When most people think about luxury living, they imagine living rooms adorned in marble and kitchens decked out with fantastic range cookers. But the latest trend in luxury living is to move out of the house and into the garden. More and more people want to be able to enjoy their lives in the open air. It’s here that they want to entertain guests and indulge themselves in their hobbies, especially now that the summer is almost upon us.

So what can you do to live it up in your garden? Take a look at some of these ideas from the rich and famous.

Create Your Own Covered Space

Just because you’re outside, it doesn’t mean you don’t need a covered space to keep the sun at bay. As a result, it’s a good idea to invest in some sort of canopy: one that allows you to enjoy the rest of the garden while protecting you from the sun during the hottest part of the day.

[Photo courtesy of Hotel Montecatini Terme/flickr.com]

These covered spaces can be equipped with pretty much whatever you like, but at a minimum, you’ll want some seating and a table in the middle. If you’ve got the budget for it, add an outdoor TV for watching sports and a fan to keep you cool when the mercury hits 90.

Give Your Pool A Makeover

Swimming pools are a staple of a luxury garden: they’re somewhere that you can cool off on those long summer days between June and September. But pools aren’t necessarily stylish, especially if you’ve had your current pool for a while. Not only can they look out of date, but they can also get run down pretty quickly, especially if you don’t regularly maintain them. Visit Sparklean Pools to learn more about vinyl liner pool repair. Updating your pool can make a massive difference to the visual appeal of your garden and help it to feel luxurious once more.

A Wonderland Getaway

The wealthy also really love to use their gardens to escape from the rigors of the day. Having somewhere they can go to relax helps them to unwind. A wonderland getaway can take on practically any form, depending on what constitutes a getaway for you, which is what makes it so exciting.

[Photo courtesy of Gary Barnes/pexels]

Some people like to be surrounded by flowers and slunk off to a remote corner of the garden to read a book. Others like to create communal spaces in unusual locations, using the geological features of the backyard itself. For instance, your garden might be on a slope, next to a steam or near to a rock formation. Finally, a wonderland getaway could be a physical building, like a summer house, complete with various creature comforts.

An Outdoor Chess Set

[Photo courtesy of Misaochaaan/wikimedia.org]

Being in the garden is all about having fun. That’s why many wealthy people make games a permanent feature of their gardens. Take chess, for instance. Large, outdoor chess sets are really good if you have children or relatives who like to play. Plus, they help keep people entertained on those long summer evenings.

The best part of the year is spring cleaning and that often includes the garden. The garden does often get neglected during the colder months as no one wants to spend time out there and it’s far too chilly for planting. Getting your garden summer ready is no easy feat, especially if the weather has been against you all winter. But there are some fantastic ways to get your garden looking beautiful, and it’s not all down to the plants either.

Most garden changes can be done yourself, especially if you possess a talent and a green thumb. Sometimes, some projects can include calling out a company to help and if you simply don’t have the time but want a summer garden, it’s a smart idea. However, if you have the right tools in place, you could have a beautiful, flower-filled garden with defined pathways and newly built garden furniture. Patio and garden furnishings are the pride of some gardens and if you manage to build them yourself, even better. If you are a novice with woodwork but fancy turning your hand at creating eye-catching garden furniture, then you should make sure you have every tool present in the shed! Creating garden beds is far easier on a mitre saw than a table saw so why not check out straightkerfs.com for some exciting reviews on the right mitre saw for your plan?

[Photo courtesy of maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com]

Planning out your garden for the summer takes some time so get writing a list of things you will need. Weed killers and edgers are a must to be able to get rid of overgrown plants that have spent months growing all over the place. It’s time to turn the soil over, too, and replace with fertile soil ready for planting. Taking a trip to the garden centre won’t go amiss to get those flower beds ready for a late summer bloom. If you have children, check out the range of garden toys you can purchase and if you are feeling really creative, why not build a barbecue at the end of the garden? Being fortunate enough to have a long garden means keeping smoke fumes away from the house, and building your very own brick barbecue could be the cherry on top of your garden planning.

A green, lush grass is great for most people in the summer but if you live in a rain-heavy area or simply don’t have the time to maintain it, then fitting artificial carpet or laying paving down is the best way to go. Easy maintenance and pretty to look at, artificial grass gives your garden a fresh look all summer long, without any yellowing! Your garden can be beautiful and summer-ready in no time at all, as long as you’ve planned accordingly to ensure that flowers bloom and you have all the right garden equipment. You can look forward to long, lazy summer evenings in your newly spruced up summery garden. It’s so easy, and it’s so time to get on with it!

Gardens are not just about flowers and growing food. They can be a great way to learn about wildlife; something particularly important if you have a family. And they are a great way to help maintain species of birds and animals.

[Photo courtesy of DroolingDogs/pixabay.com]

Regardless of your outdoor space, there are simple steps you can take to encourage birds and animals to visit or set up home in your garden.

1. Create A Pond

Creating a pond is the quickest and simplest way to introduce wildlife. Once your pond has been built, you can fill it with your choice of fish. There are many different varieties to choose from, depending on the areas you live in and the space available, etc. Butterfly koi are a popular choice as they are known for their beauty and stunning colors.

Ponds will attract other wildlife such as frogs and insects. It is important to monitor and clean your pond regularly to ensure it is a safe environment for fish and other animals. The plants and grasses surrounding your pond will also attract visitors.

[Photo courtesy of Oldiefan/pixabay.com]

2. Garden Design

When designing and maintaining your garden, think carefully about the animals you wish to encourage. Birds like trees and bushes for nesting. If you have the available space, try creating zones. Some birds may prefer not to come close to the house, and so a quiet space towards the back of the garden may be preferable.

[Photo courtesy of Couleur/pixabay.com]

3. Frogs

Frogs like ponds, as mentioned, but they also like piles of leaves. When raking your garden next fall, leave a few piles of leaves in a dark area to encourage frogs. Ensure you leave some space in walls or fences for them to enter.

4. Birds

To encourage birds into your garden, put up a bird table and several feeders. A bird bath is also important. Vary the seeds and food that you provide to attract different species. To ensure they keep coming back, feed birds daily, particularly in the winter months when food will be scarce. It’s always pleasant to watch a garden full of birds, and you’re helping them at the same time. Try setting up some nesting boxes to see if any of the birds set up residence.

5. Insects

Insect hotels provide a safe environment for insects to hibernate in the winter months. They are made up of several compartments or suites to allow insects to choose a warm place to stay. Encouraging insects into your garden is good for them and the environment. Some like dry environments and others prefer the damp. So try to establish insect homes in several areas.

[Photo courtesy of NickRivers/pixabay.com]

6. Bees

Bees are vital pollinators for our gardens but, unfortunately, their numbers are declining. Insect hotels make a safe place for solitary bees. Introduce some bee-friendly plants to your garden. Bees like flowers such as white clover, bluebells, alliums, and buddleia, etc.

Encouraging wildlife into your garden is a win-win situation. You’re providing a home and food for them to help them thrive. And you get to observe them in their natural habitat. Many will contribute to the garden by pollination, turning over soil, etc. So, it’s good for you, and it’s good for them.

Gardening in the summertime is one of life’s little pleasures. You can escape the usual stress and strain of your day-to-day existence, working happily on creating your own touch of Eden. It’s easy to while away hours, enjoying the blooming flowers and perhaps even tending to your vegetables.

Then, it happens. You know it’s a possibility, but somehow, in the pleasure of tending to your crops, you forget. You go back indoors, back aching pleasantly, hands covered with dirt. You head for the shower, shrug off your shirt, and then you see them. Bites. Circular, red blobs where some bug has had itself a feast of your delicious blood. As soon as you see them, they begin to itch. The itch, pain and discomfort continue for days, long past the point your calm happiness from gardening has evaporated.

It’s a fact of life that being outside means that you’re going to get bitten. Try and see it as a compliment – these bugs are saying you’re tasty! Well, it’s a nice idea if you can see it like that, but it more likely just makes you murderous. The bugs, flies, wasps, mosquitoes and everything else have got to go.

1. Bug Spray

[Photo courtesy of Clker-Free-Vector-Images/pixabay.com]

These have a dual purpose. First, they can make you a less attractive feast. Secondly, you can bring about violent revenge should anything try and bite you anyway, as they are instantly poisoned.

If possible, try and find sprays that do not include a chemical compound known as DEET. This has been shown to cause a whole host of problems. If you would rather keep things as natural as possible, diluted neem oil is a good idea.

2. Stay Above Ground Level

If you tend to sit down to weed a particularly stubborn flower bed, you’re putting yourself at a level most insects can find you. At least give them a fight. Stay upright as much as possible, or use something to kneel on when working at ground height. A large tarpaulin can put a protective layer between you and the things that fancy a nibble.

3. Go All In

[Photo courtesy of Jim Gathany/wikimedia.org]

If you’re covered in bug spray and crouching on a tarpaulin, but still ending the day covers in bites, it’s time to think bigger. Companies that specialise in mosquito control can help eradicate the idea garden of the issue, through a variety of methods. If you’ve young children, this is particularly worth thinking about. You don’t want to discourage them from going outside.

4. An Old Wives Tale

It’s not possible to say if this really works or why, but there’s plenty of evidence on a colloquial level that people swear by it. If you fill a plastic bag with water and hang it around where you’re working, bugs may well leave you alone. There’re theories that the water disrupts the many-eyed insects and confuses them. Or perhaps it does nothing- no one knows for sure. It is, however, an easy and inexpensive idea if you’re at the point where you’re trying anything.

Employing the above can help reduce the discomfort creepy crawlies may be unleashing on you. After all, your garden should be a place of pleasure, not pain!