Garden Makeover – Creating a Secluded Teenage Garden
Part of our recent San Lorenzo Garden Makeover project was to create a secluded space for teenagers to be at peace in a beautiful garden setting. The space was initially an awkward shaped lawn filled with scrub and hedges, of no use to anyone. Our professional design team sat in a brainstorming session, and designed a secluded small garden for the area, with the idea in mind to give the teenagers a secluded space outside but still offer privacy and get them off the couch and into the outdoors.
We started by shaping the area with boundary of wooden poles which gave it a very neat edge. The existing lawn in front of the seating area was kept and fed and is currently being loved back to health.
The area was cleared of a lot of hedging and we then re-used plants from other areas of our garden which also underwent a makeover and ended with a mix of indigenous and exotic plants for this area.
At the seating area, lots of mulch was used and a floor of bark chip was laid, which is a very cost-effective way of giving the area a warm and casual effect.
For seating, we moved a concrete table and bench set that was in another area of the garden but not suitable for larger gatherings. The set was given a cleanup and some colourful cushioning added for extra comfort.
A pathway joins the main entertainment garden to the teenager garden. Here we used exaggerated large 1m x 1m pavers, mixed with smaller pavers laid together to create larger squares. These were end-of-range, cost effective products that we mixed and matched to create a great outcome.
Another great find for this area was a birdbath, unearthed from an overgrown patch of hedging. Birds and water bring instant life into any garden and what a fun way to get the kids enjoying the small natural pleasures of life.
The result of this area of our garden makeover is a delightful space - an organized, pleasing, visually aesthetic secluded garden - created out of an area that was previously of no use. This small garden now welcomes its young visitors with birdsong and fresh air.
If you’d like to create a similar space in your garden for your teenagers, here are our 5 top tips:
- Consult with them about the planned area to be used – you may be surprised at their input
Find a quiet area well away from your main entertainment area, to be sure to given them privacy
Choose an area with good coverage from the sun, or alternatively invest in a solid umbrella for protection
Find a comfortable seating and table solution – something that lends itself to both a pause area and a study area
Brighten the seating up with colourful cushions and some bright potted planters on the table.
Offer a solar lighting option for the evenings – there are several options available that peg into the ground. Alternatively place a glass vase with a candle in the center of the table.
Look around your house and garden for items that can be re-purposed – a garden makeover can be achieved cost effectively using just what you have in hand