Why should you spend lots of time, money and effort on making your garden look beautiful if you aren’t able to enjoy it for the whole of the year? Well, you don’t have to! Knowing how to add year round interest to your garden can be difficult. However, this guide could help you if you’re lacking some inspiration!
1. Choose the right plants
Putting plants in your garden that will look great all year round is a first step to achieving year round interest in your garden. These are just a few that will last all year:
- Trachelospermum jasminoides. These plants flower and climb right through the summer, but will also add a beautiful reddish hue to your garden in the colder months, meaning your garden is filled with colour throughout the year.
- Nandina domestica. This plant is so versatile, growing in both sunny and shaded areas and most soil types. In spring you’ll get salmon-pink flowers, whilst in summer you can enjoy bright white flowers. As the year progresses the leaves will change from green to fiery orange and red.
- Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’. Not only do the beautiful purple lavender flowers look beautiful in summer, the plant’s silver-grey winter hue is sure to keep interest in your garden, even in the winter.
2. Add some artwork
The great thing about having art work in your garden is that it can look beautiful for the whole of the year, it is not reliant on the weather. Perhaps you could choose a garden-suitable painting, or a metal piece of wall-art. Whatever you choose, it will be sure to create year round interest in your garden.
3. Encourage in the wildlife
At different times of year, there will be different types of wildlife around to venture into your garden and this wildlife will add interest to any garden. Of course, if you have pets, there may be some species that you want to keep out of your garden but, in general, birds are always welcomed. You can encourage birds into your garden by ensuring that you have plenty of food and water for them, and perhaps a bird box or bath for them to rest in.
4. Add a feature
Whether it be a large feature, such as a pond, or perhaps just a fountain, adding a feature to your garden will keep up the interest in it throughout the year. Not only will it give you something to enjoy during the whole year, it could also act as a point of conversation for guests!
5. Invest in a cloche
Cloches help to add year round interest as they work as a sort of season-extending tool. They can allow you to grow vegetables for longer than you might otherwise, adding an extra pop of colour of layer of texture to your garden for a while longer. This also means that interest will be added in the kitchen, too!
Do you have any more tips or advice on how to add year round interest to a garden? Let us know!
[Photo Credit: Atibordee_K]
