If you spend a lot of time in your garden, or at least a lot of time looking after your garden, then you might want to consider some sort of garden structure. Certain garden structures can add an ornamental design feature to your home but more importantly they can be useful structures for housing tools, providing shade and shelter, offering a room separate from the house and encouraging plants to grow (courtesy of Houzz).
https://www.houzz.ie/photos/garden-structures
What garden structures are available?
The classic garden structure is, of course, the humble garden shed. If you simply need a place to store garden tools, a lawnmower, bikes and other miscellaneous items, then a shed is a simple solution. You no longer have to stick with the basic plywood shed as there are plenty of more modern and up-to-date designs available. If you have the space and the budget, a converted garden shed cum garden room will be a great place in which to relax, work or be creative, so consider building something a bit bigger if you can. For the green fingered amongst you, a greenhouse will naturally help you to grow plants that like a warmer climate, or if you want a beautiful way to display your plants, look at pergolas, arbours and trellises. For sunny spots, you might want to look at awnings and canopies. These can either be freestanding or attached to the side of a wall or another structure. Tents and gazebos are the perfect structures for putting up just in the summer months as a place to cool down in, relax and host BBQs or garden parties.
What should I consider when adding a garden structure?
The first thing to consider should be your need for a garden structure: is it to have storage, to grow plants or to have a living area? If you're sure on what you want a garden structure for, you'll next need to think about space and positioning. You'll need the best sunlight spot for greenhouses and other structures that support sun-loving plants, but for gazebos and canopies you may want to try and find a more shaded area so they don't have to do much work to give you respite from the sun (if that's what you want!) You might also want to think about the view you'll have from inside the structure. If you're using a shed or larger structure as a garden room then it will be much more appealing if the front opens up or uses glass to look out upon the house, the rest of the garden or a suitably picturesque view (if you have one), rather than a garden wall or fence. Finally, think about materials and styles. A traditional wooden shed may look out of place in a very contemporary garden and vice versa, so consider the other materials used in your garden, and potentially your house, before diving in and purchasing that elaborate Victorian gazebo.