Recently, we put together an epic guide on how to throw the best summer party in your neighbourhood, using only eco-friendly materials and ideas. In that piece, we never mentioned the actual venue for your summer party, so we’ve followed up that piece of content with our 5-step guide to outdoor summer spaces.
In this article, you’re going to be able to visualise a new life for your garden, one where nature, environmentally-friendly materials, and technology combine to give you the perfect paradise outside of your back door.
Step one: Lighting
If you want your outdoor summer space to be a real hit, it’s going to take advantage of the long sunny days, and relax you into the cooler summer nights. One way to harness the power of the sun is to invest in solar charged LED lamps for your garden. You can get spiked ones that you can stick into the grass, wall mounted options, hanging lanterns and even solar powered fairy lights for that magical touch. When the sun goes down, the lights come on.
Step two: Shade
It’s thought to be one of the UK’s hottest summers on record this year, so you should consider putting up an effective barrier against the sun to protect your skin. We have three ideas that you might like.
First, observe the route of the sun, and which way it shines directly on your garden (this is called a sun map). Then, once you’ve figured that out, install raised trellises and plant enough foliage to block out the sunlight.
Our second idea, if you’re good with wood, string and textiles, or you love some DIY, is to make your own recycled textile canopy. Get together a load of old clothes that you don’t want anymore, chop them up and sow them into one big sheet to make a canopy. Feed a string across several points in your garden and use the canopy to block out the tough sun. Multiple strings and a moveable canopy will allow you to place the shade wherever you like.
Our third, and possibly best idea, is to build a reclaimed timber gazebo, for a solid and long-term installation that will protect you against the sun. You will be able to get reclaimed timber from local wood yards, simply use a search engine to find them. Free gazebo blueprints are available online too.
Step three: Furniture & design
Upcycled furniture is so ‘in’ right now, especially wooden pallets. You can turn this versatile waste wood into sofas, chaise longues, sun loungers and tiered seating, all of which are perfect for your outdoor summer space. Recycled glass bottles can be used to make candle holders, and plastic bottles can be used for wall art. Visit Pinterest for thousands of ideas on how to design your garden with items you already own.
Step four: Comfort
Making your own cushions, throws and blankets is not as hard as it seems, actually, there are an abundance of blogs online that teach you exactly how to do it. Old shirts are a perfect materials for making cushions, and old duvet covers can be perfect for making giant comfy seats. Order some eco-friendly stuffing foam online, and sew it up (or create a zip if you’re savvy) inside your cover, and you’re good to go!
Step five: Life
Now that your garden is set up with eco-friendly materials and ideas, it’s time to bring the space to life with plants, flowers and bushes (and the trellises we suggested earlier). One way to give them life is by creating natural compost with your organic and food waste (see our guide on how to make compost).
Fingers crossed we aren’t too late!
Another way to give life to your garden is to start collecting rainwater, and divert it to a collection point so that you can use it for you water features, flower garden and lawn. If we will be given the long, hot summer that we’ve been promised, you might not have a chance to collect much rain until the summer is over.