5 easy garden projects to try this summer

On the hunt for easy garden projects to try this summer? Want to transform the look and feel of your garden, but don’t know where to start?

Then this collaborative post is for you!

The saying goes the early bird catches the worm, and with summer on the horizon now is the perfect time to enhance the look, feel and utility of your garden.

More than seven million of us have taken up gardening since the pandemic if the experts are to be believed, and with our newfound hobby comes a newfound love of outdoor spaces too.

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If you’re on the hunt for garden projects to try this summer this collaborative post looks at some easy ways to transform the look and feel of your garden – without breaking the bank!

1. Raised garden beds

One popular garden project worth considering is to build a raised garden bed – or perhaps several. A raised garden bed is a planting bed that is added on top of existing garden soil with a structure surrounding the raised bed to keep it in place, for example, wooden panels.

Raised garden beds can be used for various fruits, vegetables and plants. Raised garden beds are well-suited for growing alpines, soft fruits, various vegetables, and small trees and shrubs.

Constructing a raised garden bed involves first preparing the frame, drilling holes in the frame, attaching the various screw boards, placing two frames atop one another, digging the bed and inserting the stakes. Towards the end of the process, you’ll need to screw the frame to the stakes, trim the stakes as needed and last but not least, edge the lawn around the frame.

Raised garden bed kits are also on the market, or you could consider hiring a qualified professional to install a raised garden bed for you.

2. Decking

Another project that can be DIY-friendly is to add decking to your garden space. A deck can act as a great social focal point for your garden, and a great spot for you and your family and friends to relax on warm sunny days.

One key step to creating the right deck for your garden is to choose the best material. If considering a mix of practicality and budget, arguably composite or PVC decking would be the best option.

However, if you are all about that organic look and are willing to put in sufficient time and energy to maintain your decking, you might want to consider hardwood or pressure-treated decking. If you want to go really fancy, you could look into tropical hardwoods.

3. Garden furniture

Whether or not you decide to add a deck to your garden, furniture can help enhance the social value and aesthetic of your garden regardless.

You may want to keep things simple by adding a garden bench or even fitting a bistro table with chairs in a suitable spot in your garden. On the other hand, you may prefer some fancier options.

For example, adding colour furniture such as sofas with decorative cushions could really help enhance the look and feel of your garden space. Of course, furniture like sofas would need to be put away at the end of the day or protected from the elements with patio covers.

4. Build a DIY bird bath

If you are looking for a small but interesting garden project to keep you busy and preoccupied on a warm summer’s day, try creating a DIY bird bath.

Creating a bird bath is pretty straightforward. First, you’ll need to find a suitable space to set up the bird bath in your garden. This should be a spot where birds can see it from various parts of your garden and fly over from a nearby tree or bush with ease.

If you have a cat, it’s important to ensure the bird bath won’t be set up somewhere that would make it strategically easy for your cat to jump out from hiding and take down a bird!

Once you’ve found a good spot, add four bricks atop a border or somewhere on the lawn itself. Place the bowl atop the bricks before making sure it is firmly in place. If you find that the bird bath is a bit slippery, add a few pebbles or rocks to it so the birds can get a good grip upon landing.

Keep your bird bath filled up with water by topping it up frequently. Just be sure not to add any chemicals like salt or de-icer during the winter times. If it gets icy, you can jump-wipe it off before adding fresh water.

5. Add solar lights

Solar lights are an easy way to add a touch of magic to your garden on summer nights. There are all sorts of shapes and styles to choose from to suit all sizes of garden and budgets.

Other ideas

While we’ve touched on some stand-out ideas already, here are some additional projects that might interest you:

Build a bird feeder
Create a living wall with a green wall kit or living wall planter
Convert a shed into a garden room
Add paving stones to your garden

If you’d rather hire a professional, whether you are thinking of hiring a gardener to lay turf or wish to have your garden entirely redesigned, remember you’ll need to consider what budget you have and the extent of the changes you’d like.

This is a collaborative post.