When we moved into our house the garden was very plain: a blank canvas on which to make our own mark. We (by which I mean my husband) has worked tirelessly to make the space easily maintainable whilst also being attractive, and when we move we’ll miss it almost as much as the house itself. Not least because we’ll be back to a clean slate which requires lots of TLC all over again! I’m determined for us to avoid inadvertently creating a bare and dull box during the winter months; so I’ve been giving a lot of thought to how to add year-round colour to your garden.
Here are some of the ideas we’ll be utilising to transform what’s currently unremarkable into a beautiful, vibrant space, full of quirky – but classy – features!
How to Add Year-Round Colour to Your Garden
Evergreen Plants
I’m starting with the most obvious point: plants and flowers. There’s plenty of choice here too: you can select evergreen plants, or get more creative with deciduous options which offer differing appearances depending on the time of year. A fab example of a striking deciduous is the lovely acer (red), or you could go with the vibrant lavendar, Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’ (deep purple). I’ll be conferring with my pal Google to ensure I make the best of what’s available.
Paint
I wasn’t sure if this one could be called classy, but then I started looking at images and decided that done well, it can be. The only limit here is your imagination, but personally I’d probably paint a brick wall white, and plant strong colours in front of it to make them ‘pop’.
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Furniture, Pergolas, and Trellis
Again, all of these features could be painted should you so desire, although I won’t be making these structures funky colours myself. Instead, I’m hoping to put up a pergola beside our conservatory and train some pretty climbers to do thing. It won’t be too long before they become a feature in their own right. My dream is wisteria a canopy of wisteria, although it’s possible my vision may be slightly unrealistic…
Flower Pots
Ceramic pots in bright hues look somehow less tacky than plastic, don’t you think?! To maximise the effect you could go with a mosaic or patterned style.
Bunting
This is one of those styles that could potentially look out of place or over the top unless it’s done carefully and sympathetically, in an understated way. I love bunting myself and I’m really excited to complete the rest of the garden, and then source some in muted tones to hang around a seating area along with strings of fairy lights or large statement bulbs. It may not be to everyone’s taste but some of the examples on Pinterest are hugely inspirational and I’m completely sold – I want it!
Artwork
Finally, if you think you have the space and can pull it off, there’s such a thing as outdoor artwork. I don’t buy into hanging pictures outside myself, but perhaps the odd well-placed sculpture could bring interest to your garden whilst remaining tasteful.
Once we’ve got our garden looking the way we want it, I think we might consider investing a gardener, if we can afford it (moving sure doesn’t come cheap!). I like the idea of pulling our vision together ourselves – and even getting the girls involved – but keeping on top of the maintenance is a job I’d happily pass over to a professional, so that we can maximise the time we have to enjoy the results!
Do you have any other tips for how to add year-round colour to your garden which I’ve missed off my list?
This is a commissioned post.
