February is upon us which means in a couple of months winter will finally be on its way out… yay! After months of looking out onto a dull, empty garden, we’ll soon be greeted with beautiful vibrant flowers and warmer weather. With a couple of months to prepare, now is the perfect time to start planning and getting your garden ready for spring.
To aid you in your planning, we’ve rounded up 6 of our top garden design ideas to reinvent your garden and outdoor living space, allowing you to truly get the most out of your much-loved garden this spring.
6 spring garden design ideas include:
- Create a space to support local wildlife & pollinators
- Comfy seating & louvred pergolas
- Outdoor kitchen area
- Plant bulbs & shrubs
- Think fragrance and pretty spring colours
- Incorporate vertical gardens
1. Create a Space to Support Local Wildlife & Pollinators
Spring is a fantastic time of the year to dedicate a space in your garden to support local wildlife & pollinators.
A garden designed to support wildlife will not only enhance the visual appeal of your outdoor space, but it will also help to maintain and enhance biodiversity. This is greatly beneficial as a diverse ecosystem is more resilient to environmental changes and can better withstand challenges such as pests or diseases.
Also, some wildlife such as birds, act as natural predators for garden pests, and therefore encouraging their presence can help control populations of harmful insects without the need for chemical pesticides.
Here are some tips for creating wildlife spaces in your garden this spring:
- Install bird feeders to encourage birds to visit – There are lots of different bird feeds available to attract different bird species, so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to attracting them to your garden.
- Provide a consistent, clean source of water – For example, a shallow dish or birdbath.
- Plant native plants that offer food sources of nectar, seeds and berries.
- Incorporate a diverse range of plants with different heights, shapes, and blooming periods. This provides varied habitats and food sources for a wide range of wildlife.
2. Comfy Seating & Louvred Pergolas
Spring is one of, if not the, most beautiful times of the year. The combination of blooming flowers, fresh greenery, mild to warm temperatures, and the sense of renewal makes spring an enchanting and beautiful time to spend in your garden.
This is why many homeowners are now creating a cosy outdoor lounge area with comfortable seating, throw pillows and blankets, all under a louvred pergola where they can sit back, relax and truly connect with nature, all from the comfort of their garden.
With more and more people spending time at home, our gardens are becoming a popular safe space where we can relax and enjoy the outdoors. In addition to this, research has shown that there are numerous physical and mental health benefits of spending more time outdoors.
Transforming your garden into a multi-functional living space can therefore allow you to get the most out of your garden and improve not only your physical health but mental health, too.
Top tip: Always choose weather-resistant furniture that can withstand the elements, and if you can, get protective sheeting that can be popped over the furniture when not in use for long periods of time.
3. Outdoor Kitchen
Having an outdoor kitchen in your garden is a fantastic addition to outdoor living this spring/summer, and a way for all you foodies to bring the fun of cooking and entertaining outdoors.
What is An Outdoor Kitchen?
An outdoor kitchen is a space where you can prepare food, cook, eat and entertain while taking advantage of the natural surroundings and enjoying the open-air. What’s more, outdoor kitchens greatly expand the value of a home – so might be a perfect addition if you’re looking to sell up in the future.
Creating an outdoor living area requires research, creativity, knowledge and a lot of patience. While some homeowners go down the DIY route, we recommend hiring a professional garden designer/landscaper, like Raine Garden Design, to help you design and plan your outdoor living space.
Get in touch to see how we can help transform your garden today.
4. Plant Bulbs & Shrubs
When you think of spring, it’s only natural to start with bulbs. Bulbs like tulips, daffodils and grape hyacinths are super easy to grow and are a source of early spring colour, bringing vibrant and cheerful flowers to your garden when other plants may still be dormant.
The fantastic thing about bulbs is that they have the ability to naturalise, i.e. they multiply and spread on their own over a period of time. This results in larger, more natural-looking displays of flowers in subsequent years, creating a sustainable and cost-effective garden feature.
Shrubs are also a great choice if you’re limited on garden space but still want the height and structure a tree provides. Some early-spring bloomer shrubs include forsythia, daphne, winter honeysuckle, camellia and witch hazel.
5. Think Fragrance and Pretty Spring Colours
Spring and fragrant flowers just naturally go hand in hand. The heavenly scent of common lilac, peony and hyacinth makes time spent outside in your garden a real pleasure, especially if they’re strategically placed near a well-travelled path or under an open window so you won’t miss them.
Examples of Fragrant Spring Flowers
- Lily-of-the-valley Convallaria majalis
- Common lilac Syringa vulgaris
- Dianthus Dianthus spp. and hybrids
- Star magnolia Magnolia stellata
- Stock Matthiola incana
Pastel colours, such as lavender, white and pink also create a classic spring garden look.
6. Incorporate Vertical Gardens
The last (but certainly not least) design idea for the spring is to incorporate vertical gardens. Also known as living walls or green walls, vertical gardens are innovative gardening systems designed to allow plants to grow on vertical surfaces rather than in traditional horizontal beds or containers.
These gardens can take various forms and serve different purposes, but they all share the characteristic of utilising vertical space for planting, and can add a burst of life and functionality to any garden. Especially small gardens limited on space.
Discover more ways you can make the most out of a small garden, here.
And there we have it! We hope this article has provided you with some inspiration when it comes to designing your garden for the spring.
If you’re not too sure where to start, why not let the professionals help you? Not only are they well-versed in coming up with conceptual designs that not only make the best use of the space you have available, but they are experts in what they do, so you can have peace of mind that your garden is in the best hands possible. Learn more about the benefits of hiring a professional garden designer here.
At Raine Garden Design, our award-winning designer, Raine, has over 23 years of experience in landscape design and an in-depth understanding of the design and construction process.
To learn more about our garden design services at Raine Garden Design, get in touch at studio@rainegardendesign.co.uk or on 07702042559.
Written by Kate Jones for Raine Garden Design.
