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As we’re all in lockdown right now and spending more time at home in one go than most of us have ever done in our lives, actually enjoying our own homes is vitally important. For so long, we’ve been eager to get out of our homes and out into the world but now, in a time where we’re being told to stay in, it’s time to uncover all those little things that we actually love about our homes. Because let’s face it, we’re going to be here a while.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
And with the weather in the UK this week being utter BLISS if I do say so myself, I can imagine a lot of us are spending more time in our gardens. Probably for the first time this year. Having a garden is a blessing – so if you have a garden during this lockdown period, please give a quick prayer of thanks to whichever higher power you believe in.
There are plenty of ways to be enjoying your garden during this time. We all know what that ol’ vitamin D does for us so getting out into our gardens is a natural way to really boost our mental health during this incredibly stressful time. I know it has for me. An hour doing Yoga in the sun and reading my book was definitely what the doctor ordered to get me out of a COVID-19 induced stress-slump.
Here are some different activities and ways we can start really making the most of our gardens and enjoying our gardens to the fullest whilst we’re stuck at home:
Take up gardening
A good place to start because not only will it help you enjoy your garden a lot more if it looks physically nicer but it’ll also require you to pick up a new hobby – or reignite an old hobby if you haven’t done much gardening over Winter! Check out Lisa’s Notebook for a ton of gardening inspiration!
Grow your own food
Following on from the point above, as well as taking up gardening, you could also start planting and growing your own food. I’d love to do this. It’s something I’ve dabbled in but never got very far but after visiting The Ferry House Inn in March and seeing their garden where they grow ALL their own produce, it really inspired me to want to try again!
Make your garden a place you want to be
You can do this by investing in some incredible garden furniture – like this beautiful collection from Skyline Design. I don’t know about you but although I love spending time in my garden, I can rarely get comfortable on hard garden chairs! Revamping your garden into a proper outdoor living space is a great way to enjoy it even more.
I’m big on interiors and furniture. I spend ages on Pinterest searching for home decor and lusting after all the beautiful furnishings. If I had the space, I’d definitely want to invest in one of these luxurious day beds! Could you IMAGINE the level of relaxation. I’d never want to come inside again.
Photography
This period of lockdown will give us all a chance to discover the beauty within our own home and surroundings. The things we never, ever notice. But now, we’ve got time to notice. Our gardens are always full of animals, wildlife, interesting plants and weeds that we won’t notice unless we look for them. So perhaps spending a couple of hours photographing anything interesting you find in your garden could be a nice way to appreciate it more.
This could also be a really fun activity for if you have kids. Not only could you teach them how to use a camera but also teach them about different animals, species and plants as well!
Do Yoga in the garden
This is one of my favourite things to do when it’s warm outside. Doing Yoga in the garden, in the morning, with the sun on your face is just magical. So I’m really making the most of this one whilst I can (I can’t imagine this weather will last for long!) If you’re a Yoga fan, roll that mat out on the grass and feel the fresh air during your flow.
Invest in fun outdoor activities
And finally, investing in some fun outdoor activities is a great way to enjoy your garden more and want to spend more time in it. In our household, we’ve just bought a small pool table. And we’ve put it on the patio whilst the weather is nice. My Dad and boyfriend have spent hours outside playing pool! Depending on your household, this could mean a paddling pool, sports equipment, pet equipment and more!
Do you have a garden and are you using it more during this lockdown period? What are you doing to try and enjoy your garden more? Let me know!
