What Features in a Garden are Must Haves? View Our Best Garden Features List for Answers

Forest 8' x 8' Composite Decking Kit - Brown (2.4m x 2.4m) - Click HERE to View

When considering garden plans, or an overhaul or refresh, there are factors to consider. Garden designs need a theme, context, and order, stopping the scattergun approach and enabling a garden aesthetic that suits your lifestyle.

In this post, we’ll look at 10+ best garden feature ideas, plus some garden design ideas that everyone needs to know. These will help you to enjoy your garden, making it part of your home, and encouraging an al fresco lifestyle.

Our garden feature ideas include a rundown of the best ideas to consider for your garden.

This includes:

• Where to find the best decking solutions
• Which garden structures offer the best value in terms of adaptability
• How to incorporate a seating area that encourages relaxation and socialisation when we want it

To be inspired by our best garden features for your outdoor space read on:

Decking or a decked area is vital for covering outdoor floor space. Installing decking is the starting point for your garden design. Decking creates a base for your seating area, outdoor eating area and a comfortable play space for small children. Our decking comes in easy-to-install packs with thorough instructions. We place our decking boards into packs so that you have the most economical way to design your decking. Our decking boards are made from pressure-treated timber and guaranteed against rot and fungal decay for 15 years. We also sell decking kits with handrails and pergolas for multi-function use.

Adding garden buildings, of course, is a wonderful way to add a compelling garden feature. To serve as a feature think of aesthetically pleasing models of garden sheds, log cabins, playhouses and summer houses.

An arbour is a garden structure made from wood or metal designed to offer shade in a passageway or path. Its ability for vertical growth means an arbour often covered with hanging baskets and climbing plants can create a screen in a sitting area to define the space. Arbours are focal points, which are smaller than gazebos and pergolas but, used effectively, can create a cosy plant-covered nook that separates the remainder of the garden.

No list of garden features would be complete without a gazebo. A gazebo is a freestanding octagonal or round structure designed to offer a more substantial garden room definition than an arbour. Gazebos are designed for gatherings, parties or al fresco dining. You can add benches and a table, so eating inside the gazebo has a unique outdoor feel without the risk of being rained on.

A pergola is usually a larger, open, eye-catching structure that offers partial shade from the sun. Often made of wood, a pergola is a design mix between an arbour and a gazebo. Unlike an arbour, a pergola is linear and is frequently used close to the house to offer shade on a patio or create a usable extension to a log cabin or garden room.

Add interest with a hammock, a more indulgent feature for your garden design, which is fun and aids relaxation. The trick to using a hammock effectively is placement. It will become a receptacle for toys, washing or gardening tools if it is too near the house. The best place for a hammock is between two trees at the end of the garden, under a pergola, and if you are lucky enough to have a view, place your hammock somewhere where you can see around you, add a do not disturb sign, and you are all set for a relaxing time.

Outdoor lighting is key in any garden features list. Illuminate the garden to create a mood for outdoor living. Place solar lights along the path and string fairy lights across your pergola to create a magical vibe. Keeping the lights on when it is dark means entertaining at your garden bar can go on for longer. Garden lighting is also a must for security reasons. Place your garden lights around your garage or work-from-home office to deter unwanted guests, both human and animal.

Garden feature ideas always include pathways and paved areas because they serve practical and aesthetic purposes, enhancing the overall experience of the space. Pathways provide a clear route through the garden to the playhouse or greenhouse, easing mobility by providing clear routes. This makes it easy to navigate the garden without trampling the flowerbeds or kicking up the grass. A well-placed pathway leads your eyes through the garden, adding visual appeal and highlighting features. Adding arbours over the pathways encourages vertical growth and is a feature.

Small gardens may benefit from raised beds and planters. Just because you have a compact garden does not mean you cannot enjoy planting shrubs, plants, flowers, and even vegetables. Some of our planters are supplied with trellis to encourage plants to grow upwards. Raised beds and planters can be tailored to fit small or odd-shaped outside spaces, making the most of limited space. Raised beds are helpful if your outside space has no grass or earth; a raised bed or planter can give you greenery without needing major excavation or digging.

These are back in fashion but were first introduced into Britain in the late 19th and early 20th century. Our interest in rock gardens came from an increased interest in alpine plants brought back to the UK by explorers and botanists from mountainous regions of the world.

Famous rock gardens include a historic rock garden in Kew Gardens in Greater London and a renowned zen rock garden in Ryokan-ji, Kyoto, Japan. Creating a rock garden feature is not difficult because the plants used are low-maintenance and hardy. Use succulents, alpines and ornamental grasses between interesting rocks to create a minimalist garden suitable for every outdoor space.

Getting your seating area right is vital; there are many factors to consider when installing garden seating.

Here are a few points to take onboard:

• Consider the comfort of you and your guests
• Think about the strategic placement of seating for relaxing and dining al fresco
• Proper seating enhances the way your garden looks, making it more inviting
• Thoughtful arrangement creates more space
• Well-planned seating encourages conversation by encouraging natural grouping
• Putting your seats where they capture the best views in your garden makes outdoor living more pleasurable 
• Seating that is easy to reach means the entire family can enjoy time spent in the garden
• Placing next to a wall can be a good idea to maximise space and can prevent falling backwards

Decorative garden feature ideas do not have to be serious or have a purpose. You can go wild in your garden and add various decorative effects. A bird bath, along with bird feeders and even a bird table, is lovely.

When you go on holiday, you always bring home decorative items to enhance the garden-your own version of the 19th/20th century grand tour. Add a statue or pillar, some china, or glass lanterns and decorative plates. You can even make decorative features like planters from old wellies or tealight holders from jam jars. It is at this point that your imagination can and should take over.

Without a doubt, water features are one of the best things in a garden and feature highly on many customers' want lists. A well-thought-out water feature, such as a pond or a fountain, are a fantastic opportunity to add relaxation and tranquillity. They add a focal point with visual appeal, and personalisation to any outside space, regardless of size.

Water features have practical advantages, too. They attract wildlife as birds love to drink from running water. They have a cooling effect on warm days, creating a more comfortable environment, especially in small or compact gardens. Water features improve air quality as the mist from the water feature can help purify the air with increased humidity.

Our list of other things in a garden could continue indefinitely, but we have decided to lean towards practical advice and mention the benefits of having a stable fence run and storage.

If your boundary fence is damaged, then your priority must be to repair or replace it before adding expensive finishing touches. If you plan to use your garden often and into the evening, consider replacing your fence panels with noise-reducing fencing and garden gates. Add security lighting, and it is even possible to add remote-controlled access to your garden or garage.

Garden storage is a must. Having a home for your bins is important and practical. Lockable garden storage sheds are useful if you have small children. It is a safe place to keep your garden chemicals, hand tools and small machinery. Install a lockable bike shed to protect bicycles, scooters and lawnmowers. Start with the practical things and end with the fun things that can enhance your garden features list.

To ensure we cover everything, here is our garden checklist that shows you what we have and why you should buy it:

• Fencing
  
  • Choose between traditional (e.g. overlap, picket, closeboard) or decorative styles (e.g. lattice or slatted)
  • Consider the height of fence panels (e.g. 3ft for front gardens, 6ft for privacy)
  • Check for timber treatments to protect against weather and rot
• Trellis
  
  • It is used for climbing plants or as decorative fence toppers to encourage vertical growth
  • Our trellis is available in various heights (e.g. 1ft, 2ft up to 6ft trellis)
• Gates
  
  • Available in styles and materials that match your fencing choice
  • Noise reduction gates are available to match acoustic fence panels
• Garden storage
  
  • We sell sheds, log cabins, garden offices, garden bars and summer houses
  • Make your choice based on size, material and intended use
• Greenhouses
  
  • Select based on space and the type of plants you wish to grow
  • Consider ventilation and insulation features in your greenhouse
• Playhouses
  
  • Designed for families with children of all sizes, including play dens and Wendy houses
  • Ensure safety features and durable materials
• Gazebos, arbours and awnings
  
  • Perfect for creating different zones of shaded seating areas
  • Choose between permanent or portable designs
• Garden accessories
  
  • Choose solar lighting or garden furniture
  • Choose decking or decking sets of all sizes

This checklist can help you plan and enhance your garden space effectively.

A well-designed garden is a balance of practicality and style, making the most of what you have in a garden to create a beautiful and functional space. Whether you have an average-sized garden or a smaller area, add the best garden features like hanging baskets, raised beds and a pond and transform your outdoor space.
Good hard landscaping will give you structure and artificial grass, or clever lighting, will give year-round appeal. Maximise storage space especially in small spaces so you can save space and keep the area tidy. Thoughtful planting of flowers, such as hardy geraniums, will give you a real WOW factor in any garden.

Pathways and seating areas will define the shape and draw your eye to the key areas, so the space is both practical and pretty. With a mix of greenery, great ideas for decorative features and smart use of space, even large gardens and small spaces will become more interesting.