Tired of the doldrums of winter? Fed up of soggy days and snow? Garden looks worse for wear? Spring is nearly here and now’s your chance to take on that project you’ve always wanted to do. Rejuvenate your garden with some decorative lights, make a garden cinema, plant a vegetable patch … the world’s your oyster! Here are some great ideas we’ve seen and that we wanted to share with you:
Do it Yourself (DIY) Garden Cinema:
This can be a cheap venture. The only part that might cost a little more is the projector and sound system. Simply hang a white bed-sheet across the garden and aim the projector at it. For a cosy cinema find some pillows, lazy chairs, pop some corn, and relax.
If you want something a little more special just add some decorations like fairy lights, tea lights, pretty bunting, and a couple of tables. A lot of people use pallets to make garden furniture and should keep the price down.
This Spring Plant a Vegetable Patch:
There’s nothing more rewarding than fresh peas straight out of the pod, or tomatoes from the vine, or a luxurious strawberry. This is even better if you’ve a household with children to teach them about growing food and how to. It doesn’t have to be expensive either and in the long run will save you money on vegetables.
Don’t worry if you haven’t got a lot of space either. We’ve seen stuff grown in all sorts of places: gutter-pipe along a fence, in a post, from window-boxes, etc. The list is endless. Get creative and see what you can do. (While you’re at it, consider making a compost heap. It doesn’t need to be massive and you could put your kitchen scraps in there!)
Toast Yourself with a New Fire-Pit:
Fire-pits are all the rage for 2014 (you just need to look at Pinterest to know it!) There’s a load of instructions on how to build your own and not spend a fortune. You could even pop down to your local tip or builders’ yard and find some really unique brick-work to build the surround. (This also helps if you have a lot of leaf litter or vegetable patch waste to burn). Add some benches, cushions, drinks cooler, and maybe a little smores bar (toasted marshmallows, biscuit, and dark chocolate) for entertaining purposes.
Don’t forget health and safety though. Add some buckets of sand to quickly extinguish any fire that has gotten out of hand and always check to make sure your neighbour hasn’t hung fresh washing as it’ll end up smelling otherwise.
Get arty with your Garden Path:
Make your garden path more than just a walk-way to get to other places. Make it a piece of art! Mosaics or unusual garden paths can be easy to make. With a little time and effort you could have something truly outstanding. We’ve seen a lot of things done with garden paths and also the borders along garden paths. You could create something that looks like a stream with smooth stones, or a patterned mosaic, or get the children involved in making stepping stones using old broken pottery or china with delicate patterns on. The choices are endless.
If you do decide to rejuvenate your pathways you should also consider some lighting to show off your new found skills as an artist. The Solar Centre has a lot of different Solar Powered Pathlights that can be installed in minutes and will keep on going!
Good luck and enjoy your garden this Spring!