23 Tips To Start Building The Retirement Garden You Always Wanted
Retirement is a time to relax, enjoy your hobbies, and spend time with loved ones. A well-planned garden can be a great way to do all of these things. Here are 22 tips for building the retirement garden you always wanted.
Dan’s tips for building the retirement garden you always wanted – in no particular order.
Consider your needs and abilities. How much time do you have to spend gardening? Do you have physical limitations? Are you a confident gardener or a learner?
List all of the ways you would like to use your garden? Do you want a place to relax and enjoy the outdoors? A space to grow your food? Somewhat to entertain guests?
A small garden can be beautiful too. Think about living walls, comfy seating, easy care surfaces and lovely lighting.
Create a layout. Once you have a good idea of what you want, draw a layout of your garden. This will help make sure that everything fits together well and the design ‘flows’.
Work with a garden designer to plan the optimum layout for you. That way you can be sure to build the retirement garden you always wanted.
Ask for a 3D render of your garden design so that you can visualise the space. It’s cheaper to tweak the design at this stage than make changes once the build is under way.
This 3D rendered garden design gives a good idea of what the finished garden will look and feel like.
Choose materials carefully. There’s more to landscaping materials than aesthetics. You might want to consider slip resistant surfaces, and low maintenance features.
The hardscape of your garden, such as walkways, patios, and fencing, is crucial. Consider things like accessibility, managing slopes and making garden maintenance as easy as possible for the future.
Think about the views from inside your home. What will you want to look out onto from your kitchen window, your lounge or your bedroom.
Carefully positioned seating areas will give you plenty of different viewpoints within the garden and offer lots of space for guests to relax.
If you want to hear birdsong, be sure to incorporate trees, hedges and perches into your garden design.
Well thought out lighting will allow you can relax in your garden on summer evenings. Don’t forget the safety aspect of lighting too – make sure that paths and steps are well lit.
Do you plan to travel in your retirement or regular enjoy days out? Let your garden designer know. The retirement garden you always wanted will need to look after itself when you’re not there.
Think about using tech to help with some aspects of garden maintenance. Automated irrigation for example or a robot mower.
A garden building like this lends itself to a multitude of uses, from man-cave to gym, reading room to entertaining space.
Do you have a hobby that takes up a lot of space? How about building a garden room to house it? The space can be insulated and supplied with water and electricity so that you can use it all year round for sewing, exercise, writing, painting, pottery, woodwork, playing/listening to music – whatever takes your fancy!
Subtly future proof your garden with features such as wide paths that can easily accommodate walking aids, plenty of resting places, cleverly disguised hand rails, and raised beds so you don’t need to bend.
Opt for hardy perennial plants that will thrive in your garden. Select species that are pest and disease resistant and you will considerably reduce your gardening workload.
Use mulch to suppress weeds, retain moisture and continually improve your soil.
Save money by making your own compost from weeds and kitchen scraps. A wormery is easy to care for and doesn’t involve heavy lifting.
Have your garden appeal to all of your senses by incorporating textures, colours, scented plants, watery sounds, and edibles such as herbs and spices.
Wide steps, stylish hand rails and an easy care lawn are all great features in a retirement garden
A pergola or shelter will allow you to escape to the garden whatever the weather is doing.
Re-create special memories within the retirement garden you always wanted. Memorial plants, beautiful scents, art works or even a themed garden can all remind you of special people and places.
Have your garden professionally designed and built so that it adds value to your property whilst improving your life.
Contact Dan at SilverBirch Gardens for help to plan your retirement garden.
Here are some links that might help you plan and build the retirement garden you always wanted.
Designing the perfect retirement garden. A great blog from the team at Essex based Tapestry Design Studios.
