like to use your garden in the summer for having family and friends over to enjoy the sunshine then having a BBQ is a very good idea.  Buying a cheap BBQ waterproof cover also allows you to keep the BBQ out whatever the weather. This meaning you don’t take anything away from the look of your decking area. If you find yourself using the BBQ a lot, it could be a good idea to build a feature BBQ into the garden for a long-term solution that fits in nicely with its environment.

Grow Your Own Food

Nowadays it is very important to do all we can to help the environment and also save money in whatever way we can.  Growing your own food is a great way of killing two birds with one stone – as the old saying goes – as you are creating a landscaping area in your garden whilst creating a productive area to grow essential foods. Growing our own vegetables and herbs makes us not only more environmentally friendly but it also means that we can save money on our shopping bills.

With the weather in the UK always being a problem for gardeners we need to look at options which will enhance the time frame in which we can grow our fruit, vegetable and crops and a perfect starting point is a domestic polytunnel.

The 6ft wide PolyTunnel is perfect for anyone who wants to start taking growing food seriously in the comfort of their own garden. With temperatures inside the polytunnel capable of going as high as 100°C you can grow what you need all year round – making it great for seeds that need warmth before planting outside, whilst also providing a home for more exotic fruit and veg all year round.

Polytunnel’s have really become a hit across the United Kingdom, mainly for their flexibility in use. In fact, owners of larger Polytunnels have let their dogs out for walks in them. Or even more bizarrely used them for drying the washing in drastic conditions!

Any gardening fanatic dreams of having their own space in which they can grow regardless of weather. With the Polytunnel this is now not only an idea, but it can be a reality too.  The Polytunnel comes in sizes from 6ft wide to a 14ft Wide (super) for domestic use, making them available for a range of garden sizes.  But it is in commercial environments when this product comes into its own. With sizes ranging from 16ft wide to as big as 30ft wide, making them ideal for farms, garden centres and other garden based companies.

Originally posted 2013-02-21 09:00:04.