How does your garden grow? 5 must-try gardening tips for new homeowners

One of the best things about buying a new home is that you can really make it your own. From painting your bedroom walls in your favourite colour to laying the cosiest carpet in your living room, new builds are a blank canvas that can be personalised as little or as much as you like.

This includes the garden too. Just as you have crisp white walls ready to be painted or wallpapered in the latest shades and patterns; outside, you’ve got turf and a patio area, all ready and waiting for you to put your stamp on.

And if you happen to move into your new home in the spring/summer, then you’ve got the longer, warmer days to inject some colour and add some interest to your outdoor space with plenty of plants and flowers.

Are you planning on brightening up your new garden with some green-fingered creativity, but aren’t sure where to start? Check out these gardening trends, which are guaranteed to transform your outdoor space from simple to stunning in no time at all…

Tip #1: Prioritise Wildlife

As we all know, pollinator numbers are continuing to decline due to factors such as climate change and pesticides. Literally bring your garden to life by encouraging wildlife to thrive every time they visit by selecting flowers that are favoured by butterflies and bees, creating hedgehog highways and insect hotels, to join your pre-installed bird and bat boxes. Then sit back and enjoy seeing your garden brimming with activity and knowing that you’re doing your bit for Mother Nature.

Try these planting suggestions: Lavender, verbena, salvia, buddleia and fuchsias.

Tip #2: Embrace cottagecore

Cottagecore is every gardener’s dream. Why? Because you don’t have to worry about being too particular about where you place your plants and flowers. Borders should be brimming with all sorts of different species that are intermingled amongst each other to create a ‘cottagey’ feel. What’s more, if you’re following these tips one-by-one and want to welcome wildlife at every opportunity, you’ll be pleased to hear that cottagecore and wildlife havens go hand-in-hand.

Try these planting suggestions: Foxgloves, delphiniums, rambling and climbing roses, lavender, peonies, daisies and clematis.

Tip #3: Grow your own…

… Fruit and vegetables. Nothing is more satisfying than serving up fresh, home-grown produce that you’ve just picked from the garden! Not only is this option more affordable than popping to the supermarket, it’s also kinder to the planet. Plus, there’s no worrying about if there are any pesticides or other chemicals on your fruit and vegetables because you know exactly how they were grown.

Try these planting suggestions: Tomatoes, onions, blackberries, raspberries, potatoes. Plant strawberries, peas, beans, cauliflowers, courgettes and broccoli for the added bonus of pretty flowers.

Tip #4: Grow upwards

Selecting plants that grow up rather than across is great for smaller borders, as well as container gardening. Not only is it a popular option that’s great for saving space, it also adds an extra dimension to gardens, especially when paired with traditional horizontal planting methods.

Try these planting suggestions: Succulents, ivy, ferns, petunias and begonias.

Tip #5: Be waterwise

Now that our summers are officially getting hotter, keeping your newly-planted garden alive is set to become increasingly challenging, no matter how many water butts you invest in. As a result, many savvy gardeners are getting more selective about what they plant, i.e. more drought-tolerant species that still look great and, more importantly, are more likely to survive come wind, rain or heatwave. Another popular tip favoured by gardeners far and wide is putting bark on your beds, which soaks up water, reduces evaporation and helps the soil hold on to any moisture for longer. A generous layer of bark is also great for keeping weeds at bay too.

Try these planting suggestions: Conifers, palms, lavender, agapanthus, geums, hardy geraniums, Mexican feathergrass and sedums.

How will your new garden grow?

The good news is that just as much as you can truly make your garden your own, you can also do it in your own time too. So if you’ve just happened to move into one of our new homes, then you may want to plant one or two beds this year, and then build upon that with further beds and perhaps pots and trellis with every year that goes by and as your garden becomes more established.

Happy gardening!