8 Quick And Easy Ideas To Spruce Up Your Outdoor Space
Here are some quick and easy ways to spruce up your garden, whether a balcony, courtyard or garden, for a colourful and inviting space where you love to spend time.
16/08/2020
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The time goes by so quickly and it's almost time to celebrate the arrival of spring. To get you and your garden in the mood, we put together a selection of quick and easy ideas of ways to spruce up the garden, whether you only have a balcony, a courtyard or a tiny garden.
Fill assorted pots and containers with a selection of colourful annuals or perennials for an explosion of colour.
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1. ADD COLOUR WITH CONTAINER GARDENS
There is no easier way to add a splash of colour to any outdoor area than with pots overflowing with colourful plants. The best time to get started on this as soon as annual favourites hit the garden centre and you still have a wide selection to choose from. If you wait too long, all the good plants will be snatched up and you won't have much left to work with.
And don't forget that the pots themselves can make a big difference in how your outdoor space looks and feels. Choose pots in different sizes that can be arranged to make an interesting display. Or pick pots on a particular colour or material that complement a theme in your outdoor space.
No matter how small a balcony, there's always space for a container or two, or three, of colourful of interesting foliage plants that add a splash of colour.
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For a balcony or courtyard garden, colourful pots will instantly brighten up the space and you can then fill these with shade-loving plants if your outdoor space doesn't receive a lot of sunlight. There are plenty of varieties of plants that don't need a lot of sunlight to flourish, particularly foliage plants that love shade. So select plants according to where they will be planted and the amount of direct sunlight they will receive during the day.
An old stepladder becomes useful as a way to display a few of your favourite garden accessories and create an interesting feature in the garden.
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2. SET UP A SMALL FEATURE GARDEN
Even a balcony or small courtyard needs a feature or focal point that interest both you and your guests. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Ideas for a small feature can include a stepladder used to display your favourite potted plants, a wheelbarrow filled with colourful flowers, or a small water feature. Work according to your budget and how much you want to spend on creating a feature and then see what you can buy or make with the money you have.
A rusty wheelbarrow or galvanised container becomes the perfect place to plants a colourful display that you can place anywhere in the garden or in a courtyard as an interesting feature.
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There are plenty of DIY projects in our Garden section and most of these are affordable projects that aren't difficult to make, plus you have the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself.
Steps to different levels of a garden, or into a courtyard, provide the ideal place to set up a display of assorted plants.
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3. CREATE DRAMATIC DISPLAYS
While a feature can be used to take prominence in a small garden, you can also create dramatic displays with pots and containers. Create a stunning entrance to your home with just a few potted plants used creatively, or highlight a staircase or steps in the garden. You can also opt for an even more dramatic display. If you're interested in something like that, take a look at skullbliss.com. They have some great handcrafted skull art that will allow you and your guests to experience the mystique of animal skull carving.
Don't miss out on an opportunity to put on a wonderful display of spring flowers close to the entrance of your home or a door to the garden.
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Use colourful and quirky succulents to create an interesting border along paths, walkways, a patio or deck.
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4. FILL BORDERS WITH INTERESTING SUCCULENTS
Succulents are easy to grow, multiply with ease, come in so many different varieties, colours, shapes and sizes, that they are the perfect plants for placing down borders along the edge of lawns, down the side of walkways and paths. These trendy plants love sunshine but they are also fairly drought-resistant, so not fussy about being watered regularly. Pop into your local garden centre to check out the amazing types of succulents you can buy and then fill up borders to add some interest, colour and texture.
It doesn't take much to create a riotous display of colour and interest using succulents of different species - all you need is sunshine.
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Make a dual-purpose vertical garden that also serves as a privacy screen to block off nosey neighbours.
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5. DISGUISE FENCES OR WALLS
Vertical gardens have been popular for some time now and many have used vertical garden both indoors and outdoors. They are perfect for adding interest to a plain wall in an outdoor space but even better for disguising walls on a balcony. Let them grow in a sunny or shady spot and they will quickly add greenery without taking up space. In a courtyard, a few framed vertical gardens will instantly make up for the lack of lawn or plants without intruding on the space you have.
Use a vertical garden to disguise ugly walls or fences - they might take a while to get established but once they do - glorious!
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6. BRING IN ORGANIC MATERIALS FOR SHADE
Bamboo, willow, cane, wicker or grass, these natural materials are perfect for using to clad over a basic wooden frame to add shade to an area in the garden. Drape them over a pergola or frame structure where they can add texture to the garden while providing a dappled area to take in the garden and relax with a glass of wine and a good book.
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If the kids love to play in the garden, make a basic wooden frame that fits over a sandpit or play area to protect the kids during the heat of the day. We know that nothing stops the kids, not even sunburn, so while you are slapping on the sunscreen lotion, make sure to provide them with a safe place to play while they're outdoors having fun.
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Every garden, no matter how small and even a balcony should have a place where you can chill and chat. A small bistro table and a couple of chairs are all you need to make the most of a shady spot in the garden. If you are savvy with your power tools, you can even see how you can use reclaimed wood pallets or cable drums to make your own table.
Plant what you need now to have a shady spot to sit in the garden in a year's time.
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If you need to create privacy on a balcony or in a garden, trellis - either bought or made - is easy to install.
7. ADD SOME PRIVACY
A privacy screen is a wonderful idea when you need privacy from nosey neighbours, no matter if it's in the garden or on your balcony. There are plenty of ways to make an affordable privacy screen using PAR pine or reclaimed wood or even to make a privacy screen with a vertical garden, as discussed above..
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Solar fairy lights might not light up the night but they certainly lift up the atmosphere.
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8. ADD ATMOSPHERE WITH LIGHTING
When you are setting up your outdoor space, you want to take advantage of the space - night or day. Adding lighting, even with something as basic as solar fairy lights, add something different to the setting and lets you make use of the space for longer. Solar lights are easy to install as a do-it-yourself project - no electrician required - and you can place them anywhere to add nighttime ambience.
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