By Sara Milne
During the summer your garden is an extra room that can be used on a daily basis – you just need to think about what kind of room you want … whether you want some additional play space, a home entertainment area or simply to attract wildlife, it's easier than you might think to create the staycation garden of your dreams.
First, have a bit of a tidy up. Clear away bits and pieces you no longer want or need to give the feeling of space and stop using parts of the garden as ‘storage’ areas for old or broken garden furniture, pots or playthings.
Next, have a look at you ‘garden room’ backdrop. Is there enough greenery and colour, or is it time to top up with a few plants that will provide a little bit of lushness and vibrancy? If you have a smaller garden, then think about using your walls and fences as extra growing space – ideal for wall hanging pots and pouches. Not only will this leave room on the ground for lounging or playing family games, it will create a natural, green wall that is easy to maintain and will last for a good few weeks and months.
You can still get a variety of plants that keep flowering well into late summer that add a touch of colour and drama. And if you plant some of them in pots and containers then you can move them around to create different zones. Try mixing Salvia and Japanese Anemone alongside Cosmos with its feathery leaves and saucer-like white and pink flowers. Geraniums (also known as Pelargonium) will keep flowering through to September/October if you look after them. Growers from Pelargonium for Europe recommend regular deadheading and removing yellow or damaged leaves to ensure an extended flowering season.
To keep the kids busy, think about building a bug hotel. Safe hideaways can be hard for wildlife to find in some gardens, and what better use for all your garden waste – rotting branches, sticks, old bricks and stones? If you build it properly it could shelter anything from hedgehogs to toads, solitary bees to bumblebees and ladybirds. You can build your bug hotel at any time of year, but you may find you have most natural materials such as dry grass and hollow plant stems in late summer or early autumn.
And finally, make sure you have the right furniture that lets you relax and enjoy your outside space. It might be some chairs and a table, some oversized outdoor cushions and rugs, a couple of sun loungers or a hammock. With a little clever thinking, there's plenty of ways to produce the perfect living space for all the family without leaving the house.
And whilst you are enjoying you newly created staycation haven, don’t forget that there are still a few jobs to be done in the garden when you have a moment! Here are some top tips for this month from the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society)…