Sometimes we’re so obsessed with making the inside of our homes welcoming, comfortable and family-focused that the garden is often an afterthought.
If you’re lucky enough to have a bit of space around your house, a garden can be a perfect place to create a sanctuary to de-stress, rejuvenate, and take a break from the onslaught of daily life.
Your garden is perfect for unwinding after a long day and reconnecting with nature. Taking some time to be outside and practice mindfulness in your own little piece of serenity is so essential for your mental well-being.
And while some believe a garden is all about being productive with veggie gardens, orchards, chooks, and large expanses of lawn for the kids to run amok, others argue that one of the most enjoyable things in life is finding a quiet place to relax, reflect, and observe.
Garden sanctuaries can be any shape and size, and while the calming qualities of gardens are universal, specific feelings of serenity can be quite personal. And you know that you can return to this unique area with a glass of wine (or two), a mug of coffee, and a book or a magazine for some much-needed quiet time.
Whether you love formal or something modern with smooth lawns and neatly trimmed shrubs, simple country charm with pretty cottage gardens, or wild rustic and natural gardens with rambling vines, fallen leaves on walkways, and native bushes, there are a few things that you can do to create your own little slice of serenity.
And the great thing about this is that it doesn’t always need to cost the earth. You can add various features to your backyard for almost nothing, and if you’re any kind of DIYer, you can even do and make a lot of it yourself.
So, get to it, start creating your personal garden sanctuary, and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Create space
Firstly, assess what space is available to you. Is your garden large or small? How much of it can you turn into your own personal space? Can you utilise both the front and back yards? Even the strip between the house and the side fence can be turned into something unique with a bit of thought and imagination.
Now decide what you’d like to create. Some like the whole outdoor room vibe, while others prefer something tucked away and unseen. Perhaps you have a view that you’d like to take advantage of. Do you want it to be a place in the sun or something naturally cool on those stinking hot days?
Once you’ve found the right spot, you can then decide what you’d like to incorporate.
Water Features
Adding a water feature with the sounds of trickling or splashing water can enhance the serenity of your private space. The sound of water is always relaxing and good for drowning out background noise from neighbour’s kids and masking traffic noise from busy streets. Consider birdbaths, small fountains, streams, or natural ponds that can be habitats for fish, frogs and beneficial insects.
Screens
One of the nice things about creating a peaceful sanctuary is privacy. Whatever space you decide to create, adding some form of screening will add to your overall peace and quiet. Natural hedges, lattices, trellises with interwoven foliage, and even bamboo fencing all work, as do some homemade barriers and windbreaks. You might even consider creating a living wall by vertically planting flowers, herbs, or veggies. Remember, any screening you put up will also mask background noise.
Plants
Your plants can define your garden sanctuary. You have the choice of deciding if you want a tropical paradise, a bush retreat, an English cottage garden or some combination of different species. Your space, your choice.
However, if you’re not all that plant savvy, take a trip to your local plant nursery to speak with their experts. They can advise you on what to plant to achieve the effect you’re after and even recommend some plants that can add to your peaceful place with different scents, colours and textures.
Planting and caring for your plants can be highly fulfilling, leaving you much less stressed, and you’ll feel so much more connected to your outdoor space.
Seating and furniture
Everything is set up, and all that’s missing is a nice comfy chair to chill. Now, you could head to a garden centre or outdoor shop and pick up something that’ll do the trick, but here’s another thought.
Consider making something yourself. Maybe it’s restoring something from an op shop or garage sale, making something unique like an Adirondack chair from scratch, or even converting an item you have lying around to create something personal and unusual.
Then it’s all about adding some furnishings to finish off your little haven…cushions, mobiles, extra hanging plants, and perhaps a little table as well.
Other Features
Of course, you can add all sorts of things that will enhance your garden sanctuary even more. Here are a few ideas.
- Hammocks — If you’re brave enough, why not try and string up a hammock. What better way to relax than swinging gently and taking a nap in a hammock. And, because we all love a laugh, remember to send us photos of you trying to get in and out!
- Bird feeders — Bird feeders are a terrific way to bring wildlife into your garden. Inviting birds into your yard is another way to make a garden feel at peace. Seeds and fruits and some shallow dishes of water will attract many species to your garden. It may take a couple of days for them to realise it’s there, but they will visit.
- Lighting — Who said your garden is only for daytime use? Adding strategic lighting lets you use your private space well into the evening. Solar lights are an excellent cheap option here if you don’t want to go to the expense of having someone connect outdoor lighting.
- Music — Another option for creating a serene ambience is to have your favourite music on hand. A Bluetooth speaker is ideal for this. You can set your home stereo, radio, or personal music player to pipe your favourite tunes through to your speaker in your garden sanctuary.
- Secret paths, gates, and arches — If your personal haven is away from the house, consider creating a private pathway to get to it. Think twists and turns with paving stones, gates, arches, hedges, signs, and anything else that creates the fantasy of a secret garden.
Great gardens are potent tools to help sell houses. The professional sales team at McGrath Real Estate Group loves showcasing homes with gardens that are just as well kept as the home itself.
Call us, and one of our property gurus will visit your home and provide you with a professional appraisal of your home’s worth and a realistic assessment of where your home sits in the current market. You might even like to invite them into your garden sanctuary for a chat.
Phone our office on 8350 4200, or drop into 42 Brighton Road, Glenelg.