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Having an attractive outside space at your home brings a huge number of benefits. Transforming your garden has the power to enhance your home and the way that you use it. As well as enjoying the practical benefits of having outside space, your yard can also add value to your home and significantly improve its curb appeal. So, there are many good reasons to invest some time in improving your garden. However, attempting to create the garden of your dreams can seem like a daunting task. The good news is that it doesn’t need to be. Here, we’ll run through some simple steps you can take to ensure your garden transformation exceeds all your expectations:

 

Create a Clear Vision for Your Garden

Transforming a garden can be really expensive and time-consuming. So, before you get started it’s essential to understand what you want to achieve. Developing a clear vision of your dream garden is an excellent way to ensure you spend your money and time wisely.

 

If you have just a vague idea of how you want your garden to look, this can mean that the end result doesn’t match your expectations. So, developing the clearest possible picture of what you want from your newly transformed space is vital. 

 

To establish how you want your garden to look, it’s helpful to consider how you use it. Will your newly transformed garden be a space for entertaining family and friends? Do you want your outside space to be a calming and peaceful area to unwind and relax? Do you want to use the space for staying active and providing the kids with plenty of room for playing? Do you hope to create an oasis of color with pretty flowers and attractive plants throughout the garden? 

 

Everyone has a different idea of what a perfect garden looks like. For some, it may involve a combination of all of the above. Once you have decided how you want to use the space, it’s time to think about how you want it to look. Looking online and in gardening magazines is an excellent way to help you find inspiration. 

 

Once you’ve started gathering ideas, you may want to create a vision board to help bring them to life. This will help you to visualize how different elements of your new garden design will work together. It will also help you to stay on-track with your idea once you start working on your garden transformation.

 

Consider the Practicalities

Redesigning your garden allows you to consider many different possibilities for your outside space. However, it’s also crucial to remember the practical elements of your garden before you put your plans into action.

Thinking about the practicalities of your outside space may not be as much fun as letting your creativity run free. However, it will make your life so much easier when it comes to using your newly-designed space.

 

Practical considerations to keep in mind when redesigning your garden include:

 

    • Size – how much space do you have available in your garden? How much of this space is useable? 
  • Position – which direction does your garden face? Does it receive much sunlight? Is it in the shade for most of the day? Is it exposed to strong winds? 
  • Soil – what type of soil does your garden have? Is it suitable for most types of plants? Is it difficult to work with?
  • Drainage – is your garden prone to flooding? Is there enough drainage already in place to prevent it flooding in heavy rains?
  • Storage – do you need to introduce extra storage for your backyard? Can you store your gardening equipment so that it’s safe and tidy?
  • Time – are you up against a timescale to get the work finished by a certain date? Will the work need to be completed before the seasons change?

 

Taking your time to think about these practicalities will make it so much easier for you to design a garden that works for your space. 

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Create a Budget

Redesigning your garden can be surprisingly expensive. This is especially the case if you don’t work out the costs from the start. 

 

Figuring out a realistic budget for your new garden will significantly reduce the chances of you making expensive mistakes. It will also prevent you ending up in a situation where you run out of money before completing the project. No one wants to be left with a half-finished backyard because they’ve no money left to complete it. So, focusing on designing a realistic budget is absolutely essential. 

 

When planning your budget, it’s important to consider the following:

 

  • How much money will you need to spend preparing the garden before the work can begin? This includes clearing away garden waste, prepping the ground, etc.

 

  • How much of the work will you carry out yourself? Will you do all of it? Will you need specialist tradespeople to carry out a lot of the work for you? If so, how much will they charge?

 

  • Do you have a contingency fund in place in case the cost of the work exceeds your budget? If so, how much money have you allocated to this?

 

  • Do you own the necessary tools and equipment needed to complete the garden transformation? If not, how much will it cost for you to hire or buy them?

 

  • Have you broken down the costs of the individual elements of your new garden? For example, how much you will need to spend on plants, trees, and flowers? How much will you spend on garden structures, such as sheds and garden rooms? How much will design elements, such as water features, sculptures, and planters cost? How much will you need to spend on new garden furniture? 

 

  • Do you know how much practical elements of your garden will cost to buy and run? For example how much electricity is required to power your garden lights and how much this will cost you? How much you will need to pay for water and electricity to keep water features running?

 

Thinking about how much your garden makeover will cost certainly isn’t the most fun part of transforming your backyard. However, it’s really important to figure out the financials before you get started. Having a budget in place, and sticking with it will mean your garden refresh will run so much more smoothly.

Decide on Your Garden Must-Haves

Having an unlimited budget for your garden makeover and unrestricted space would be a dream come true for most homeowners. However, the majority of people need to work within the limits of their budget and space restrictions to create their dream garden. 

 

Operating within these limitations means that you need to focus on your top priorities for your outdoor space. Figuring out your garden must-haves and deciding how these fit within your budget is an excellent way to achieve the garden you want without overspending.

 

Maybe your priority is to create a colorful, perfect flower garden. In this situation, you may prioritize your spending on seeds, bulbs, and attractive planters for your blooms. Or, you may want to transform your garden into an entertaining space. If this is your priority, you may wish to allocate money to buying garden furniture, or creating an outdoor bar.

 

Understanding which items or features are non-negotiable for your garden is a really effective way to ensure it perfectly matches your vision and your tastes.

Choose Your Layout

Garden redesigns often require a change of layout. This is good news if you’ve been struggling with the current design of your outdoor space.

Redesigning the layout enables you to add in more of the elements you want to see and reduce or eliminate any areas of wasted space. For example, if you’ve always dreamed of having a picture-perfect lawn, you might landscape the space to include a larger grassed area using products from the Golf Course Lawn Store

 

If you want to use your garden for multiple purposes, you may choose to use borders or short walls to segment the space. The key to creating the perfect garden layout is to ensure it perfectly balances aesthetic appeal while also meeting your practical needs. 

 

Even the smallest, or most awkwardly shaped backyards can be entirely transformed and made into useable spaces with help from a change of the layout. Attempting to look beyond the current design of your garden and envisaging how it could look, will ensure you unlock its potential.

 

Creating the Garden of Your Dreams: Final Thoughts

A garden can often become an overlooked part of the home. However, this outdoor area offers significant opportunities to enhance your living space, and even add value to your home. 

 

Before you can enjoy all the potential benefits your garden offers, you first need to carefully plan what you want to achieve from the space. The clearer your vision for your garden is, the easier it will become to bring it to life. 

 

Once you have your vision for your dream garden, a realistic budget and careful planning will help you create it.