5 Tips for Creating an Inviting Garden Space
THE FARMHOUSE
It’s been three years since we remodeled our Farmhouse garden space, and it’s become so much more than just a garden. It’s our summer dining room. A spot to play and explore with the kids. Where we linger with friends and family. And our main hang-out space all summer long. So today I wanted to break down what makes this garden so inviting…
BTW we just planted our garden for the year, but I didn’t get a chance to photograph it, so these photos are from years past. It looks almost the exact same, but I’ll be sure to snap some fresh photos and share on Instagram soon :)
And if you want to see more of this space, check out these posts: all the sources, the reveal post (with all the before's), what this space cost to build out, and a tour from last August once everything got a little overgrown ;) I’m still pretty new to gardening (this will be my 3rd year really growing anything) and I’m learning and getting better every year.
Without further ado, here are 5 takeaways or tips for creating an inviting garden space of your own…
1 // Seating
Whether it’s a dining table or bench, seating in the garden makes for an instant hang-out space. It welcomes you in and says ‘sit, kick your legs up, and slender at the bounty of your hard work’. I love spending evenings out in our garden, listening to the owls and enjoying the peace and quiet of the country.
We have a now-discontinued fteak urniture set from this store and a DIY table, which Garrett and I made about ten years ago. Everyone’s favorite though is the lounger! Highly recommend one if you can fit it! (here’s a similar one)
2 // Eat-right-off-the-plant fruits and veggies
We love to grow raspberries, cherry tomatoes, and other eat-right-off-the-plant veggies and fruits. There’s something so inviting about walking around a garden and snacking!
3 // Lighting
Just like indoor spaces, good lighting is key to enjoying outdoor spaces into the evening. We added string lights to our garden to create a lovely evening glow. This space is where we eat summer dinners and entertain friends and family in the evening and the lighting encourages you to linger long after dark.
psst: we have these LED string lights and Garrett shared how we hang our string lights here
4 // Vertical elements and flowers
Gardens aren’t just for veggies. Adding vertical elements and flowers welcome you in and encourage you to look around. We bought three of these willow pyramid trellises from Monticello’s Garden and they support our tomatoes and peas from year to year and they’re one of the first thing people comment on!
5 // Leave room for walkways and the kids to run around on
The wide gate and large walkway into our garden invites you in. And the wide rows between the beds leaves plenty of room for the kids to run around in and adults to wander. An inviting garden is all about making room for people to spend time in and explore and these walkways are key to that.
Those are my 5 best takeaways for creating an inviting garden! Do you have anything to add?
