The garden is often an afterthought for many UK homeowners, especially if they’ve only recently moved into the property. At that point, it’s the quality of the interior rooms that matters the most. If the weather is poor by the time it’s the garden’s turn for TLC, then it could be a year or more after moving in before a shovel goes into the ground.
But at some point, the decision is made: it’s time for the garden to be brought up to speed. If you’re in that position, then this page is for you. We’ve rounded up some of the all-too-common gardening-related mistakes made by homeowners, ensuring that they’re not errors that you need to make.
Being Overly Ambitious with your Garden
Everyone wants their property to be as high-quality as possible, and that includes the garden. It’s not hard to see the appeal of having a lush, well-manicured, Japanese Zen garden-worthy outdoor space.
What is hard to see, however, is how that calibre of garden is made into a reality. Having an enviable garden can sound nice, but they’re enviable because they’re rare — and they’re rare because they’re difficult to create. Unless you’re hiring a landscaper (at which point, go nuts), you’ll find that everything runs much more smoothly if you keep things simple.
Overlooking Organisation
When people think of enjoying their garden, they usually think of BBQs and lounging in the sunshine. It’s those types of images that have the biggest impact on the design process. However, there are some practical considerations to keep in mind, too.
Gardens are much more enjoyable and functional when organisation has been prioritised. So when you’re putting together your outdoor space, keep sheds, shed bases, and shed organising at the forefront of your mind. While it might not seem like a top priority right now, it’ll play a big role in making it easier to keep your garden space organised and looking its best.
Buying Low-Quality Furniture
You wouldn’t buy low-quality living room furniture and expect to love your living room. In fact, you wouldn’t buy low-quality living furniture full stop, since you respect your living room.
For various reasons, people often don’t bring the same level of care and consideration when buying their garden furniture. They often opt for low-quality, plastic options that don’t look good, don’t feel good, and don’t last a long time. If you want to use your garden regularly — and you do! — then it’s worthwhile spending a little extra to get furniture that you’ll genuinely enjoy.
Forgetting the Seasons
OK, we’re not going to say that UK homeowners overlook the weather entirely. Part of the reason why people don’t invest that much in their gardens is that they can’t rely on the sunshine.
First of all, it’s worth getting the garden in shape even if you’ll only have a few weeks of all-out sunshine. Second, there are ways to use your garden year-round. Add an outdoor heater/fire pit and rain covering (such as a gazebo), and you’ll have a space that’s good to use whatever the weather.
Leave a Reply