We talked a lot about travelling here on About Time Magazine. One of the reasons why we travel is to find tranquillity and to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of London. Of course, travelling isn’t the only way to relax and unwind. For many homeowners, the back garden is where they find tranquillity.

You too can have a back garden that really shines. With simple tweaks and the right elements added to the space, the back garden can be more than just an area for plants and ornaments. Let’s take a look at how you can make your garden really shine with some simple DIY projects, shall we?

Add Shape

Shapes and lines can really change the way your garden looks. Even when you have a relatively limited space, adding lines and shapes can make the entire garden appear bigger and more soothing in a way. Shapes are easy to add too; for starters, you can cut the lawn into a well-defined shape such as a circle or a square. To make the shape more pronounced, you can also add a line of greenery, a trench, or touches of colour through the use of flowers.

Use Trellis Panels

There are many ways to add accents to the garden. Adding garden trellis panels is a great way to not only accentuate the space but to add dimension to the walls and fences surrounding the garden. You can also choose to add wall trellis panels as a way to cover empty spaces.

Trellis panels are not only easy to install, but they are also easy to maintain. High quality panels from Fencestore, for example, are pre-treated to withstand the elements as well as to prevent moulding or rotting. You can even install the trellis panels yourself; just set aside a Sunday for this DIY project.

Divide

Adding more plants to the garden, especially flowers, is another way to make the space more soothing. However, buying plants is not always an option, especially if you are on a tight budget. This is where dividing comes in handy.

You can actually divide perennials – plants that are two years or older – into smaller pots. When you buy perennial flowers, it is easy to fill the flowerbed without spending as much money in the process. You can continue to divide the plants once they are older. The possibilities are endless.

Add a Path

We’re back to lines and shapes again, only this time they are in the form of a pathway across the garden. Adding a pathway is a great DIY project to take on. There are kits and materials you can pick up for less than you think. On top of that, you don’t need special tools to install a pathway across your back garden.

There are a few things to keep in mind when adding a pathway to your garden. First of all, you want the path to be as functional as it is beautiful. You also need the pathway to be proportional to the size of the garden. Breaking this particular rule will make your garden appear smaller than it really is.

Functional Patio

Adding a functional patio – or improving your existing one – is also a great way to make your garden really shine. This is a bigger DIY project than the previous ones we covered in this article, but it is still a project you can do on weekends.

Making your patio area more functional involves adding the right furniture, introducing more storage space to the area, and other simple tricks. You can set up your patio using foldable furniture to conserve space. Concealed storage works the same way too.

Designing the patio area is very much like designing the interior of a room. There are a few things you want to keep in mind, including the patterns and colours you use, the air flow around the space, and lighting. The latter is so important that it can alter the mood of the patio area entirely.

Think About Lighting

Speaking about lighting, garden lighting is another important element that must not be neglected when designing a back garden. Depending on the space you have and the existing design of the garden, you can choose different lighting setups to accentuate certain things.

Adding a warm LED spotlight to highlight the trellis panels you installed earlier is a neat trick to implement. You can also use solar-powered LED lights to turn your garden completely wireless as there is a built-in battery to keep the lights powered in the evening.

Avoid adding exposed lights to the area, especially if the goal is to have a back garden that you can relax in whenever you feel stressed. Exposed lights are too harsh for the garden. Instead, you want concealed light strips and covered LED bulbs to add touches of light to the garden.

Set a Mood

While we talk about lighting, it is also worth noting that there is a lot you can do to set the mood in the garden. Lighting is a great way to start, since you can alter the look and feel of the garden in the evening with the right lights placed strategically. At the same time, you can introduce shades and ornaments to create a matching ambience during the day.

You can even dig deeper and use plants to set the mood. Some plants are known for their soothing smell. Others offer gorgeous colours that please the eye. To top it all off, you can add functional plants; Marigolds and Lavender, for instance, are great for getting rid of mosquitos.

Build It Up

The best thing about working on your back garden as a DIY project is that you don’t have to do everything in one go. You can actually take your time and build things up one weekend at a time.

So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your own garden makeover, use the tips and tricks in this article to add the right touches to the space, and have a beautiful and soothing garden to return to every day.