The place to be when summer comes around is outdoors, but not all gardens are created equal. If you’re unfortunate enough to be surrounded by tall buildings, or your neighbours haven’t trimmed their looming hedges no matter how often you’ve asked, it’s time to consider other ways to make your garden more appealing. Some of these might even attract more sunlight.
Paint your walls white
As we all know, white walls reflect light and brighten up any room. If you can’t paint the wall of your house that faces the garden, then why not paint your shed, fence or any timber structures. It’s a small change, but the transformation is instantaneous and very effective.
Add water
One common piece of advice to lighten up a dark room is to hang a mirror to reflect the light around the space. Water is nature’s mirror, so it’s perfect for capturing and spreading even the smallest ray of sunshine. If you’re looking for a project, you could dig a small pond, but if space is lacking, then you could add a birdbath.
Experiment with reflections
If you don’t like the idea of a water feature, then you can use mirrors to reflect both light and heat into your garden. Just be careful not to use a magnifying mirror or to direct several mirrors at the same spot or risk setting something on fire.
For more creative and eye-catching reflections, try putting in a glass garden sculpture. It has the same reflective advantages as a mirror, and it can come in a variety of colours to make your garden stand out from others in the neighbourhood. Before you install the sculpture, make sure that there’s no risk of tree limbs falling on it in bad weather, get a little tree service if you are not confident in your ladder skills.
If you’re blessed with a green thumb, plant white flowers and variegated foliage. These will brighten the garden by creating the illusion of light, and the white will stand out when dusk begins to fall.
Choose your patio carefully
Believe it or not, your patio can be useful in attracting sunlight. Warm, honey-coloured tiles will be much brighter and more reflective than dark grey concrete, not to mention less depressing. If you have patio awnings hanging overhead, maybe you could choose something that is also bright and reflective. It will keep you shaded, but provide light to the rest of the garden.
Trim the trees
Tall trees may be the biggest factor in the lack of sunlight, but you don’t have to go to extreme measures. Instead of cutting it down, look into hiring a professional tree surgeon to thin out the crown of the tree, which involves selective pruning and cutting off dead or congested shoots. Not only with the tree look healthier overall, but there will also be more sunshine peeking through the branches.
You could even try trimming it yourself if the tree isn’t too tall, but always be sure to step back and check your work before continuing. Otherwise, you could ruin the look of the tree.