8 Easy Ways to Have Fun in your Garden this Summer

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I have never been a keen gardener. We usually cut the grass, plant new flowers in Spring and that's about it. However, during this extended period at home, I have really discovered a new appreciation for our garden and as the sun has been shining, we have thoroughly enjoyed and been thankful for our outdoor space.

Today, I thought I would share a few ideas for ways to make the most of your garden and some of the ways we have had fun outside during lockdown.

1- Feeding the birds 

We have recently erected a bird feeder in our front garden. I never saw the appeal before but wanted to do our bit for nature and it was an activity to get the kids involved with too. The location of our feeder is just outside of our living room window and I can watch it from my sofa.

Honestly, I absolutely love it and I am now a fully-fledged twitcher. I put fresh food and water out for the birds each morning as well as checking on their fat balls / seed feeders. Watching various birds come and go throughout the day brings me so much joy. We have regular visits from Blue Tits, Starlings, Blackbirds, Sparrows and Pidgeons.

Watching the birds is relaxing, soothing and it gives me a lovely appreciation of nature. I highly recommend.   

2 - Plant flowers 

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Some supermarkets stock garden plants and many local garden centres are offering home delivery at the moment. This year we have planted a mix of Perennials (which come last more than one year) and annual flowers (which only last for one year but bloom for longer). Our garden is blooming right now and I love how colourful it is. It truly makes me happy.

3 - Add decorations & lighting 

Garden decor ideas from Very.co.uk

As we are now spending more time in our garden, it makes sense to turn it into a nice place to be. We have added a few garden decorations this year including solar-powered lighting, decorative pots and colourful windmills. The little finishing touches have really made a difference.

4 - Grow tomatoes 

Our lovely neighbour left some tomato plant seedlings outside her garden with a note for neighbours to help themselves. How lovely! We have never grown (or attempted to grow) tomatoes before but I am loving this new project. I have replanted the seedlings and they are currently in our conservatory. I hope to move them outdoors into the garden soon.

It has been lovely nurturing and checking on the progress of our tomatoes each day and I cannot wait for the first crop. If this is a success, I am going to try growing peas next. Fresh peas from the garden is the dream!

5 - Build a hedgehog house

One afternoon, we spent a few hours building a hedgehog house for our garden using junk from our recycling box. The kids thoroughly enjoyed this activity and it was a nice way to make our garden a little more wildlife-friendly. There are instructions for how to build a hedgehog house over on the Wildlife Trust website.

6 - Enjoy some alone time 

As somebody who works from home, there is no escape from the family at the moment and I am not ashamed to say that I need some alone time every now and then. With limited options at the moment, our garden has provided the perfect escape for me.

After a day of home-schooling, I love sitting outside with a podcast for 30 minutes (check out my podcast recommendations here). It really is the perfect way to relax and unwind. 

7 - Decorate your garden path 

Letting the kids loose on the garden path with jumbo chalks is a brilliant creative activity, adds colour and is guaranteed to raise smiles from delivery drivers / postal workers / passers by too. The beauty with chalk is, it washes away with the rain so you can try different designs across the summer.

If you do not have a suitable path, painting rocks is another way to get creative outside.

8 - Make a Scarecrow 

Our school challenged us to build our own scarecrow. I didn't know where to start but with a little help from readers, we built Mario who now stands guard outside of our house. If you fancy this activity, use an old dressing up costume and stuff with old carrier bags. We used a pool noodle for arms and legs and have propped up on a broom.

I love that families with small children wave to Mario as they walk past our house now - it is nice to spread a little cheer like this. I was worried that Mario would scare away the birds but they haven't seemed bothered at all.

I am learning lots about life / how we want to live at the moment and spending more time in our garden is at the very top of our list. I hope I have inspired you with some ways to enjoy your garden this summer. Please let me know your ideas too.