Garden decoration: our design ideas

You don't need to have acres of land to have a garden fit for a king! With a little imagination and a a few tricks, you can transform your outdoor space into a living area in its own right (or almost!). Ready to play around with space and brighten up your outdoor area with lights, furniture, pots and planters? Let's do it!

Even in a small garden, you can play around with separating spaces to create different atmospheres. First of all, let's imagine a little relaxation or play zone set up beneath a pergola or gazebo. Sound good? Great! Now you just need to set up a few pouffes and cushions on an outdoor rug as soon as the warmer weather comes around. What could be dreamier than that? Next up, set up a corner for enjoying meals with a garden table and chair set made of wood, aluminium or wrought iron... the choice is all yours! Tucked away under a tree or at the bottom of the garden, an outdoor dining area made up of green or brown tones will blend perfectly into the landscape. Alternatively, why not use splashes of colour for an element of surprise. Use citrusy yellow for a lemonade pop, earthy terracotta or even a palette of different colours to keep everyone happy. Just pick a scheme that you love and you can't go wrong.

Picked out a garden dining set and want to make it the centre of attention? Go all out with light up ornaments. During the day, these ornaments will work as decoration while at night, they'll light up to dazzle your dining area. From resin to wrought iron, contemporary to classic, you're sure to find something to match your style. It's up to you to combine colours, materials and styles to create a look you love. Whether you like to stick to a decorating scheme or prefer to mix up elements, the best solution will always be the one that suits you best! A great idea can be to play around with height with solar-powered post lights or pillar lights. The more elements there are, the more festive your garden will feel! And finally, why not hang up some white or coloured bulb string lights to give your garden the perfect pub garden feel?

Is your garden surrounded by walls or fencing that you'd like to spruce up? The idea is to give them a little bit of love with a few decorating tricks. Got a weakness for climbing plants? So do we! Jasmine, honeysuckle, ivy, Virginia creeper... these plants can be guided around wire or a trellis to give your walls a fresh touch of greenery. If you're not keen on the idea, go for hanging flower baskets instead. You can hang them all at different heights all over your walls for cascading flowers everywhere. If you have a narrow garden, you can create really impressive visual effects using mirrors. This will help to make the space look bigger. Mirrors also reflect light which is a real bonus for darker corners.

To create your own little oasis, you can choose between a fountain, water feature or even a garden pond. Any kind of water will help to cool things down in the summer months and, what's more, it's relaxing! Ponds go hand in hand with relaxation with the sound or even the look of water thought to reduce stress. But there's no need to turn all new-age to bring a bit of water into the garden.

If you don't have space for a pool, why not go for a pond? Kids love to watch birds stopping by to take a drink from spring through to summer. And who knows, you may even attract a little frog or two! If you've opted for modern furniture, invest in a contemporary-style geometric design fountain to match. Water features and ponds can also be crafted from faux stone. Built into a rock garden or around a flowerbed, these features can look very natural.

A decorative garden is one full of little details that, all together, create a truly unique atmosphere. Why not adopt a garden gnome? Not your thing? There's plenty of other options out there from antique items to Buddha statues. Have a bit of fun and hide your new additions in amongst the greenery!

Love to browse antique shops? Dot around a few pieces of old farming equipment like zinc troughs or even a sundial, and learn to use the sun to tell the time. Bonus: you'll always be on time...! All that's left to do then is to hang a couple of mobiles or wind chimes in the trees to tinkle away softly in the breeze as you take your afternoon nap. Can you picture it already? So can we!

You don't have to break the bank to create a garden that matches your style perfectly. It's easy enough to find ways to personalise your patio or lawn as long as you trust your imagination. Make your own inspiration and treat yourself to a beautiful outdoor space.