Landscape architecture sounds grand and daunting, and certainly it can apply to major projects like parks or estates. Where your garden’s concerned, though, all it really means is putting thought into how you arrange it, and there are things any dad can do.
Plan Your Garden
Whatever the size of your garden, its layout should reflect what you intend to use it for. If you have enough room, you can treat different sections almost as separate rooms such as a patio, lawn, flower-beds etc. But even a small garden can be versatile if you plan carefully.
For entertaining or chilling, the patio can be paving or wooden decking, although avoid wood if you want to get the barbecue out. Lawns look beautiful and are great for the kids to play on, but be prepared for the maintenance of mowing. Either keep the shape regular to make mowing easier or invest in good-quality artificial grass, which needs no maintenance.
Any dad with a little time free can do a lot of this planning, but if you need professional help or advice, you could contact landscape architect Liz Lake.
Use What’s to Hand
Decorating your garden doesn’t have to be an expensive business. As garden designer George Carter explains in the Telegraph, he “makes the ordinary extraordinary by using everyday materials such as plywood, footballs and plastic drain pipes to create urns, orbs, trellis and containers.”
If you have children, you might think you don’t have time to work in the garden, but the reverse can be true. Although a garden is vital to kids as a playground, most children will be fascinated if they’re included in looking after it. The BBC website has a whole range of suggestions to educate your children about gardens while they help you.
Your Flower Display
A garden looks sterile without flowers, but extensive flower-beds can be a lot of work, and it’s important to plan your flower display around the amount of time you have. As the Independent explains, bulbs are versatile and can be grown either in pots or planted out.
On the other hand, if you want an attractive display that’s low maintenance, you could plant small beds with a variety of conifers, shrubs and hardy perennials, which need little weeding.
A Garden for All the Family
Just like your house, the garden has to suit a variety of needs for all the family. Children require places and features that will inspire their games, though something like a water feature has to be child-friendly. A little thought and planning will allow you to make the most of your garden this summer.