We share some of our top ideas and suggestions on how to get more from your garden this spring and summer – thanks to Veruska De Vita.
A garden in spring time can connect us to the natural world in many ways. As the chill of winter gives way to balmy weather, evenings bundled up indoors turn into nights lounging on the patio.
With a sense of renewal in the air, it is the perfect time to relook at your garden space. By tackling one or two new projects over a few weekends, you’ll soon be sipping your favourite drink surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with the sights, scents and sounds that emanate from lush greenery.
The latest garden trends
Like fashion, gardens and exterior spaces experience different styles and trends and one of the biggest trends of the moment is adding ambient lighting to the garden.
Glenice Ebedes of Grounded Landscaping says that this extends an entertainment area beyond the home interior, incorporating the outdoors to make it more usable and certainly more enticing at night. Adding a fire pit is another way of extending an entertainment area and provides the opportunity to be under the stars on cooler evenings.
Another key trend is creating an ‘outdoor room’ or an intimate area in the garden that has its own theme and is separate from the rest – an area that is private, secluded and meditative.
“This can be a permanently constructed zone or something more laid back. It all depends on your lifestyle and your home,” says Ebedes. Picture an area scattered with oversized cushions under the shade of a leafy tree or a zone spread with pebbles and stepping stones where you can literally slow down your pace.
When it comes to flower beds, the first rule of thumb is to choose plants that will thrive in the environment. Consider positioning – is the area predominantly in shade for most of the day or will plants be exposed to full sun? Then select plants accordingly, while keeping maintenance in mind. According to Ebedes, perennials are winning favourability over annuals.
“Perennials are plants that don’t die but that continue to thrive from one season to the next. Unlike annuals which are high maintenance and need to be replaced every season, perennials keep going and bring lovely seasonal colour,” she says.
Find out more about great furniture ideas, and things that you can make yourself to add to your beautiful outdoor area in our magazine – now on shelves at Skoobs Theatre of Books in Montecasino and Jackson’s Real Food Market in Bryanston for R 24.99.