Don’t we like to compartmentalize rooms in our homes? Whereas gardens, on the other hand, don’t receive the same treatment.

Garden zoning, like the name suggests, helps us make the most of our outdoor area. It helps us create separate, distinct areas where we can carry out various activities.

Find out how you can divide your gardens into zones.

Garden Zoning: 9 Ideas to Try

1. Create a private seating zone

You can designate a certain area just to sit down and relax. This seating area can be designed in such a way that it is sunken a few feet into the ground. This cocooning effect provides a more restful look to your outdoor space. To make it appear more welcoming, consider installing a few of our live plants in your private seating zone. Plants do much more than add beauty and warmth to your space. Plants also improve mental and physical health.

2. Have an outdoor living room

Did someone say living rooms are just for the indoors? You can create one for your garden as well. It’s an awesome way to accommodate your guests too. Simply add a few couches, chairs, a center table, and maybe even a cute little fireplace.

If you want to be more creative, you can even build a DIY den! By this, we mean, create a frame by erecting a few branches, and then maybe drape a rug to function as a ceiling that can offer some shade. To protect yourself from the muddy, damp ground, you can throw another rug on the ground too. And then top it off with some comfy cushions. You and your customers won’t even want to leave your garden after this.

3. Add various colors

Gardens look green because of live plants and foliage. Which is great. But, adding various other colors can help make the zones in your garden appear more distinct and separate from one another. You could do this by painting the walls of different zones in different colors. Same goes for containers and garden accessories. Creating this kind of “color scheme” is an excellent way to delineate garden zoning.

You could also pick specific colors that boost mood. Which brings us to the term ‘color psychology’. Ever heard of it? According to this theory, colors can impact people in more ways than you realize.

4. Make an outdoor cooking zone

Creating a separate zone for cooking is an awesome way to make your commercial space look more inviting. A well-engineered, high-quality outdoor kitchen is the new modern trend now. When it comes to the design of your outdoor cooking zone, make sure you place your kitchen table in a shady spot, preferably under a parasol or tree. Also, situate it near your house for easy access.

And when you set up your kitchen/barbecue, ensure you use materials that reflect the exteriors of your commercial space. The aim is to let the dining area take center stage. Additionally, you can consider shopping for mobile units so that there’s some flexibility while cooking.

5. Use garden lighting

Use different lighting for different garden zones. For instance, your outdoor dining area will need soft overhead lighting. On the other hand, seating zones would need lower lighting. Lastly, plants and borders will need lighting that will effectively highlight plants. You can even use fairy lights and lanterns to better define your outdoor area.

Some more outdoor lighting ideas include:

• Lighting up pools (if you’ve got one in your commercial space, that is)
• Using different-colored garden lights
• Creating mood lighting
• Introducing solar lighting
• Leaving areas of darkness (sometimes lighting an entire area might create a somewhat flat look)

6. Make space for an outdoor shower

The outside wall of your commercial space could be installed with a shower, with access to hot and cold water plumbing. Showering in nature is great too, if you have a solar-warmed freestanding unit. 

If you’re concerned about privacy, check out these ideas:

• Use tall plants that serve as an attractive shield. This is what we can help with! Shop from our wide range of live plants and get some privacy to enjoy your outdoor oasis in peace.
• Create boundaries using hedges. Using bare-rooted plants, thick hedges are often planted from late fall to early spring.
• Go underground. Consider building sunken gardens that offer privacy.

Don’t want to shop for an outdoor shower? You can choose to build your very own outdoor shower instead.

7. Create a child-friendly garden area

Your employees might want to get their kids to your commercial space sometimes. So building a designated area where they can play sounds like a great idea. You can even assign a separate area where kids can grow their own plants and spend some time in nature. Spending time in nature can get kids moving, reduces stress, and builds confidence. Also, since it’ll keep them occupied and engaged, they won’t want to interrupt important events happening at work.

8. Add levels

Add some height to your garden with raised beds, shrubbery, or rocky water features. These will give an impression of levels to your garden. Try to opt for meadow-style beds, and contrast it with harder materials and clean-lined pavements.

Another great way to add levels is by adding steps or a staircase wherever possible, and then lining those steps with our live plants. You can even define those steps with an arch. This will help divide your garden zones in a distinct manner.

9. Divide with water

Water can improve the sensory impact of any outdoor space. In addition to that, it’s an excellent way to separate areas. By water, we mean a sunken area in the ground filled with water, or maybe even a waterfall. You can even add a stepping stone pathway by the water to add a pop of playfulness to your garden. Water features also reduce noise pollution, improve aesthetic appeal, and bring texture.

Garden zoning can be easy with the above guide. At least, we hope it is! And, for all your live plant installation needs, we’re right here.