Having a quiet, peaceful outdoor space can provide a nice respite from busy schedules all year round. If you think you need to spend a lot of money to create a backyard retreat, think again: There are many creative approaches to creating a private space in the garden. Making a relaxing garden hideaway spot can be done very inexpensively, and there are ideas to fit every budget.
Metal chairs and a table in a garden hideaway. © Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images
While it’s nice to have a gazebo or patio with a built-in arbor, it may seem daunting to create a private or secluded space in the garden if there’s not already a structure to work with. There are portable gazebos available, but these can often be expensive. Outdoor furniture can also be pricey if purchased new. But thrifty options abound for making your hideaway. You can get furniture at yard sales or thrift shops. Inexpensive fencing materials include rolled willow fencing or upcycled wood pallets.
The main features you want to have in your hideaway can be summarized with an easy-to-remember trio of words: shade, seating, and serenity. This means you want your hideaway to be cool, comfy, and quiet, especially in summer. Trees, hedges, shrubs and other plants offer shade and also help to absorb sound in a noisy neighborhood or near a highway. If you don’t have hedges or trees, annual flowers in containers can also create coolness and shade, act as sound buffers, and help define space.
Use Container Plantings To Define Space
Wooden chairs on deck with flower pots. © Kristin Mitchell/Getty Images
A comfy retreat space can be created very simply with just a couple of chairs and a small table placed in a secluded or shady spot on your patio or deck. If you don’t have a lot of room, placing some container plants near your seating arrangement can define the space and make it feel like you’re surrounded by the garden. Choose colors you enjoy that feel welcoming — your potted annual flowers can complement the colors of your furniture.
A Rustic Retreat Made Of Thrift Shop Finds
Thrift shop furniture in a garden. © Erik Pilgaard Vinther/Shutterstock
If you’re a thrift shop lover, inveterate trash picker, or yard sale maven, you may already know how easy it to find useful things without spending much. Watch for spring and fall clean up, too, when people put out things they’re discarding from their garages, attics, and basements. You might find a comfy old wicker chair that just needs cleaning, a vintage table you can refresh with a coat of paint, an old fire dish, planters, or any number of items to make a funky, yet functional, hideaway space.
Create Shade And Privacy With Rolled Fencing
Backyard seating area with gravel, a willow fence, and wicker chairs. © Gcshutter/Getty Images
Creating privacy for a backyard or garden hideaway need not require an expensive fence installation. Rolled willow or bamboo fencing is available at most larger garden stores. It’s easy to work with to create instant fencing or to add a layer of cover to an open wire fence. This solution not only provides privacy but also helps create shade. You can leave the fencing up year-round and add some climbing vines or roll it up to store during the winter to help the material last a bit longer.
Plant Clumping Grasses For Privacy
Pampas grass in a garden. © Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images
If you have a lot of space, consider planting tall ornamental grasses to create your hideaway. These clumping perennials offer structure, shade, privacy, and noise absorption in a large yard, eliminating the need to construct fencing or arbors. Another advantage of ornamental grasses is that they help reduce environmental pollutants in soil and groundwater. Choose their locations carefully, as once they’re established, they can be a bit unwieldy to remove. Avoid putting them in flower beds where they have a tendency to crowd out other plants: Give them plenty of room.
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