How To Put A Maximalist Spin On Your Garden
When most people picture a beautiful garden, they imagine a peaceful place with clearly organized planters and thriving flowers, but gardens don't have to be boring to be beautiful. What if your garden was a place that could also excite and inspire you? Since the term first emerged as a rejection of dry minimalism, maximalism as an interior design trend has been sweeping the nation. Fans of the maximalist decor style love to fill their homes with bright colors, interesting objects, and unique, hand-curated furniture pieces. If you love all things wacky and weird, your garden can be just as exciting as the inside of your home! Think outside the box with colorful blooms, unexpected arrangements, weird planters, and soft noisemakers to indulge your senses and make it even more fun to spend time in your garden.
However, creating the perfect maximalist garden can take some trial and error. After all, there are some key differences between maximalism and cluttercore when it comes to beautifying your garden. If subtle just isn't your style, check out these awesome ideas to turn your garden space into a maximalist's haven.
Go for big blooms
One of the first steps to build a maximalist garden is to reach for plants with gorgeous larger-than-life blooms. Hydrangeas, dahlias, Globemaster alliums, sunflowers, and hibiscus are all excellent options to bring eye-catching color to your garden with their massive blooms. If you have space, a magnolia tree can also make a beautiful focal point that provides shade.
Add stepping stones
Need a more defined walkway through your garden? Mosaic stepping stones are one of the coolest innovative walkway ideas that will spice up your backyard. Plus, they're a fun and simple DIY project that can be done with some quick-drying concrete, stone molds, and some upcycled, broken, or thrifted dishes. River stones can also be used to give a more natural look.
Build an herb spiral
Herb spirals are a permaculture gardening technique that uses a raised spiral garden bed to provide herbs with the perfect amount of sunlight, water, and shade protection. As the sun moves across the sky, the walls of the spiral cast shade in different directions, making this one of the best quirky yet practical features to put in a maximalist garden.
Incorporate yard art
Fun metal sculptures, concrete characters, pinwheels, and more can be used to give your garden some extra color and movement. Arranging characters throughout the garden can also tell a story or set the theme, such as a little fairy village or a corner with mushrooms and gnomes. Just be sure to arrange décor carefully to avoid looking over-cluttered.
Paint your garden shed
Have a tired old garden shed in your backyard? Revamp it with a fresh coat of paint in a bold color or if you're feeling artistic, go for a whole mural on the side! Repainting a basic shed will instantly make your garden feel more fun and maximalist, and it's a cute idea for beautifying chicken coops and raised garden beds too.
Sculpt your hedges
From boxwood to holly and privet, There are plenty of hedges you can plant for privacy in your yard, but that doesn't mean hedges can't also serve a fun purpose in a maximalist garden. Learning to do some hedge sculpting — also known as topiary — can bring a silly and whimsical vibe. Think spheres, cubes, spirals, letters, labyrinths, animals, and more!
Plant a rainbow pattern
Another easy way to make your garden feel more maximalist is to reach for a rainbow of colors. Petunias, pansies, zinnias, and lantana are just some of the flower varieties you can find in an array of hues, perfect for planting side by side to create that gradient effect. Keep an eye out for other colorful plants like ornamental cauliflower, crotons, and purple waffle plants.
Build a tunnel trellis
Tunnel trellises don't just look cool; they're also a smart way to grow produce, especially gourds, which will vine up over the top and eventually grow fruits that hang down below. This makes the gourds especially easy to harvest and keeps them up away from pests and mud. The tunnel can also serve as a fun spot to relax in the shade!
Use unique planters
Planters in funky and unexpected shapes will always make your garden seem more whimsical and maximalist. Browse your local nursery, shop for handmade pottery, or look for ways to upcycle old materials into cute planters. For example, a stack of painted cinderblocks, an old toy wagon, or old tires could easily transform into DIY raised garden beds.
Create monochrome corners
For a simple yet eye-catching garden design, plant similar colors in pockets and corners to create a monochrome look. For example, your yellow zone might have daffodils, forsythia, and sunflowers, while the red zone contains azalea, zinnias, and tulips. This is a great idea for balconies and porch gardens because you can also pick up pots that match your monochrome zones.
Engage all five senses
Colorful plants and birdfeeders will bring fun sights in the garden, but what about the other senses? For smell, plant fragrant flowers and herbs like lavender and honeysuckle. For touch, choose pet-able plants like lamb's ear and feathergrass. Wind chimes, water fountains, and rain chains satisfy sound. For taste, pick plants that can be nibbled like mint, rosemary, and parsley.
Utilize vertical space
Maximalists embrace any opportunity to enhance a space, so don't let your vertical surfaces go ignored. Use hanging planters above seating areas or hang pots and baskets along the fenceline or patio walls. If you're feeling extra confident in your gardening skills, you can even try growing a living wall in your garden with ferns, bromeliads, and vines.
Add charming light sources
Maximalism is all about living life to the fullest, and that includes spending more time in the spaces you've curated. Lanterns, pathway stakes, string lights, and other soft light sources will make it so you can appreciate your gorgeous maximalist garden at all times of the day or night. For even more maximalist fun, opt for colorful string lights or stick to warm white for a more classic appeal.