How to Give Your Garden the Wow Factor

If you want to create a garden to impress your guests, here are a few ways to give it the wow factor:

Keep it tidy!

Keep bushes and trees pruned and clipped.   Treat your lawn with weed and feed to keep it looking amazing all year round.  Keep edgings tidy and make sure you regularly dead-head flowers to encourage new growth and to keep plants looking fresh.  Add different types of plants – trees, shrubs, climbing plants and grasses – to have varying levels for the eye to look at and different textures, colours and styles. 

Add some colour

Choose a good balance of evergreen and deciduous plants so that foliage is maximised in winter.  Check when plants come into bloom to ensure there is always something flowering in each area.  Perennials can add flowers in spring and berries in autumn, so select your plants carefully to make them work for you.  Add annual bedding for an extra boost of colour.

Water features

Why not add an outdoor fountain to your garden?  The soothing sounds can be ultra-relaxing, and they come with a range of lighting effects and styles to suit the most modern or traditional of gardens.  You might decide to add a pond to show off koi carp and lilies or to encourage wildlife and frogspawn. Think about the layout and size of pond you desire and what its main function will be.

Lighting

There are so many ways to add lighting to a garden, whether it be solar, electric, on strings or in jars. Lighting can be subtle or obvious depending on what you are trying to achieve.  You could add different colours and styles to go with different areas of the garden. Maybe you want to light a pathway or feature? Lighting always brightens up a seating area to welcome your guests on a warm summer’s night.

Garden furniture

Choose high quality and long-lasting garden furniture.  Cover it over winter to avoid it being weathered or store it in an outbuilding if possible.  Think about how timeless the style is and how comfortable you want your guests to be. Do you need to provide cushions?  Would a patio heater or chiminea go well with your furniture? Do you want extra items like a gazebo or garden umbrella and what styles and colours will fit in with your chosen furniture?

Decoration

You can personalise your garden by adding mirrors, bird baths, statues, bird boxes or even structures like firepits, a pergola or garden seat.  As well as adding a personal touch, they can be good ways to make a statement and to add a new element to a garden to give it a more interesting feel.

Storage

Everyone needs storage space, so the best way to ensure your garden still has the wow factor is to hide storage structures or make them beautiful.  A shed could be painted as a beach hut complete with signs and bunting, or a storage box could be hidden behind a natural screen, a fence or tall bushes.  Think about clearing the clutter and keeping your garden looking neat, fresh and exciting all the time!