Homes with gardens have never been more desirable than in the current climate. With the world combatting a pandemic, we have to spend more and more time within our homes to help stop the spread of Covid-19. If you are blessed to have a garden, you are probably enjoying being outside to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. The only thing dampening your enjoyment is the messiness of your outside space and your jungle-like triffid weeds. It can be challenging to sit serenely in the hot balmy temperature when all you can focus on is the cracks in your paving and the grass that needs mowing. Getting the most out of your garden means spending some time showing it a little bit more tender loving care.
Lockdown is having a negative effect on our mental health meaning that feelings of isolation, anxiety and stress can encroach into our lives. If you are keen to banish these negative emotions, you need to get outdoors, go for a walk and enjoy soaking up the natural sunlight. With a garden, this should be a much easier task. Take a look at these simple ways you can get the most out of your garden during lockdown.
Grow Vegetables
If you don’t have a green-fingered bone in your body but you are keen to give sustainable living a go, it might be the perfect time to have a go at growing some vegetables. Cordon off an area of your garden, preferably one with a good mix of sun and shade, and get it clear. Construct some raised beds and fill them with high nutrient soil, compost and bonemeal. This will give your vegetables the nutrients they need to grow.
Consider the sorts of vegetables that you want to grow. Do your research and have a mix of those vegetables that you eat a lot of and those that you want to try. If your family eats loads of potatoes, grow some Maris Pipers. If your kids adore carrots, sow some seeds. And if you’ve always fancied trying a harlequin squash, give it a go. For those salad vegetables that require a higher level of humidity, you will need to have a greenhouse or invest in some polytunnels. You don’t need anything palatial or acres of space, simply utilize the square footage that you’ve got. Cucumbers, tomatoes and chilli peppers adore the heat generated behind the glazing of a greenhouse. Before long, you might be spending your lockdown days in the garden tending to your latest crop and praying for a good yield. You could even get your little ones involved and tear them away from their video games.
Create A Relaxing Space
What could be more relaxing than whipping on your swimming trunks or your bikini and relaxing in a hot tub? There are a wide variety of hot tubs for sale that range from budget to budget-busting. With the glorious weather showing no sign of diminishing, a hot tub could be the ideal way of taking a load off during the coronavirus crisis. Ensure that you purchase a hot tub that comes with the option of installation. Decide the area where you want your tub; closer to your home, the simpler the installation. With bubbles adding a gentle and relaxing massage, you can spend your days reading a book in the hot tub, having a date night with the hubby on a weekend evening, or having your kids occupied to give you five minutes rest bite.
Alongside your hot tub, you might want some other relaxing elements in your garden. Water features with the sound of trickling water can help calm your mood and destress you. Alternatively, you might want to whip up a hammock. What could be more pleasant than snoozing in the sunshine in a comfy hammock listening to your small fountain trickling away while the kids are frolicking in the hot tub?
Flowers
If you are after a blooming garden, you need to think about the sorts of planting you are going to carry out. If you have nothing but stinging nettles and thistles at the moment, this needs clearing first. Ensure that you wear thick gardening gloves and have some sharp shears to cut through even the thickest weeds with ease. Once you have got the weeds down to their roots, you need a strong weedkiller to ensure they don’t take hold once again when given the right conditions to thrive. Strong weedkillers will ensure that the weeds don’t return and that their roots die.
When your soil is clear, top up your borders with some compost to add some nutrients. Then, have some fun choosing your flowers. If you are after a country-style garden, you might want a lovely mix of colours and English blooms. Roses, hydrangeas and foxgloves create wonderful large blooms in a range of colours from pink to red and from yellow to orange. All the colours of the rainbow could be seen.
Alternatively, you might prefer some sculptural planting. Crocus and tulip style flowers can give more height and shape. If you want some more greenery, you might be looking to shrubs and trees. A palm or two can fan out over your garden to create patches of shade while looking architecturally stunning. You could choose some bamboo or a cherry blossom tree. If you want scented plants, heather and mint can inject beautiful aromas into your garden and can provide a safe haven for honeybees.
Lawn
No back garden is complete without even the tiniest patch of lawn. This is the ideal space to mooch about when chilling with friends, allow the kids to have a kickabout with a ball, and to sunbathe when the weather allows. If you have a lawn that is looking a little worse for wear, think about mowing it to get it down to a manageable height. Then, scatter some grass seed to help it thicken up and appear more lush. To ensure that the seed takes root and grows, you must water it pretty heavily for the first week.
If real lawn doesn’t do it for you because it seems like too much hard work to maintain, think about artificial grass. This no longer looks like astroturf and can create the perfect illusion of real lawn. You no longer have to do any mowing, cutting, or weeding. Many of the brands of artificial grass out there are resistant to pets, are resilient to heavy footfall, and don’t fade in the sunlight. The variety of artificial grass out there is vast from the thick matting style grass to the lush freshly mowed stripes. With varying heights, thicknesses and shades, you can choose the best grass for your back garden. It is not too difficult to install and can be laid across paving or brickwork. This means all you need to do is drill a few drainage holes before you lay the artificial turf.
Ensure that you have some strong grass adhesive and glue down a shock absorber pad initially. This gives you a natural grass feel underfoot. You don’t simply want a thin grass mat out back that acts as a covering to paving. You want a luxury and bouncy feel. Cut to size, glue down and add some edging. It’s relatively simple to install yourself without the need for a professional.
During lockdown, we can begin to feel low because we can’t see our friends and family, we can only go out for certain things, and we can feel a little claustrophobic. Ensure that your garden is fit for purpose by following this guide. Your garden is your haven so ensure that you treat it with the respect it deserves.
Really a Great Article.