Gardens should never be all work and no play. While we wait for summer to arrive, here are 5 ways to use your garden this spring.

1. Boost your wellbeing in a calm and serene space
2. Entertain friends and family in style and comfort
3. Enjoy screen-free family time outdoors
4. Grow your own food
5. Encourage more wildlife into your garden

Bonus activities:

• Create a garden workspace
• Set up a telescope and indulge in some star gazing
• Learn a new skill such as photography, watercolour painting, or propagation

Create a Calm, Wellbeing-Focused Space

Gardens have become an important escape from busy screen-filled lives. Creating a calming outdoor environment can do wonders for your mental wellbeing.

Simple ideas include:

• Adding comfortable seating in a quiet corner
• Planting sensory plants like lavender, rosemary and ornamental grasses
• Introducing gentle water features or wind chimes
• Creating shaded areas for reading or relaxing

Even small changes can turn your garden into a peaceful retreat where you can unwind at any time of the day.

Learn more about wellbeing gardens in this article

Design a Flexible Outdoor Entertaining Area

Outdoor dining remains one of the most popular ways to enjoy a garden, but in 2026, flexibility is key.

Instad of a single setup, think about creating a space that works for everything from casual lunches to evening gatherings.

Consider:

• Modular or foldable garden furniture
• Outdoor rugs and cushions for comfort
• Fire pits or patio heaters for cooler evenings
• Simple lighting such as solar lanterns or festoon lights
• A well-designed outdoor kitchen so that you can cook and chat at the same time

A beautiful entertaining area means you can use your garden from early spring right through to autumn, and, with the addition of a weatherproof pergola, you may even be able to use it through the winter months too.

 

Encourage Screen-Free Family Time Outdoors

Gardens are the perfect place to bring the family together and step away from screens.

You don’t need a large space to make this work. Try:

• Lawn games or simple outdoor activities like treasure hunts, arts and crafts or toasting marshmallows over a small fire
• A small wildlife corner for children to explore and develop
• Raised beds or pots where kids can grow their own plants (including edibles)
• Picnic style seating for relaxed family meals
• Hot tub or paddling pool for (supervised!!!) fun

Making your garden interactive helps eveyone enjoy it more – and builds a stronger connection

Grow your Own (Even in Small Spaces)

With rising prices in the shops and worries about ultra-processed foods, growing your own fruit and veg is becoming more and more popular.

Even if space is limited, you can still enjoy homegrown products:

• Use containers, pots or window boxes
• Try vertical gardening with trellises of wall planters
• Start with easy crops like herbs, microgreens, lettuce or radishes
• Mix edible plants with ornamental flowers in a potager garden (this style of gardening can help to deter pests – search online for information on companion planting)

Make Your Garden Wildlife-Friendly

Your garden could be supporting more wildlife than you think. One of the most fascinating ways to use your garden in spring is to get to know just who is sharing your garden with you.

Go on a bug hunt. Children will love this exercise. Take a magnifying glass and do your best to get up close to the mini beasts that will start to show themselves in spring. Look under logs, behind the shed, in upturned flower pots and in the corner of the shed.  What can you find in your pond or water feature? Who is nesting in your hedge?

Once you have identified your garden creatures, you can go on a mission to increase the biodiversity in your plot.  Build a log pile, make a bug hotel and perhaps put up some nesting boxes. 

Try things like:

• Planting pollinator-friendly flowers
• Adding a bird feeder or water source
• Letting a small area grow more naturally
• Avoid using chemicals

The more wildlife that visits your garden the more you’ll have to watch and enjoy. Plus, knowing that you are helping to protect our planet is a pretty good feeling.

Create a Garden Workspace

For many of us, working from home has become the norm since lockdown and I’m finding that there is increasing demand for gardens that can double-up as outdoor offices.

A garden room makes a fantastic workspace but it’s not essential. Try some of these ideas instead

• A sheltered seating area with a table
• Shade solutions such as pergolas or parasols
• Professionally fitted outdoor electrical outlets
• Reliable WiFi access outdoors
• Comfortable, supportive seating

Working outside, even occasionally, can boost productivity and improve your mood. Read the research.

Star gazing

Don’t feel that you can only use your garden in daylight hours. Stargazing is one of the most relaxing activities I know and it doesn’t need lots of expensive equipment. If you haven’t got a telescope (I haven’t) you can pick out lots of constellations with the naked eye. 

Wait for a clear night, wrap up warm and find yourself a comfy spot to sit outside and see what you can see.  Why not light the fire pit and toast some marshmallows while you enjoy the evening air? When I’m designing gardens, I often include a seating area where my clients can enjoy the night sky at any time of year.

Learn a new skill

Your garden could be a source of inspiration for a myriad of new skills.  How about painting or photography? Vegetable growing? Beekeeping? Flower pressing? Carpentry? or wood carving? I’m told that learning new things helps people feel younger and can delay the onset of dementia and other nasties. So use your garden to create something amazing, enhance your life, expand your horizons and boost your wellbeing.

Make the Most of Your Garden This Spring

No matter the size of your outdoor space, spring is the perfect opportunity to refresh and rethink how you use it.

By creating a garden that supports relaxation, socialisation and everyday living, you can enjoy it far beyond the winter months.

How will you use your garden this spring? I’d love it if you could Please share some of your ideas on our Facebook Page. 

If you need any help with garden design or landscaping to make your outdoor space even better, Please get in touch with me.

Discover more ways to use your garden

Garden design to help you attract wild birds

Growing food in your garden

10 boredom busting activities to do in your garden

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do in my garden in early spring (UK)?

Start by clearing debris, pruning plants, preparing soil, and planting hardy vegetables or flowers. It’s also a good time to plan any landscaping changes.

How can I make my garden more usable in spring?

Create defined zones for relaxing, dining, and activities. Adding seating, lighting, and shelter will make your garden more practical in different weather conditions.

What are some low-maintenance garden ideas?

Choose perennial plants, reduce lawn areas, use mulch to control weeds, and incorporate hard landscaping like paving or gravel.

How can I enjoy my garden on a budget?

Refresh existing furniture, add affordable solar lighting, repaint fences, and introduce low-cost plants or seeds for an instant uplift.

How do I attract wildlife to my garden?

Plant nectar-rich flowers, provide water sources, install bird feeders, and allow some areas of your garden to grow more naturally.