5 Garden DIYs to do This Summer

Well, by now we all know that the hot weather is here at last. With temperatures in the high 20s, it’s time to spend as much time as possible outside enjoying the weather while it’s here.

If you’ve read our Spring Lawn Care blog, you probably know we are big fans of making gardens and lawns look their best, whether it be with a freshly trimmed front yard or some newly planted flowers that add a pop of colour to your yard. And, with the beautiful weather that has been taking over Niagara, we hope your gardens and lawns are starting to come together.

So, to go off our last blog, we wanted to bring you five garden DIYs that you can do at home. These DIYs are just more steps you can take to make your garden look its best and catch the eye of guests you host later in the summer. The DIYS will range in difficulty in order to give you a chance to get your kids involved or take your garden to the next level with some woodworking projects.

DIY Garden Stones

(from Over the Big Moon)

This garden DIY is super simple and can even get the kids involved. Just take some old dishes and smash them into 1-2inch pieces. This smashing can be done by putting the dish into an old pillowcase and using a hammer to break up the pieces. I’d advise some safety glasses and to do the smashing outside.

Once you have your pieces, mix together some mortar mix and spread it into a mold (can be another plate or an actual garden stone mix). Before the mix can set and dry, arrange your dish pieces however you please. Then, let the stone dry completely and place it in your garden.

Another great garden stone design could involve having your child put their hand in the mortar mix and leaving a handprint. This is a great way to incorporate the kids and allows them to design their own stone.

DIY Cork Plant Markers

(from Cambria Estate Winery)

These garden markers are another easy DIY that can spruce up and organize your garden. Make use of your old wine bottle corks and use them to label the various plants, herbs, and flowers in your garden.

These crafts are pretty flexible and can be made with a variety of materials. If corks aren’t your thing, you can use other supplies like chalkboard labels, stones, popsicle sticks, or maybe some wooden spoons. There are so many different routes you can take this DIY! Again, you can even get your kids in on the fun and have them help you design the markers.

Hand Painted Stone Homes

(from Rhythms of Play)

This is a perfect craft for your little ones and is a fun way to bring a little more life to your garden. If you’re looking for something to keep the kids busy, this is the DIY for you!

Get yourself some stones or rocks in various sizes and rinse of any dirty. Bring out your paint, markers, and any other craft supplies you might have and fill these rocks with any design you want. The linked DIY is just instructions for making a little “fairy house” out of the stones, but there’s a lot of freedom and you may just decide to let the kids do whatever comes to their mind.

This DIY can add personality to your garden and can be endless fun for the kids. Once they have finished designing their rocks, place them in various places in the garden and BOOM -you’re done!

Homemade Pallet Herb Garden

(from Pink When)

This one is a little bit harder and may require some more gardening skills than the others. This DIY uses a wooden pallet as a garden bed or pot holder for your homegrown herbs. This is another project that can go in a variety of ways depending on how much work and money you want to put into it. The attached link features instructions on how to build your own wooden pallet; however, I believe this DIY can still work with a regular pallet.

For the simplest project, lean your wooden pallet (homemade or bought) against the wall of your home or shed. If you have bought a wooden pallet, you may need to strip off some of the wood to fit your pots. You may also decide to paint the wood if your wood is discoloured or if you want it to look a certain way.

Next, label the pieces of wood with the different herbs you are growing. You can label the slats with paint, or maybe you want to use your wood burning skills. Once you have labelled the sections, you can put your potted herbs into their assigned places. Now you have your very own herb garden that looks great too!

DIY Glowing Watering Can

(from Smart School House)

This one is a beautiful, eye-catching DIY that will look great in the evenings. It requires a “traditional” tin watering can, a string of twinkly lights, a screwdriver, and a place to hook your watering can.

First, you’re going to want to make the holes in the shower head of the watering can bigger using the screwdriver. They have to be large enough to fit the string of lights through. Then, feed the lights through the neck and head of the watering can so that they fall out of the head.

Once you have the lights “pouring” out of the watering can, hang it up so that it looks like the watering can is spilling lights. You can hang the can on a Shepherd’s hook or another type of structure that can hold the can up at a pouring angle. You’re left with a stunning scene in your garden that will be a great thing to show off to guests.

If you do any of these crafts, send us a pie or share it on lnstagram and tag us @yourniagarahometeam ! We’d love to see how they look in your garden!