Spend wisely!
Creating a garden should be so easy, much easier than decorating a room or choosing
a new kitchen, but it seems to fill many people with dread. A good garden isn't
difficult to create or maintain and it needn't be expensive. Here's my top tips, I hope
you'll find them useful and make a New Year's resolution to improve your outdoor
space this year!
Set a budget - but don't worry about going over it! Improving your outdoor space is
a genuine investment in both your property and your wellbeing. Without plants, we
would all struggle to exist! If you don't own your space you're still investing in your
health and treat your space like your house - nothing should be 'fitted', everything
should be portable so it's a container garden for you. When setting the budget, there
are three, four or possibly five elements to consider.
1 - structures, never spend more than 60% of your total budget on this. Like kitchen
worktops, there are many different types of materials to choose from and certainly
something for all budgets.
2 - backbone plants, allocate at least 20% of your budget to them. These are the
plants and trees, if space allows, that will give you structure. Keep the selection small
and plan on planting in groups of three or more. These plants needn't be large as
they're all going to be around for a long time so can start small and fill spaces over
the years to come. Consider plants that will suppress weeds, create definition and
provide colour blocks throughout the year.
3 - the remaining 20% should be spent on 'Sensations' - plants with impact. These
could be plants that are replaced each year and allow you change the look and feel.
Or, they may be larger plants that are features and create the WOW! Factor. Think
about their location carefully, make sure you can enjoy them from windows in the
home so you enjoy them as often as possible.
So, that's the budget all spent and we haven't got to fourth and fifth elements.
They're the discretionary ones...
4 - will you get the enjoyment from creating your own space or do you need budget
to allow someone else to do some or all of the work. I'm hopeless at DIY so I always
must include help in the budget.
5 - somewhere to sit! Enjoying your plot is essential and sometimes it's best done
from the comfort of a seat sharing a drink with friends!
So, whatever your budget, start planning now and we'll see you at Hilltop soon.
Happy New Garden!
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