The garden is one of the most important parts of any house. However, it’s often one of the most neglected. Making a livable garden is one way to help sustain your garden for the long term. People also seem to struggle with design ideas for the area. Most people are used to interior décor, but don’t know so much about garden design and landscaping. They then end up improvising, which rarely ends looking right. Let’s take a look at a few ways that you can make your garden more Livable.
Plant Trees
Planting trees is not only a way to make your garden look better and increase it’s perceived value, it’s also one of the best ways to create more shade and make your garden more comfortable during the summer months. You have to make sure that you pick the right trees depending on where you live. If the weather allows you to enjoy outdoor spaces well into the autumn/winter, then you may want to go for evergreens. In other cases, you could get a nice deciduous tree from a local nursery that will grow to provide shade. This is also one of the cheapest options out there.
Add an Awning to Your Patio Area
Another way that you can protect yourself and your guests from the sun is to add an awning to your patio area. Awnings have tons of benefits you may have not been aware of.
Not only can they provide shade, but they can also help reduce heat inside the house. This will reduce strain on your air conditioning system. They are also great at reducing the heat on your patio. It has been estimated that a good awning could reduce the outside temperature on your patio by as much as 5°C.
Garden awnings are also a very affordable way to upgrade your garden. They’re low maintenance, and some models can be retracted when needed.
If you’re looking for one of these, we suggest you check the electric awnings at Nationwide Home Innovations. They have one of the largest selections of awnings UK and you’ll find all types of awnings for sale. Their retractable awnings will be made according to your specifications and they have awnings for all sorts of applications. They have patio awnings you can use to cover terraces or conservatories, and they also offer free-standing awnings if you want more flexibility.
Add a Gazebo
Staying within the theme, adding a gazebo could also be a great way to boost the value and look of your garden while making it more enjoyable. A gazebo could be a good way to cover an outdoor living room or dining area. You can get them in a variety of materials and for different budgets. These can be very robust and cover you from moderate rain. These are also a must if you intend to entertain in your garden often. This will give you an option besides cancelling an event if you have a little bit of drizzle.
Create an Outdoor Kitchen
Outdoor kitchens are a big trend and are much more accessible than many people imagine. Sure, it’s an investment, but one you can expect will pay back if done right. This is also something you could do on your own, check out tips at RTA Outdoor Living.
You could get yourself an outdoor kitchen for as little as £650 for a moderate setup. You could create a nice looking outdoor kitchen island with nothing but some wood, mortar, and some stone veneer. While it takes some skill, the process is pretty straight forward and you can go in phases if you don’t want to rush. Once you’ve gotten to the point where you’ve applied your initial layer of mortar, you can tarp over it and take your time setting the stones in.
This is one of the best ways to increase the appeal of your garden as well. There are very few DIY renovations that will get you that much of a return on your investment, and it’s a risk-free one as well.
Add some Real Seating
Now that you have an awning over your terrace or a nice gazebo, you can afford to go a little bit extra on the furniture. Deep plush seats are perfect for those cool evenings and will help make it more relaxing. You’ll get much more out of your space, and your guests will definitely appreciate it. You can go all out and create a living room complete with a sectional sofa set, table, and a TV.
Add Fire
People often speak about water features for gardens, but fire doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. Not only will it look great no matter your setup, but it will actually provide some heat during the winter months. This will allow you to enjoy more of your garden. This will also make it a great gathering spot and can also be used to do some cooking. Also, you are not likely to see a buyer turn down a house because it had a chimenea, but plenty will think twice about buying a house with elaborate water features, so that is one that should return dividends.
Keep the Design as Clean as Possible
If you’re starting with a clean slate, you want to start on a good foundation. You have to keep your floor plan as clean as you can and try to incorporate built-in seating areas. You also want to keep your plantings under control and avoid bulky pieces. The simpler you start, the more space there will be for improvement later on.
Make Sure that you Add Privacy
One very important part of making your garden more Livable is to make sure that you have enough privacy. However, this can be difficult if you’re living in a crowded urban area. But there are plenty of ways that you can block the view from a curious neighbor or if you wanted to block an unattractive view. Additional fencing could do the trick, and you could even build it yourself if you think you can. But for practicality, you could look for sturdy fencing panels that will stand the test of time and nature.
Urban gardens are also often overlooked by other properties. If that’s your case, it would be nice if you created a covered area, possibly in a corner of your garden. This is where a gazebo would come in handy.
If you don’t have overlooking properties and you want something that will look great as well as give your protection, then you could go with hedging instead. It might require a little bit more maintenance, but it will give you protection against onlookers and a barrier against sound.
Improve the Lighting
You also want to make your backyard as safe as possible to walk around in, so we suggest that you add lighting strategically along pathways. Adding a few outdoor LED lights is an option, but you can also get creative. You could use lightbulbs of different sizes and shapes, or even create your own using mason jars. Nice lighting will really bring the beauty of your garden out and allow you to use it at any time of the day or night.
These are just some of the ways that you can create a more Livable garden. This should make it much more functional and allow you to get much more from the space. Remember, you can always trust Apopka tree and garden professionals.