One of the first things which I noticed when I brought my family from the USA to Alberta, Canada is just how beautiful the gardens are around here. People in Alberta don’t just spend money on their homes but also on their outdoor spaces. We didn’t have a garden back in Nebraska, we had a yard which we never used, so this wasn’t something which was uppermost in my mind. To be honest I’d already been to a lender to loan some money for housing renovation, so the garden really wasn’t top of the priority list.
As we started to get invited to neighbor’s houses for events, I began to realize the importance of a nice garden, and I felt like a bit of a fraud when speaking to people about my ‘fake’ plans to renovate the outdoor space. Last year, I enlisted the support of a neighbor called Ron Cadman who was a gardener, to finally do something with the garden. The result was amazing and I am now convinced of the importance of a beautiful garden, and here is why you should too.
Inside Out
It had ever dawned on me in the past but looking out of our bedroom windows into the garden is now a wonderful experience and prior to renovating the garden I hated looking over the ramshackle of a garden which we previously had. This puts a smile on my face each and every day and I know that it is the same for my wife.
Friends
Naturally once the garden was finished I couldn’t wait to invite people around to show it off. This may sound like vanity but it wasn’t just that, it was more about enjoying the space which we had invested in. I love nothing more than entertaining and it was so nice to be able to invite people around for more than just a glass of wine in the kitchen. Now we can host barbecues and outdoor parties and it gives me an enormous sense of pride when I do so.
Kids
Kids love to play outside, regardless of what you may read about kids and gadgets, they do love to get out and enjoy outdoor play. Since we have had the garden it has given me enormous pleasure to watch my kids out in the garden, playing in the sandpit, picking up bugs, jumping around on the grass and generally just having fun being kids. All children should have this opportunity.
Space
When you buy a property you are not just buying the home, you are buying every square inch of the land where it is situated, including the garden. If you don’t have a nice garden to enjoy the you are losing out on a part of the hone which you could be enjoying. Whether I am entertaining or simply enjoying a coffee and a book, I am very happy that I can now use this additional space on my property.
