Garden trimmings

Decorate your dream green space to your taste no matter the size of it

As the weather warms up, it's time to spruce up your garden décor. While decorating your home reflects your character and taste, setting up your garden has a lot to do with your personality as it is a dedicated quiet space for a private retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Whether you're looking for garden décor ideas to overhaul your outdoor space, or just some design inspiration, here are some fabulous garden ideas to help you transform your garden, no matter its size.

To create the desired look for your garden, remember to start by identifying the mood or theme. It can be minimalist, urban décor or even a preference of bold colour splashes. From colour themes to potted patches, there's a lot to consider. You can create a stunning afternoon tea garden, or indoor plant oasis or a kid-/dog-friendly yard, but it should all be carefully planned and brilliantly executed.

Amongst a few themes that are currently trending is balcony gardening (more popular in city apartments and villas where balconies are transformed into a leafy garden oasis). Creating a delightful balcony area is about more than just propping up a table and chairs on a patio. To design a leafy escape outside, think about textures, rich scents, gorgeous plants and sounds of summer to evoke your senses.

Interior outdoor garden is another popular theme that includes making your outdoor space an extension of your indoors with garden sofas, garden rugs and pillows, lanterns, and potted plants. Layering up cushions on benches and dining chairs can also help create a space for you to relax, and make your garden furniture more comfortable.

Another beautiful theme is the exotic wild garden that features creating a garden getaway, by celebrating pop-up colours that complement each other to create a tropical delight. Alternatively, create a space-savvy garden by using plants like long-flowering perennials, evergreens and climbers at your corridors, windowsill, or balcony along with the rightly chosen potted plants to give the feeling of a lush green garden within the limited space of an apartment.

Let plants become like the walls around you. The best garden designs start with structural plants filled with pretty, flowering plants. Try to use evergreen shrubs at the end of each border and surround your place with plants by adding perennial plants, succulents, herbs, fragrant flowers, trailing plants, and vining plants. The different textures of these plants will really relax you. Choosing the right pot for your plant is important, for example, wooden or terracotta planter for perennial plants and railing pots or window boxes for trailing plants.

While decorating your balcony garden, remember to make it an extension of your living room with essentials such as comfy sofas/chairs, floor cushions and rugs for relaxation. You can also lighten up the place in the evenings with warm and exquisite lighting. Lighting works in the garden just as it does inside - perfect for creating a certain atmosphere and throwing light where needed, outdoor lighting is a must-have garden accessory after dark. You can also add décor and functionality to your space with steppingstones or with decorative elements such as birdhouses and wind chimes.

If you have the luxury of filling your space with an outdoor fountain, add this into your home as water features create a more peaceful place for you to relax at the end of a long day. Start by choosing the style of the fountain which can vary from classic, Zen, vertical, natural rock formation to even mini fountains with birds or flower blossoms. Their maintenance involves draining the water entirely from the fountain at least once every month or when the water appears dirty. Be sure to unplug your pump before draining the water fountain or you can burn out the pump's motor. Fountains placed in the sun are prone to algae. Use an algae-removal product scrub with a non-abrasive cleaning tool. Rinse the inside of the fountain thoroughly, wiping the fountain walls to ensure it is completely free of cleaning chemicals. Replace the plug and fill the fountain with fresh clean water.

When it comes to decorating the garden, the possibilities are endless. Tailor your garden to your mood, style, budget, and transform its identity.

- Rohit Pegu is the home assistant manager design at Lifestyle