8 Landscaping Ideas for Your Garden

Whether your house is lucky enough to have a big garden, or you're limited to a smaller space, it can be difficult to know how to use your garden space effectively. Sometimes, we aren’t always sure where it is best to plant a certain flower, where to build a decking area, or what fencing to choose.

We’ve come up with eight different landscaping ideas for your garden to inspire you in your gardening journey and to help you decide what you’d like to see in your own garden. With summer on its way out, your flowers have bloomed and are now becoming dormant, so now is the best time to landscape your garden. While looking through these landscaping ideas, keep in mind what you want to get out of your outdoor space, as this will guide you when it comes to landscaping your garden.

Stone Pathways and Water Features

Pathways help to add a much-needed layout to your garden, as well as help to keep shoes off of your precious lawn! Consider planting low-growing perennials to cover the ground in between each stone, whether you opt for round cobblestone pathways or square stone slabs for a straight and clear-cut path. A custom stone water feature can take pride of place at the bottom or middle of your garden, which will encourage more wildlife and birds into your garden. Stone water features will last longer than plastic and wood, and are much more aesthetic!

Repurposed Planters

Check out the sale section of hardware retailers and hit up thrift stores to rummage around for old sinks or baths, galvanized water troughs, and buckets. Using these items as planters can transform your outdoor space into a cute kitsch garden! Planting succulents or cacti in galvanized planters can look extremely effective, and planting a flower bed inside a bath can help you achieve that lost or secret garden vibe. Not only does upcycling objects help your wallet and the environment, but repurposing old items adds a touch of individuality to your garden because no one else is going to have the same planters and pots that you have transformed.

Floral Climbers

Think Wisteria Vines, Climbing Moon Flowers, or Coral Honeysuckle sprawling across your stonework or along tall walls to add a Mediterranean feel to your garden. These are generally low maintenance, and won’t take up much floor space since they naturally grow upwards or wind around objects. It’s important to ensure that these plants have something to wind themselves around and to attach to. You should consider placing wooden trellises along the wall that they are climbing so that they have support as they grow upwards. However, you might find that some plants, like ivy, won’t need a trellis because they are strong enough to root themselves through stone or brickwork. Trailing plants make great additions to a grand entrance at the front of your house, and are bound to catch the attention of guests.

Framed Archway

If you have a porch or a carport, use these areas as features of your garden rather than purely functional structures. For example, a wooden construction for the carport could be used as a rose garden when the carport isn’t in use! Carefully guiding rose plants to wrap and grow around the wooden posts and overhead panels will take time and patience, but the results can be extremely rewarding. Likewise, use a porch or archway as your blank canvas to show off your pruning skills by lining the sides with hedges or topiary bushes. This will add a touch of flare. You could shape these hedges and bushes into different shapes if you fancy trying to achieve an English Heritage Garden look!

Wooden Decking Area

A decking area or space where you can kick back and unwind in the sunshine, or host a dinner party with friends, is essential for any garden where you are hoping to spend time relaxing. It keeps your lawn and flower beds free from being stepped on and can add a rustic charm to your garden. There are many companies and landscapers who you can hire to construct a wooden decking area for you. However, if you think you can handle a simple wooden construction and you’re hoping to save money through DIY, you can source your wood and masonry supplies from Kefauver True Value Lumber. They are based in Maryland and offer far more than just lumber; with everything you need for any DIY projects that you have ongoing in the home and garden.

Window Boxes

Window boxes are ideal for gardens lacking in plant bedding space, or that need their plants to catch a little bit more sunlight. You can plant almost any plant in a window box, but the prettiest classics are Hyacinths, Petunias, and Begonias. If you’re an avid cook, it might be worthwhile to plant some herbs in your kitchen window box, such as mint, thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Planting herbs is relatively straightforward and will not require much effort on your part, which is a bonus considering the amount of flavor they’ll add to your dish!

Fire Pit

This might seem luxurious, but a fire pit can be an excellent investment if you know that you or your family are going to spend evenings outdoors, from summer through to winter. Installing a fire pit in your outdoor living space can increase the likelihood that you will sit outside, as you know you won’t be cold! It can also mean that your family spends more time together, without the distractions of the TV and the internet indoors. Hosting a party can be ten times more fun with a fire pit, and you can even use it as an opportunity to indulge in some warm ‘smores.

Victorian Greenhouse

Add a statement to your garden, if it’s big enough, and construct a greenhouse where you can grow your vegetables throughout the summer and into winter. Gardening and growing your vegetables can be extremely rewarding, especially if you have the security of a greenhouse which can protect your plants from frost (and from the neighbors!) Even if you don’t usually have the right climate for certain vegetables or fruit, a greenhouse can allow you to grow a variety of different plants that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to if they were in the outdoor environment. Peppers, tomatoes, and lemons particularly thrive in a greenhouse, which are all perfect for salads and Mediterranean dishes in the kitchen. Nothing beats the taste of home-grown vegetables!

While some of these ideas will require more space than others, each idea can be adapted and modified to suit the garden size that you have. Landscaping your garden is the perfect opportunity to roll up your sleeves and get dirty, but be sure to pull in help from friends too - especially the ones with great gardens themselves, as their knowledge will be particularly useful as you redesign your plant areas and outdoor living space. There’s no excuse not to maximize the full potential of your garden now that you’ve gained inspiration from these landscaping ideas!

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