Have you ever sat down and looked at your front and rear gardens and thought to yourself, "it looks nice, neat and tidy, has a basic garden boarded by the boundary fences, but there is something missing"?

Let's face it, quite frankly it's just boring!

It needs a lift;....no it needs a good kick in the bum!

This could be done quite easily, with a little imagination...Let's have a look at some of the situations:

Maybe the yard is on slope, so when it rains all the water runs off instead of soaking in and so nothing will grow?

• Easy answer: Level it off and put in a low retaining wall, then the water will soak in as it should, with under ground drains taking that valuable water somewhere useful.

Some clients want to remove the lawns completely, so there is no more mowing!

• You can have a meandering garden, taking you to different themes, characters and surprisers.
• This is a major, major, extreme change, as it takes a lot setting up, plus the establishing growth time - but that's gardening! The end result is very satisfying!

Ideas to fill in that large empty void.

• Try a water feature, big or small, designed or off the shelf, with or without gardens or rockery
  • Water features come in all sorts of shape and sizes, from a simple fountain to a pond or water fall.
• You could take the easy way out and just plant a beautiful flowering tree, rockery or fruit trees.
• If you wanted to be really trendy green healthy and productive, you could have a simple raised vegetable garden made from stone or timber, or grow roses.
• What about a chicken run (eggs, meat, or just pets) or a bird aviary or maybe a garden shed?
• A paved area for BBQ, cloths line, paths etc.?
  • Your own thoughts are usually the best to run with and a little help from a professional.

There are so many possibilities, it's endless. For example:

• Garden lighting
• Statues
• Fountains
• Garden edging
• Arches
• Arbours
• Divider fences live or static
• Outdoor furniture.

I could go on for ever, at the end of the day, whatever you do is a start and you will appreciate any change. The motivation will grow with change.

A number of clients over the years have been scared and hesitant to make the move, but when they have finally investigated possibilities and costs, were pleasantly surprised.

This article is brought to you by Neville O'Connor of United Home Services. You can contact Neville on 0418 405 670 or 0418 405 670.

For more local information view our My Local Guide Business Directory listing in Garden Maintenance, Landscaping and Lawnmowing or the national website: www.uhs.com.au

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