There's arguably nothing more relaxing than sitting back in a lounger, protected by the shade of your veranda, and looking out onto your garden.
If you take the time to landscape your garden thoughtfully and artistically you will be able to enjoy many a day looking at the fruits of your labours.
But if you plant the right things you can enjoy even more than that.
Every garden can be a haven for birds and wildlife, and if you take the time to find out the best items to plant to attract their attention, they will soon come and explore your garden and give you even more joys to watch as you sit back and relax.
No matter where you live, you will have a unique habitat just waiting to come into your garden.
Just as we humans prefer certain habitats to others, so birds and wildlife are exactly the same.
That's why it's worth finding out what you might expect to see in your particular area.
From birds to butterflies, and bees to pond life, your garden can welcome them all if you know what to plant to attract them.
The best strategy is to plant things as close to your veranda as possible, to ensure that when the wildlife does start to come, you will have a great view of it.
You don't need to plant everything in borders either - it's possible to create a nice array of tubs containing different plants and shrubs to add variety and colour to different parts of your veranda.
You might even try a 'tub pond', which is exactly what it sounds like; a half barrel fitted out to be filled with water and plants to attract pond skaters and other types of water dwelling insects.
Plant some ivy somewhere where it will be allowed to climb and you can expect to see birds of all kinds visiting your garden.
You should also think about getting a wide range of plants native to your area that have pollen, as this will attract bees and other insects and birds to visit.
Butterflies are fantastic to see in any garden, and if you want to see them in yours you will need to select plants which are filled with nectar for them to feast on.
Don't just restrict them to ground positions though; think about putting them in wall mounted baskets and pots and troughs sitting on the ground as well.
This will bring the butterflies right up close to you, which is a wonderful experience.
Try and select the brightest flowers you can find as well - you should see even more butterflies this way.
Whatever types of wildlife, insects and birds you want to see in your garden, try and remember to get a good balance of plants that are attractive to you as well as the wildlife.
If you do you should achieve a good balance that will continually draw all kinds of delights into your garden.
If you take the time to landscape your garden thoughtfully and artistically you will be able to enjoy many a day looking at the fruits of your labours.
But if you plant the right things you can enjoy even more than that.
Every garden can be a haven for birds and wildlife, and if you take the time to find out the best items to plant to attract their attention, they will soon come and explore your garden and give you even more joys to watch as you sit back and relax.
No matter where you live, you will have a unique habitat just waiting to come into your garden.
Just as we humans prefer certain habitats to others, so birds and wildlife are exactly the same.
That's why it's worth finding out what you might expect to see in your particular area.
From birds to butterflies, and bees to pond life, your garden can welcome them all if you know what to plant to attract them.
The best strategy is to plant things as close to your veranda as possible, to ensure that when the wildlife does start to come, you will have a great view of it.
You don't need to plant everything in borders either - it's possible to create a nice array of tubs containing different plants and shrubs to add variety and colour to different parts of your veranda.
You might even try a 'tub pond', which is exactly what it sounds like; a half barrel fitted out to be filled with water and plants to attract pond skaters and other types of water dwelling insects.
Plant some ivy somewhere where it will be allowed to climb and you can expect to see birds of all kinds visiting your garden.
You should also think about getting a wide range of plants native to your area that have pollen, as this will attract bees and other insects and birds to visit.
Butterflies are fantastic to see in any garden, and if you want to see them in yours you will need to select plants which are filled with nectar for them to feast on.
Don't just restrict them to ground positions though; think about putting them in wall mounted baskets and pots and troughs sitting on the ground as well.
This will bring the butterflies right up close to you, which is a wonderful experience.
Try and select the brightest flowers you can find as well - you should see even more butterflies this way.
Whatever types of wildlife, insects and birds you want to see in your garden, try and remember to get a good balance of plants that are attractive to you as well as the wildlife.
If you do you should achieve a good balance that will continually draw all kinds of delights into your garden.