Making The Most Out Of Your Outside Living Area.

Who doesn’t love spending time in the great outdoors? Be it near or far, when the weather is good, there is nothing better than taking time to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle…

We visit hundreds of properties each year, and it is always a pleasure to see what is on offer in the gardens, big or small.

This got me thinking, how can these sometimes forgotten, yet important areas, be nursed into a haven for you to enjoy – it doesn’t have to be a daunting task…Trust me, let’s take a look at some simple tips.

Colour and Scent:

I am sure you have done it before, perhaps subconsciously, when you walk past/through a garden and you are drawn to the colours and smells emanating from the contents within.  Sometimes simple additions to a garden can prove to be effective, take, for example, a colourful scented rose.  Yes, it will need a preen come the winter time, however, throughout the summer months you will enjoy an abundance of colour and scent.  Depending on the scents you enjoy, other options can include lavender, herbs, lily and sweet peas, to name but a few.

Create zones:

How about a tranquil, calming space to sit back and read your favoruite book, enjoy lunch or spend time with friends and family.  Simple tricks like cleaning up the patio flags, weeding the flower beds and sprucing up your furniture with cushions and a lick of paint, can breathe new life into an area that may be a little unloved.   To those who enjoy the company of four-legged friends, let’s not forget to provide them with a tidy, calm, shaded space so they too can relax and enjoy the balmy weather we do occasionally enjoy!  Why not also mix up flowers and shrubs so that you have different experiences throughout the seasons, with different zones within your garden providing new surprises throughout the year.  Separate an area for any kiddies you have within your family/visiting your home, giving them a space to enjoy being young and satisfy their needs to explore and be messy by including a mud garden, insect hideaways and perhaps room for a lovely paddling pool.  This also means they will leave your ‘adult’ area alone for you to enjoy…maybe!

Ambience:

It is amazing what a little lighting can do to any space, it doesn’t take a lot for some feature garden lighting, be it in the form of solar lights, fairy lights, permanent fittings set along flower borders to enhance the ambience of your outside areas.  With the summer nights upon us, why not add a little lighting along your fences, wall, shed and around tables etc and see just what effect it can have!

Bubbling water features are a wonderful way of creating a relaxing area within your garden, doubling up as a cooling bath for those little birds that may frequent your garden.

Kitchen Gardens:

With more and more people becoming increasingly self-sufficient, there is a fondness for being able to grown your own herbs, vegetable and fruits.  A kitchen garden doesn’t have to be large scale, it can comprise of a raised bed with useful herbs within.  Herbs are easy to grow and great for spicing up you’re cooking (or drinks!). Keeping them on the patio means you’ll always have them to hand when you’re entertaining. Grow thyme, oregano, chives, mint and parsley in little pots or put everything together in one herbal container. This is something that can involve and be fun for all the family and with the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labor at the end.

I could go on and on about different ways those outdoor spaces and gardens can be enhanced and enjoyed, however I will leave it here for now and look to take on board these tips for my own garden!

We would love to hear about and see your gardens and how you have created a space perfect for your and your family!  Get in touch and send those pictures in!

Nina Robinson, Penrith Valuer.