7 Signs It Might Be Time to Rethink Your Garden

A garden doesn't have to be falling apart to need changing.

Quite often, there's nothing particularly wrong with it. It just doesn't work very well for the way you live.

Perhaps the patio is in the wrong place, there's nowhere comfortable to sit, the garden takes too much looking after, or it's gradually become a collection of different areas that don't really work together.

If you're wondering whether it's worth making changes, here are seven signs it might be time to rethink your garden.

1. You don't use the garden as much as you'd like

This is probably the biggest one.

You might have a perfectly usable garden, but if you rarely choose to sit outside, eat outside or spend time in it, it's worth asking why.

Sometimes the problem is surprisingly simple: the seating area doesn't catch the sun, there's no shade when it's hot, you feel overlooked, or getting from the house to the main seating area is awkward.

A good garden should make you want to use it.

2. The layout doesn't really work

Gardens often evolve over time.

A patio gets added. Then a shed. A bit of decking goes in a few years later. Plants mature, children grow up and the way you use the garden changes.

Eventually, you can end up with plenty of individual features but no real connection between them.

This doesn't necessarily mean everything needs ripping out. Sometimes keeping what's good and redesigning the areas around it can completely change how the garden works.

3. You're constantly fighting maintenance

There's no such thing as a completely maintenance-free garden, but some gardens demand far more work than others.

Large lawns, awkward borders, ageing timber, weeds between paving and plants in the wrong conditions can turn weekends into a list of jobs.

If you'd rather spend your time enjoying the garden than maintaining it, the layout and materials can often be changed to make looking after it much easier.

And importantly, low maintenance doesn't have to mean a garden with no plants.

Good planting can actually make a garden feel established and interesting without creating endless work.

4. There's nowhere you actually want to sit

Having a patio isn't quite the same thing as having a good outdoor seating area.

Where it sits in relation to the sun, house, neighbours and rest of the garden makes a huge difference.

Pergolas, screening, planting and lighting can also help turn an exposed patio or deck into somewhere that feels like a proper part of the garden.

If you regularly move the chairs around trying to find the best spot, your garden might simply have the seating area in the wrong place.

5. The garden feels like lots of separate projects

This is something we see quite regularly.

You improve one part of the garden one year, tackle another section later, then add something else when the budget allows.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with improving a garden in stages.

The problem comes when there's no overall plan.

Having a clear idea of the finished garden means patios, decking, paths, pergolas, planting and other features can be added over time while still working towards the same end result.

6. Your needs have changed

The garden that suited you ten years ago might not suit you today.

Children grow up. Trampolines disappear. Entertaining becomes more important. You might want somewhere to cook outside, more privacy, easier maintenance or simply somewhere comfortable to sit with a coffee.

If you're planning to stay in your home for years to come, it makes sense for the garden to change with you.

7. You keep looking out of the window thinking, "we really need to do something with that"

Sometimes it's as simple as that.

You've probably already got ideas saved, seen gardens you like or talked about what you'd change.

The difficult part is often working out how those ideas fit together — and what is actually practical for your garden and budget.

That's where having a proper plan becomes worthwhile.

Does the whole garden need redesigning?

Not necessarily.

Sometimes a complete redesign is the right answer, particularly where the existing layout simply doesn't work.

But plenty of gardens can be significantly improved by changing one or two key areas.

A new patio, better positioned decking, a pergola, screening, lighting or improved planting can sometimes solve the main problem without rebuilding everything.

The important thing is understanding what isn't working before deciding what to build.

Thinking about changing your garden?

Proterior is a Kingswinford based garden design and landscaping company working across the surrounding area.

We help with everything from individual patios, decking and pergolas through to professionally designed complete garden transformations.

If you already know roughly what you'd like, we can help with the landscaping. If you're struggling to work out the layout or how everything should come together, our professional garden design service may be the better starting point.

You can take a look through our recent projects for ideas, or get in touch and tell us a little about what you'd like to change.

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