3 ways you can improve your garden space in your rented property

1 Sept

This blog has been inspired by a conversation I had recently with a colleague.

They live in a rented home which they love, they have a big garden and the real desire to improve it, but they wouldn’t want to invest in a garden design for someone else’s property.

This completely makes sense when you may not get the long-term benefits of the garden.

So, in this blog I am sharing 3 ways you can adapt your garden space as a tenant to try and get the best of both worlds.

Not in rented housing? No problem, all these tips apply for anyone looking to make a temporary garden improvement too.

Before you make any changes

Firstly, before I launch into my tips, it is really important as with any changes to your rental home that you seek the permission on your landlord before you make any changes. This will help reduce the risk of issues later down the line.

Getting your garden right for you

Use pots, containers and raised beds

1. Use pots, containers and raised beds Repetition, repetition, repetition

Instead of creating large borders in the ground opting for pots/containers and raised beds mean that if/when you move you can take these with you.

You can place pots close together which quickly give an illusion of a densely planted border.

Pots can be moved around too, in later Winter/early Spring you might want to have an impressive display at your front door to cheer you up every day as you enter and leave the house as you may not be in your garden much. But once they have flowered you can move them to the main garden space and top with plants.

Using a range of pot sizes can look beautiful and provide you with lots of flexibility. If you are worried about lifting heavy pots you can also buy stands with wheels to help maneuver more easily.

Also be creative! Think about what you have that can be used as a container. I have seen old watering cans, wheel barrows, kitchen sinks and old kitchen pots all used in gardens to create wonderful containers.

Top tip: Planting in pots will mean you need to be stringent on your maintenance. Always ensure pots have drainage holes, add horticultural grit (available at all garden centres, normally near the gravel/stone section) into compost to prevent water logging and ensure you water regularly especially in the summer. Plants in pots will normally always appreciate being fed to keep things looking their best, always follow the instructions on plant feed as over-doing it can kill your plants!

2. Make the most of plants

One thing I firmly believe can make or break a garden is the planting.

Planting can help break up large lawns, soften features like a terrace and provide lots of colour and interest. But you may not want to spend a fortune at the garden centre on plants. You could try growing from seed or propagating (taking cuttings) which is low cost/free!

Spending £3 on a pack of seeds could result in lots of plants and you can grow most things from seed relatively easily and at low cost. You can also save seeds to use the following year meaning you can grow more of what you love without buying more seeds.

If growing from seed isn’t for you, you can also try propagating. Ask friends, family and neighbours for a cutting of plants you love, or if they are splitting things like grasses or peonies ask they can give you a clump.

Lots of long-lasting plants really benefitting from being dug up every few years and split with a spade. It helps rejuvenate the plant and the by product is another plant. A general rule of thumb is to do this in Spring or Autumn for summer flowering plants, and after flowering for Spring flowering plants.

For more info on how to take cuttings you can check out my previous post on social media. If you are a newsletter subscriber head back to you May edition where I gave you a step by step guide.

Top tip: You can also use propagation to your advantage when you move. I know so many people that love the plants in their gardens so take cuttings before they move so they can plant into their new gardens.

Shrubs can take longer to establish with propagation but perennials normally establish really quickly so you don’t need to wait years for that all important impact.

3. Adapt your mindset

Renting a property can sometimes make you feel unmotivated to do anything to the space to make it work for you. And like I said at the start I completely understand why you wouldn’t want to make a huge investment in permanent features that you would not get to see the long-term benefit of.

However, if you change your mind set to think about what you can do to make the rental property work for you it might just mean a huge improvement in the way you and your family use the space to it’s full potential.

One way to do this is to think about mobility and embrace everything you can do that you can take with you, therefore meaning you get the long-term benefits from your investment wherever you live.

This might be:

The beautiful garden furniture you have been eyeing up,
The BBQ of dreams,
The fire pit where you promised your children you would toast marshmallows and make smores,
The shade canopy or parasol you desperatly need when it’s really sunny & warm or;
An outdoor rug to give an indoor feel to your outdoor space (and hide any paving you really don’t like)

Part of using your garden space to it’s full potential is making the space so inviting you have no other choice but to step outside.

Really thinking about what is important to you and your family and how you can make investments that will enhance your life and ultimately the way you use your garden will elevate your home living situation, regardless of how long you live somewhere.

Top tip: To get the most from investments like these it’s important to also consider storage and care. Buying a cover for furniture & BBQ’s will extend the life of your investment pieces. You can also buy reasonably priced small outdoor storage boxes which can be easily moved but are great for things like garden cushions/bean bags etc.

Has this helped you to think creatively about how to can adapt your garden to make the most of what you have?