Not everyone is blessed with outdoor space, so if your home comes with a garden of its own, you really should make the most of it.

 

For a lot of people, the thing that holds them back from utilising their outdoor space is concern that gardening and garden design can be time-consuming and expensive. While this can be true in some instances, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the case – how much time and money you spend on your garden is down to you.

 

That aside, a lot of people – particularly young people like myself – aren’t sure how to go about creating a useable outdoor space. The good news is that it’s actually far easier than you would think, it’s just a case of being clued up about the best steps to take.

 

I have recently moved to a new home, which has meant that I have had a whole new garden to tackle. The previous tenants didn’t leave it in the best state, so there has been lots to do. At first, I felt a little overwhelmed, however with some help from Pinterest and, of course, my mum I have managed to transform the space into a useable one.

 

Wondering how you can make more of your outdoor space? Have a read of the tips and ideas below!

 

Take size into account

 

It’s important to take the size of the space that you have to work with into account. If you’ve got a smaller sized garden, then you will want to find ways to maximise the space that you have, whereas if you have a larger garden, you may want to find ways to make maintaining the space more doable.

 

My garden at my previous home was small and required little to no maintenance. The garden at my new home is far larger and requires a lot of maintenance. Plus, there’s also a front garden at my new home, which means even more outdoor space to maintain. Although a larger garden can be harder work, it also has some fantastic potential for creating an incredible outdoor space.

 

I found that utilising online tools such as gardening blogs and social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram, allowed me to gather a range of ideas that helped to inspire me to start making more of my outdoor space.

 

Think about what you want to use the space for?

 

This is such an important step and one that many people – for whatever reason – choose to skip. The issue is that if you don’t take the time to think about what you want to use your outdoor space for, then you may create a space that is of no benefit to you. So, it’s worthwhile taking a moment to consider what you would like to use this space for.

 

For instance, I like to be able to host barbeques in my garden, and have friends over for drinks in the summer months. I also like to be able to sunbathe, if the weather is hot. I’ve used these factors to help me create an outdoor space that is a perfect fit for my needs.

 

Create zones

 

A handy hack for ensuring that your outdoor space offers you exactly what you want and need it to offer is to create zones. For instance, in addition to wanting to use my garden for barbeques and sunbathing, I also wanted to create an outdoor space where I could grow things, like herbs and vegetables. So I decided to split my garden into zones, allowing me to utilise the space I had, and create a garden that perfectly suited my every need.

 

Let’s say that, for example, you want to grow your own vegetables, have an area for your dog to run around in, and have somewhere to hold barbeques, then you might want to split your garden into three zones – one for each of these things. By splitting your garden into zones, you can ensure that you are able to make the most out of the space that you have.

 

Don’t break the bank

 

When it comes to doing up your garden, it’s easy to spend a large amount of money. However, if you’re smart about how and where you shop, you can significantly cut costs. Always take the time to shop around when purchasing garden furniture and gardening items, from plant pots and spades to water features and decking.

 

I often take the time to browse second-hand sites for cheap or free items, such as GumTree or Facebook Marketplace. That way you can purchase an item for a low cost – or even get it free – and spend a little bit of money doing it up.

 

There you have it, all the inspiration that you need to make more of your outdoor space.