Quick Fixes For Your Garden

There is always plenty of scope in the garden for improvement, from creating outdoor dining spaces to installing children’s play areas, attractive patios, seating zones, water features and mood lighting. In terms of design, increasingly the garden is considered as an extension of the home and the division between the two is ever decreasing.

Gardens should be pleasurable places, attractive spaces in which to relax and take time out. So what can we do if the patch of greenery outside the window is looking decidedly tired and neglected?

Get an Instant Lawn

Is the grass always greener over the fence in the neighbour’s garden? Dry, uneven and patchy lawns will always let an otherwise smart garden down. Remedy this by re-turfing the lawn. Good soil preparation and planning is essential to achieve good results.

Competent gardeners can lay turf themselves, however in order to guarantee successful results the help of professional landscapers may be required. Avoid laying turf in the rain or during frosty periods and ensure that adequate watering is carried out afterwards. Similar to having a new outdoor carpet laid, there are few garden fixes as instant and luxurious as a newly turfed lawn.

Bring the Outdoors Inside with a Conservatory

Perhaps a wise option in these times of less predictable weather patterns, a conservatory allows enjoyment of the garden from the comfort of indoors. A conservatory adds value to a home as well as providing useful extra space.

When so many homeowners are choosing to stay put, rather than trade upwards to larger dwellings, a conservatory such as a DIY Centurion model offers many possibilities in a range of architectural styles. Framed through the glass of a warm and well-designed conservatory, the garden will look twice as attractive and can be enjoyed in all weathers.

Re-define the Boundaries

Nothing sharpens up the look of a garden faster than a new panel fence.  Ideal for privacy, security and as a windbreak, wooden panel fences are relatively easy to erect and can be readily sourced from DIY outlets.

Get creative with colour and stain or paint the timber other than with the standard brown. Fencing looks attractive clad in climbing plants or wall shrubs, and in time with the clever use of trellis, attractive effects can be achieved.

Go Potty

For an instant wow-factor in the garden, invest in some large, sculptural pots. Well-placed garden urns create a focal point in the garden, drawing the eye to a chosen place. Add balance and harmony to a scheme by introducing containers or statuary either side of a gateway or entrance, or along a pathway. Traditional terracotta or modern galvanised planters both create visual impact, and will look attractive all year round.

Plants for Immediate Impact

Tall architectural plants with bold shapes and foliage give instant interest to a garden. Species such as Phormium, Trachycarpus, Yucca and Cordyline do not demand much maintenance but look attractive for long periods, and can create a basis from which to position other plants.

In summer create colourful borders in minutes with flowering bedding plants and assemble window boxes thoughtfully so the bright shades and scents can be appreciated from the house. Try these simple fixes to help make an instant impression outside and turn a failing garden into a blooming success.