Creating a Garden for Yourself at your Rental Home
Renting a home doesn’t mean you can’t have the garden of your dreams! Even when renting, there are lots of cheap, easy ways to turn your run-down garden space into a vibrant, lively space that you actually want to spend time in! We’ve compiled some ideas and hints to help you create your ideal garden space that can be recreated in each home you rent.
The first thing to consider before embarking on a huge garden renovation is how long you’re planning on staying at your current rental property. Keep the scale of your project in line with your timeframe to get the most out of the work you put in and ensure you actually manage to complete it.
Container Gardening
When creating a garden in a rental home, portable is key. Anything can be used as a plant pot, and container gardening is a great way of making sure you can take your plants with you whenever and wherever you go next.
When choosing your plant pot do consider the size of a plant fully grown to avoid having to repot your plant too soon. Also, ensure you clean any container before use to avoid contaminating anything you do plant.
There are so many trendy, innovative ideas for keeping plants in small patios and garden spaces, for example creating a plant pot herb garden on your balcony, recycling old palettes or wooden crates into planters for your garden, and making use of stackable and hanging planters for small garden spaces.
How to Ready Plants for Moving
Before you even get to your new rental home, it is important to know how to move your houseplants from home to home. You’ll first want to prepare your plants for their new home by pruning them, to get rid of dead leaves and promote new growth, getting your plant ready to flourish in your new home.
If your plants are living in fragile or expensive pots, it may be worthwhile repotting plants into plastic shatter-proof pots (especially if you are hiring movers) to avoid any accidental root damage in the event of a shattered pot. Make sure to do this at least 3 weeks before moving to give your plants time to adjust.
If you are moving your plants yourself or can’t repot them before the move, make sure to wrap your pots in bubble wrap and cushion between each plant if you’re transporting multiple plants at once.
With all the disruption your plants are going through in the moving process, there is a temptation to make up for it by watering extra. Don’t! Keep your plants on their usual watering schedule to reduce disruption and keep them healthy.
Finally, it’s a good idea to try to recreate the conditions your plants were staying in from your old home to your new one. Keep things like light and warmth as consistent as possible between homes to reduce the disruption and shock for your plants.
Decorations
Some nice decorations and furnishings go a long way towards a beautiful garden space. Most garden furniture can be transported easily, and whether it’s a chic patio set, handmade palette furniture, or a simple fold-up table and chairs set, a nice place to sit and socialize can make all the difference in a garden.
Once you’ve got your seating area sorted, light up your space with some funky outdoor lights. Fairy lights, candles, and lanterns all go a long way to make a space feel cozy and welcoming, and can be picked up at most garden shops. While you’re there, consider buying some artificial turf if you’re one of the unlucky ones with no green space in your rental garden. Artificial turf or a great outdoor rug can transform your patio.
If you like to host and you have the room (and the cash!), invest a few hundred dollars into some great outdoor accessories to make those summer nights memorable. Trendy items such as fire pits and hot tubs are now widely available in renter-friendly versions.
For that perfect finishing touch, create some privacy for your garden space with screens, tall plants or fast-growing vines against fences. Light will still get in, but your space will feel much more your own and you’ll be hidden from neighbors’ prying eyes.
