How To Make Your Garden More Aesthetically Pleasing

Is your garden looking a little worse for wear and in desperate need of some TLC? Tackling an overgrown jungle can be an exhausting and time-consuming project; however, don’t we all deserve the garden of our dreams? Maintaining a beautiful, tranquil garden to be proud of

is always worth the time and effort. That said, knowing where to start can be a daunting task. To get you started, here is a set of simple yet effective tips to help gradually transform your garden into a visually pleasing oasis.

Visualise Your Results

Visualising your desired results is a helpful first step in any project. Consider what you want your garden to look like - do you want a wild, biodiverse paradise or a neat, functional area for hosting guests? Perhaps you want to take inspiration from peaceful Japanese Tea Gardens or grand stately home grounds with water features and sculpted shrubbery. An excellent way to stay on track to achieve your vision is to create a scrapbook or mood board with magazine clippings and notes. Alternatively, you could use a digital scrapbooking platform like Pinterest.

Tackle The Weeds

Tackling your garden weeds is one of the easiest ways to improve it visually. While some gardeners prefer to leave some weeds and invasive plants alone as a means of encouraging pollinators and other members of the animal kingdom, some weeds can quickly take over your plot with detrimental consequences. For instance, stinging nettles proliferate rapidly - not ideal if you have children who use the garden as a play area. Furthermore, some weeds, such as ragwort, are highly toxic to humans and animals, so it is always best to uproot them as soon as they become apparent. 

Pressure Wash Your Patios And Paths

Pressure washing your patio, garden paths or driveway will instantly transform your garden from drab to sparkling. Pressure washers have powerful pumps and narrow nozzles, allowing you to get into every nook and cranny to remove dirt, moss and weeds using sheer force. For the best results, scrub your patio with soapy water and a stiff broom to loosen all of the debris that has accumulated over time. You can then use your pressure washer to blast it clean. You don’t even need to spend a fortune on a brand-new pressure washer, as you may be able to hire one from a local hardware store or private company. 

Plant Wildflowers

If you want to increase your garden’s biodiversity, creating a backyard meadow is an inexpensive, straightforward, and incredibly beautiful way to do so. Simply scatter mixed wildflower seeds around your garden borders to encourage a healthy population of bees, butterflies, ladybirds and other beneficial critters. You can buy mixed wildflower seed packets from most garden shops and nurseries, containing perennials such as ox-eye daisies, ragged robin, red campion and more. If you really want to create a lush oasis for local wildlife, consider reducing your mowing frequency, as long grass provides food and shelter for insects, birds and mammals. 

Use Plant Pots

Suppose you have a garden that is mostly patio and largely devoid of soil or borders. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend weeks ripping up your paving slabs to achieve your dreams of a verdant, bountiful paradise. Instead, consider container gardening by using raised beds or plant pots. Containers are smaller, more manageable growing environments, ideal for beginner gardeners and those with minimal time to spend tilling and weeding. Don’t forget to use plant pot saucers to catch surplus water and soil, keeping your container garden neat and tidy. 

Add Some Lights

Adding lighting to your garden is an excellent way to improve its appearance, and the good news is that you have plenty of options from which to choose. You could keep things simple by stringing up fairy lights, creating a whimsical soft glow, perfect for summer evenings. Alternatively, you could add spotlights to illuminate garden features such as sculptures or your favourite tree. You could even add a neon sign to the outside of your shed, giving it a fun Tiki bar appearance, perfect for garden parties with friends. Keep in mind that any lighting you put in your garden should be explicitly designed for outdoor use.