Some people treat their backyards as outdoor dumps and care little about the appearance of a possible Garden they might have. Such homeowners have no idea how much they are wrong because a properly maintained garden is a huge asset for any home and it has the power to increase the market value of the property.

That is why a charming garden should be your aim as well, especially because it is not that hard to attain instant charm. Here are a few ideas and tips on how to convert your garden into an oasis of tranquillity.

1. Plenty of legroom

One of the most common aspects of the garden that homeowners overlook is the comfortability of the seating area. In general, people just throw in some old wobbly chairs or if they have a proper garden set, then they just cram it in a corner, without taking comfort as a factor. In reality, you need to be able to enjoy the garden area without having to sit straight or lean forward all the time because you don’t have a backrest. That is why the general layout of the garden should include a seating area near the house that will be comprised of a table and four to six chairs that will have more than enough legroom.

Furthermore, you can place benches along the pathways for resting in nature. These benches can be salvaged from the dump or a former park.  Their vintage look will add to the charm of the garden that will appear antique. Just make sure that the wood is not rotten and be sure to replace any broken planks and repaint the entire bench, including the metal parts.

2. Covert ornaments

The main issue with most gardens is their size, i.e. the lack of space to create garden magic. That is why any ornaments you have should not take up free space in the centre of the garden, but you can rather mask them up with some vegetation. For instance, the bench we spoke about can be set in a niche made in the hedge behind it. Stones and water features can also take refuge inside scrubs.

In general, try to partially conceal with lush vegetation any sculpture or similar feature that you are planning on introducing in order to save on space.

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3. Splash away!

Speaking of water features, they are a welcoming addition to any garden, as the sound of water goes well with natural surroundings. There are so many different water features, from a simple tap to an entire swimming pool, that fit into gardens of all sizes, so you needn’t worry about the financial aspect. If you are determined not to let money get into the way of creating a charming garden, then we recommend starting small.

Before all, you are going to need a water source inside the garden. If you don’t have one, then you need to dig a channel for a pipe that will come from the house. Now you are ready to plug it into a fountain you can either build at a DIY centre or build it yourself. Since you are going for an all-natural look, stones can create the outer rim of the fountain. It can drain straight into the sewer below or you can take this water feature one step further and create a stream that will run the length of your garden. Its “banks” can too be adorned with pebbles and flowers to create a small river. The sound of running water will produce a calming effect, so the garden truly becomes an oasis of peace.

Water might soothe your nerves but if you have kids, then you might want to consider creating an equally charming but more active space. If a swimming pool is too much for your home improvements budget or you simply lack space, a splash pad is an ideal alternative. They require only a few square meters to be installed and they don’t use that much water, considering the fact that they are used exclusively during the hot summer days. However, children adore them, so you’ll kids will be the most popular children on the block every summer. During winter, the tiles the base of the splash pad is made from can serve as the floor for a makeshift larder.

4. A corner for the kids

Children are actually one of the most important users of the garden and they joyful voices are an integral part of the charm of the garden space. That is why you need to give them more than a splash pad and create a zone that will belong solely to them. The kids’ corner should be equipped with everything they need, from a mock kitchen, all the way to a swing hung from a tree. In most cases, you will have to erect a solid structure, like a playhouse or a treehouse.

Before you decide to build anything, consult your children to see what their preferences are. In the final stage, you can allow them to join in and paint the treehouse and apply stickers to its outer walls.

5. A green boundary

The part of your garden that you have probably disregarded is the fence around your property. Whether it is the standard white picket fence or there are some trees next to it, this fencing solution is not the best. There is nothing charming about cars buzzing by your garden while you are trying to lounge on a lazy Sunday. That is why you require an aesthetically acceptable form of fencing.

Since nature is the keyword, why not extend the garden’s foliage all the way to its outer edges?

Yes, we are referring to hedge that should be planted all the way around the yard to serve as protection and form a sanitary border. All the dust and noise originating from street traffic will be assuaged by the hedge, so you’ll have a natural barrier. Finally, you will benefit from increased privacy, as a hedge doesn’t have slates through which passersby and neighbours can peek through.

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6. Gardens within the garden

We have mentioned before that your garden should have a layout. This means that all flowers, plants, and vegetables should be planted according to a plan, so you will end up with different areas that will feature different flowers. The garden will be full of flowerbeds that will need division from one another which is the ideal opportunity to play with landscaping. There are numerous garden edging ideas that you can apply in your garden to make it look truly spectacular. You can use thatched walls, stone walls, and even bricks, whatever suits your garden the best.

7. Lights on!

No matter how comfortable a garden is, it still remains unused during hail storms, heavy rains, and snow. Furthermore, the garden becomes unsafe to stay after dark as that one light bulb at the patio is not strong enough to light the whole garden after dark. You need additional light sources that will light up every nook and cranny of the garden. If you decide on lampposts, place them wisely in all four corners of the garden.

This is done for two reasons.

1. Firstly, you will drive away all flying pests during hot summer days away from the house and secondly, you will enjoy improved security, as the entire garden will remain visible after dark, so it will be easier to spot any possible intruders.
2. Furthermore, these lamps could be triggered by a motion sensor, so a home invader will be scared and you will save electricity at the same time. How cool is that!

8. The path to charm

We pointed out that a vintage bench or two would look good on the pathway but how should it be built? There are numerous ideas for pathways in terms of material and design, so you are going to make the final decision for your type of garden. Some people make this decision based on the type of flowers they have. For instance, purple flowers go well with grey and white cobblestones. This method is dubious as you are going to shuffle flowers between flowerbeds after a couple of seasons, so they will not be constantly in one place. That is why maintenance should be the main factor when deciding what type of paths to have.

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The most popular pathways are stone ones and they are fairly easy to install. However, the simplest paths are the ones made from earth as they require only some sort of edges to mark their outline. For luxurious gardens, homeowners more and more opt for gravel as the perfect surface to walk on. It is both firm and soft enough at the same time, which renders it ideal for use on garden pathways. Just be careful and kill weeds on time.

9. A garden on several levels

Most people whose gardens are full of bumps or the ground is simply uneven give up on its sprucing up right from the very start, without even trying to change anything. This is the wrong way to go, as these seeming disadvantages can turn into huge advantages if you know how to use them wisely. In China, rice is planted in terraces that adorn the mountainsides, which is a perfect example of how an unfavourable terrain can be used for gardening or crop growth.

You can do the same thing in your garden by turning any hillocks into vantage points and building a staircase to it that will have hanging gardens on its sides.

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10. Civilized symmetry

Although there are symmetrical shapes in nature, its main characteristic is the randomness of shapes you do when starting your plants from seeds. A garden is supposed to be a blend between nature and human cultivation, so you have to work all those irregular forms into charming shapes that are regular and symmetrical. For instance, the flowerbeds and plants on both sides of a path should be symmetrical in size and the colours should match. If you have two benches, then set them diagonally at least a couple of meters apart from one another. The symmetry we speak about is not only aimed at aesthetics but at functionality as well.

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We hope that by now you realize that the most important thing when creating a charming garden is planning in advance. The aforementioned symmetry cannot be applied subsequently after the flowers are planted, so you need to have a clear plan that you adhere to.

Once you set on paper what exactly you wish to accomplish it will be much easier to create your dream garden because you can afford to work in stages. This way, the perfect garden will become a project that will take months and even years to complete, which is the period you will enjoy creating this charming space with your own hands.

The best thing is you won’t have to invest thousands of dollars to create the perfect dreamlike garden.