Six Basic Garden Tips For The Novice Garden Owner


You don’t need to hire a landscaper to get a beautiful outdoor space. Even if you’ve only got a petite patch of grass, or perhaps a smaller strip of unidentifiable greens - you can make it into a lovely garden. We all have different ideas of what the perfect garden is. Maybe all you want is a freshly mowed lawn with a football goal, maybe you’re a big flower fan, perhaps you’re thinking about growing your own veggies, or maybe you just want a space where you can put the BBQ and have a great time with your friends and family around the dinner table. Whatever your dream garden looks like, we’ve gathered some rather brilliant but very beginner friendly tips on making the most of even the smallest of outdoor spaces.

Invest in Some Garden Furniture
Even if it’s just a small french patio set with two chairs and a round cafe style table, we’d recommend investing in some garden furniture. There are loads of options out there for every style and every budget. If you have no garden furniture, you’ll have nowhere to sit - and thus will probably not use your garden very much. A few seats and a surface to put your cup of coffee is the most basic garden requirement if you ask us. 

Declare a War on Weeds
Weeds are those devilish little greens that you never planted but that grew anyway. You’ve got to keep on top of weeds, or they’ll slowly take over your garden. Like with dishes, laundry, tidying, cleaning and all sorts of other ‘fun’ home maintenance tasks, it is a hundred times easier to deal with it regularly before it builds up and becomes a full- on weekend project.  If you think your life is too short for weeds, make your garden a grass only area and avoid the in between tile weeds. Find a routine that suits you, and make sure you keep on top of your weeds! 

Make a Chill Zone
To enjoy your garden properly, you need a chill zone. Somewhere where you can sit down, put your feet up and just breathe in the fresh air. If you’re fortunate enough to have a garden that fits more than just a few seats then you really want to make sure you’ve got a chill zone. Your chill zone can either be your patio set, a good reclining deck chair, a hammock or just a garden blanket and a space to put it when the sun is on its best behaviour. 

Ensure You Have Levelled Grounds
If you’ve got kids, or if you love splashing around in water when it gets hot then you want to make sure that you’ve got a surface that’s somewhat level. As soon as the sun is out and the temperatures begin to raise - the little ones will be begging to get a wading pool up. A wading pool on a slanted lawn is a big no go - go figure!

Make Time For a Braai
There’s nothing quite like long summer nights and a barbeque. Remember to enjoy the warmer temperatures and spend some time in the fresh air before autumn hits. You can make most of the things you’d have made on the pan or in the oven in a round BBQ. With a little prep you can easily move the dinner preparations outside, and maybe even the dinner party. Once you’ve made sure your garden is ready to be enjoyed, it’s time to enjoy it! 

Plant Some Greens 
Regardless of size, we think a garden needs a bit of greenery. Maybe it’s just the grass, or maybe it’s a small herb garden in a planter. A few plant pots here and there, or a planter with some colourful flowers is really all you need to spruce up your outdoor space. Having a few but well maintained green areas is by far better than having a big garden full of weeds. 

Once you’ve ticked off these six on your garden ‘to do’ list, it’s time to relax and enjoy. Fingers crossed for some sun. Good luck, and enjoy your summer from the Stewart Timber team.