Here’s the fact of the day for you – summer gets incredibly hot in the city. There’s just something about the scalding concrete beneath your feet as you walk every day to and from work and the ripples of heat you can almost see radiating between the tall buildings. That’s when you wish you were somewhere in the countryside, in the open air, with grass under your bare feet. But that’s not possible. Instead, you have your garden and adjacent garden buildings.

So why not try to make the best of that? We will help, of course, by giving you some pointers on how you can up your garden game in the best way possible. By the end of this article, you will see that summer in the city and your own garden buildings are, in fact, a dream come true in themselves!

1. Curate your lawn

As with all things in life, you have to start at the bottom when it comes to your garden as well. This, of course, means your lawn. There’s no point in giving your garden or your garden buildings, for that matter, a glow up, if the lawn still looks brown and scorched.

Therefore, the first thing you need to tend to is a perfectly manicured lawn. There are two ways to do this. You can hire a professional team to do it for you while you sit back and enjoy the result. Or you can roll up your sleeves and do it yourself with a hose and a lawn mower. Don’t forget the garden gnomes for old times’ sake and even a pink flamingo if you’re into the 60s aesthetic!

2. Add a gravel path

Walking on a gravel path that crunches under your feet is one of the most satisfying sounds you will ever hear. Plus, when it rains, the smell of wet stones is absolutely fantastic! You can get all that by ditching your old cement pathways and replacing them with gravel.

They will give your garden a rustic feel, especially if your mark them with fairy lights. Use the gravel paths to connect the main house to the garden buildings and the gate. However, be careful if you have pets. Train them to avoid going on the gravel walkways because they will be impossible to clean.

3. Plant fragrant flowers

This is one of the simplest ways possible to turn a drab garden into a veritable heaven. Instead of bushes and shrubbery, go for very fragrant flowers that will actually make you want to spend more time outside than in the house.

We’ve got some examples for you and they include the classic honeysuckle, roses, peonies, lilies, gardenias, tuberoses, primroses, lilac, Ylang-Ylang, nicotianas, mock oranges, jasmine, or freesias. Another upside of this idea is that you can make bouquets of these flowers and put them in vases in your bedroom or living so that you can be accompanied by their fresh scent wherever you go.

Here’s a tip – do some research first and find out how they look like when in full bloom. Plant the flowers according to their shade so that they don’t clash with regards to the color palette. For example, freesias go well with Ylang-Ylang and primroses because they all have the same orange shades.

4. How about some ornamental trees?

Since you’re now knee deep in gardening, pun intended, how about planting some ornamental trees as well? Apart from the fact that they smell amazing, ornamental trees will also provide the shade you need so much in summertime.

For example, you can plant large lilac trees right next to the porch of your garden buildings. Therefore, when you’re relaxing in that spot, you don’t have to worry about the sun. Some other examples include magnolias, strawberry trees, or dogwood.

5. Give your garden buildings a purpose

If you have any kind of garden buildings on your property, don’t let them go to waste! You can transform them into a purposeful annex that will serve you well during the summer. For example, you can have a barbeque hut where you can serve delicious dinners for your friends and family every weekend.

Or you can transform your garden buildings in a man cave, a she shed, a playroom for the kids, a writing corner if that is your passion, a home office, a small summer kitchen fitted with everything you need, a spa, a guest bedroom or anything else you can think of!

6. Make some DIY lanterns

We mentioned earlier that lanterns will be a fantastic addition to your garden when trying to give it a glow up because they will simply make it well… glow! But here’s a rather valuable tip. Seeing as garden lights can be fairly expensive, you don’t have to spend all your budget on them. In fact, you can make them yourself.

Of course, the simplest way to do it is by hanging mason jars everywhere. Fill them with sand you get at the beach or some smaller stones from your gravel path. Add a tea candle in each one and you’re done!

But you can also make ‘tangled’ style lanterns out of fabric if you want. Or Tiki torches for a more tropical feel. Pour a little oil into a mason jar until it is three quarters full. Drill a hole through the jar’s lid and place the lid on. Put a wick inside the jar and pull it through the hole in the lid. Light it up!

You are all ready to start having dinners in your garden now! Or to read, work, relax, do some yoga, whatever you feel like. Summer in the city doesn’t have to be the season you try to run away from anymore if you follow these simple tips on how to improve your backyard and garden buildings. How about you? Do you have any ideas on how to decorate your garden? Let us know in the comment section below!