It’s the hottest summer in more than a decade and whether you like the idea of global warming or not, more of our summers are going to be scorchers. It’s time to head outside… What do you do, though, if you don’t have rolling acres?
Even a small garden can be a mini paradise
If you live in a city, or an apartment with just a balcony, you can still create an amazing outdoor space; you just have to think outside the box (ahem). Here’s a few ideas.
Change the flooring
If you have a balcony or a tiny postage-stamp garden then you might have some uninspiring concrete or a scattering of gravel. Get rid of this and install some interlocking wooden decking to make the space feel more organic and inviting. You could even re-turf your garden or, if it’s a balcony, lay down some artificial turf (there really is no need to be ashamed these days…).
Use foldable or dual-purpose furniture
This will help you to make the most of your space and there’s lots of solid weatherproof stools that also serve as tables. If you opt for folding furniture then you can stack it away when you want more space. Just make sure everything’s waterproof – the UK isn’t quite arid desert yet!
Bring in some lights
Moving on from floorspace and onto ambience now, you can create a cosy, magical atmosphere in a smaller garden by using rope lights and solar lanterns. If your garden is walled, then by painting it white or another pale shade, brightly-coloured fairly lights will transform the space into an intimate, other-worldly grotto.
You can still have a barbecue
Do not let the diminutive size of your garden stop you from getting your grill on! You don’t have to use a huge gas-fuelled behemoth, just a BBQ in a bucket set-up or a smaller chiminea will do the job nicely.
You can also use walls or rails to hang an outdoor bar from to really complete this small-but-perfectly-formed party zone.
