It can take many years for a garden to look mature, and many people wish they could click their fingers and their garden did not look as though it had just been planted. The British love mature gardens and more of them are finding ways to make theirs look as though it is older than it really is.
Opt For Stand-Out Plants
You can buy mature plants to fill your garden with, but that is expensive. Choose a few stand-out plants that will spread quickly, and if they are ones that will grow in height as well that is even better.
Some larger plants, layered with smaller ones around them will give the illusion that they have all been there for years.
Repeating clumps of plants can also be good, especially in borders. Interweaving the clumps will mean they will merge into a border full of plants very quickly and that is a great way to fool the eye into thinking the garden is older. Many older garden designs included an element of repetition, particularly in the formal ones that surround stately homes.
Use Pots
Pots can be very useful for making a garden look more mature. They can be used to create some height and if they happen to be covered in salt deposits, leave them that way. That makes the pots look older too which will help to age the look of your garden. Plants such as creeping Jenny are ideal for this. They can get a bit out of hand in the ground but are perfect for hanging out of pots.
You could also have lots of small plant pots clumped together. They should not be organised too much, as then the plants will become intertwines, the pots will stage to look aged and the overall effect will be one of much more maturity.
Climbing Plants
Use some ColourRail fencing and buy some quick growing climbing plants that you can plant right next to it. With this type of fencing either around your garden, to fencing off part of it, the climbing plants will give the appearance of having been there for years.
You could create the same effect with a wall around a raised flowerbed, and having the plants trailing off the edge.
Stone Paths
A stone path that reaches a shady corner will soon start to show some moss, which is always a sign of age. Moss loves damp and dark places and it will not take long for this to start to appear, even on new stones.
With paths, let some grass or weeds grow between any pieces of stone or the slabs. Keep them low, but them just being there will make your path look a lot older than it really is.
You can also buy paving that already has a weathered look and this can also be good for ageing your garden.
Have Patience
Even using these tips there will be things that look new about your garden and you need to have the patience for them to work over a few months.