7 basic things for a more complete garden

Living in a city can be extremely stressful. One thing that helps to center you is vegetation and nature. But gardens and plants can become very cumbersome if you don’t have some experience with plants or if you haven’t really looked into it. So, we at Home Space Journal want to help you out with making your house a little greener than before.

1. Water

Water is probably the most important element for life to thrive. It’s a very primal relationship that we have with water. Having a water feature in your garden can be the best thing about it. After a stressful or tiring day, you can just sit beside the water and let nature do its thing to smooth out your rough edges.

"Be Water, My Friend. Empty your mind. Be formless."- Bruce Lee

2. Cover

Cover can be good for multiple reasons; it can give shade to you and your plants, provide a rustic aesthetic and be a focal point or a place of gathering. You can put a few chairs and a table under just a completely mesh frame or just a frame.

Cover can mimic natural canopy and give shade to smaller bushes and shrubs.

3. String Lighting

This is a go-to for garden lighting and for good reason. It provides unconventional lighting that is inviting and comfortable as well as being easy to set up and modify. They also lend a sense of being outdoors, unlike lamps or a tube light (let’s not talk about those), string lights are uncommon in indoor settings.

String 'em up like it's Christmas all year long.

4. Greenhouse

Before we forget the most important aspect of a garden, let’s talk about plants. Which plants you have can of course depend on where you live and how much effort you’re willing to put into your plants. But if you want to, you can cultivate almost any plant in the world by creating a greenhouse. You don’t have to make a large one, greenhouses are effective at many sizes. All you need is moisture retention and an area with the appropriate amount of sunlight. If you want to know more about alternative ways of growing plants, check out this guide to growing seeds in water.

Greenhouses can be a haven for plants and help protect your plants from the harsh environment.

5. Swings

I have an uncle who has multiple swings in his garden and I have heard many people say how much they enjoy sitting and swinging in the garden. When I think about it, it is not really that weird; it’s a place to sit and enjoy the environment.

Too much of a good Swing.

6. Fire

Another elemental design tip is to have a fire pit in your garden. If you spend any amount of time in your garden at night, then having a fire pit can be heavenly. A wood fire is best for ease and convenience. A gas fire is reliable but you will need a gas connection. Even if you aren’t using your fire pit, it can add a lot of character to your garden, especially if it’s designed well.

Food, stories and songs can be shared around a fire.

7. Lawn ornaments

There may be some debate around this one, but I firmly believe that a garden gnome here or a turtle there can be very whimsical. Some people may think it’s creepy but I have never been scared of a small, old porcelain man looking over my garden, I swear.

What a creepy little guy.