Interesting and Unique Hobbies That You Can Enjoy in Your Garden
A garden is often the most underrated and underutilised space in a home.
Most people use the garden as a place for social gatherings and to relax after a long day of work. People sometimes enjoy a new drink or read a book outdoors, and they might even have some comfortable furniture to help make that experience better.
However, gardens have so much more untapped potential. So much so that we’ve decided to try and educate people on some interesting and unique hobbies that you can enjoy in your garden.
Bird watching
Bird watching can seem like one of the most boring hobbies to have, but it’s surprisingly enjoyable and something that can be completely unique to your garden. Bird watching has positive benefits to your body and can even improve your mental and emotional health. It can also be fun to quiz one another about the birds you spot or those you’d like to see; for example, crane vs heron – it can be tricky to know the difference. Looking for birds in your garden encourages you to get outside a little more and can even convince you to travel around to different areas for the sake of finding new birds. However, when it comes to your garden, there are plenty of ways to encourage birds to visit your garden and you may even start to recognise repeat visitors.
You don’t need the perfect garden to start bird watching either. Bird watching is something you can easily start by simply leaving out some food for the birds so that they are attracted to your garden. Simply place some feeders in the open and it’ll gradually attract some avian visitors. However, it’s a good idea to place feeders in the open away from anything that encourages predators to pick on the birds. Sooner or later, the birds will bring their friends and maybe even start to feel comfortable around you, especially if you show your face often.
Watching other wildlife in your garden
Birds aren’t the only visitors that you’ll get in your garden. Insects and small creatures may also visit, and you can even encourage this by building small habitats and boxes to attract them. Whether you find the Early Bumblebee on your flowers or a small colony of bugs that have taken up residence near your home, observing and learning about the wildlife in your garden can be a lot of fun and it’s a great activity to enjoy with your kids.
However, it’s worth remembering that not all visitors are welcome. Some pests may damage your flowers and plants, and there are certain insects that may chew into leaves and make your garden look like a mess. If left unchecked, their numbers could grow large enough to ruin the look of your garden and some pests may even get brave enough to start invading your home. Make sure you look out for all of the wildlife and insects in your garden and deal with unwanted species as soon as possible.
Keeping chickens
Chickens are surprisingly easy to keep and you can even “rent” chickens these days. Building a pen is rather simple and you can expect plenty of eggs during their time in your garden. All you need to do is house them in a little shed or pen and protect them from the elements. Feed them on a daily basis and treat them with care just like any other pet. The difference with chickens is that they’ll feed you back with their eggs!
Raising and keeping chickens is rather simple, but it’s still something we suggest researching before you decide to do it. If you have the space in your garden, this can be a fantastic little project to undertake with your family.
Plein air painting
En Plein air or Plein air painting is the act of painting outdoors. This traditionally means going out into nature with a large canvas and selection of paints, but it’s also something that you can enjoy in your own garden. There are probably countless unique views and interesting subjects that you can draw and paint, so why not try your hand at something creative like this? It’s a brilliant way to learn about art and it’ll encourage you to get outside and even start staging things in your garden such as the position of certain plants and furniture to create a beautiful scene to paint.
You can start with something simple such as a sketchbook and some pencil, but you can even use an iPad or a similar device if you prefer digital artwork. If you want the full en Plein air experience, then you can even purchase large canvases, paints, and a stand. Drawing and painting with traditional media can be challenging, but it takes on a whole new life when you start doing it in your own backyard.