Garden ideas for the summer
Are there parts of your garden that are a little unloved? Perhaps the borders could do with a refresh, or the shed space needs sprucing up to help maximise its use? How about turning that untidy corner into a cosy, quiet nook, perfect for a good book and cuppa? Whatever you’ve got planned, our ideas will hopefully help give you that bit of inspiration you need.
Turn your shed into a home office, garden bar or cosy snug
If you’re not much of a gardener, then chances are your shed is half filled with unused and unloved things that could probably benefit from being sold to make some extra pennies or taken down to the local recycling centre. Once you’ve cleared the clutter you’ll be left with a space that can be turned into something you’ll make use of!
During lockdown lots of us turned our sheds into offices, snugs and even garden bars. If you didn’t quite get round to it then, now’s your time! Here’s what you’ll need to do to start the transformation:
1. Clean and repair
First, give the shed a good clean inside and out. Check for anything that needs a bit of care and repair, like rotting or loose wood panels and squeaking hinges. You’ll find more tips on that in our How to maintain your shed blog.
2. Do it up
Once it’s had a clean, think about what colour you’d like to see your new space. Make sure you choose outdoor wood paint to help preserve and protect. Don’t neglect the floor – give it a lick of paint if you can. Remember to paint the outside of the shed too – first impressions are everything!
3. Add furniture
Going for a bar? Choose high tables and stools. If you’re going for an office, then you’ll need laptop tables and office chair. To turn your new space into a cosy snug, pick comfy club chairs, bean bags and foot stools.
4. Accessorise
Think about rugs, pictures on the walls and candles. Whatever your chosen transformation, add texture and a homely feel with throws and cushions. If you’re going for a bar, don’t forget wine racks, extra glasses and drawers for things like bottle openers.
5. Add electricity
Go that step further with adding electricity to your new ‘shed’. You’ll probably have to get a qualified electrician in, but it’ll be worth the effort as you’ll be able to plug in laptops, fridges and portable heaters.
Now your outside space is potentially filled with valuable items, don’t forget to add a lock to the door to keep everything secure.
Create a cosy reading corner
Craving a quiet corner away from the noise of the family? Or simply want a space you can grab five minutes away from a busy schedule? Well, with a little effort and inspiration, you can turn of your garden into a cosy reading nook.
- If your grass is looking sparce or moss-filled, it may need scarifying. If you’ve got a large space, you may benefit from an electric scarifier or if it’s just a small grass area you can take away dead grass and moss and encourage regrowth with a rake. Once the raking is complete, make sure you add some weed and feed to get the grass growing again. You can read all about how to care for your lawn over on our latest blog, here.
- Once the ground is dealt with, add garden furniture like a garden bench or Jack and Jill bench for a fun, traditional look. You could even go for a small bistro table with the option of a parasol, perfect for catching some shade whilst you read and enjoy a cuppa.
- Trim back bushes and tidy up borders and then think about adding some pretty flowers and pots for much-needed colour and personality.
- If you want to give your cosy corner that homely feel, add an outdoor rug, a comfy bean bag, cushions and throws. Add some lighting too and a fire pit so you can make the most of your new space in the evening.
Now, where’s that sunshine?
Create wildlife sanctuary
- Bees have an important part to play in maintaining our planet. We need them to pollinate our food, and pollinate lots of the trees and flowers that provide habitats for other wildlife. So instead of pulling up dandelions, leave them to grow in a corner of your garden and you’ll have bees flying through, working hard to help the planet.
- Leave your grass to grow so wildlife and creepy crawlies can find shelter and thrive in their natural habitat.
- Pop a wild bird box high up on a tree. If you don’t have room for a bird box, then scatter seed for birds when food is scarce.
- Plant new flowers to help attract bees and other insects – it’ll help add colour to your garden too!
