Using decking is a fantastic way to get more from your garden and to make it much easier to look after. Decking is made from wooden slats which has the advantage immediately of being firm and waterproof. While grass can quickly get muddy and dirty, decking will always look the same and is much easier to clean with a quick sweep.

    At the same time decking allows you to head outside in your slippers, or in bear feet, and to not worry about things like tramping grass into the house or about getting your feet wet and muddy. In other words then decking lets you use your garden more casually and somewhat blurs the boundary between in doors and out.

    If you want to take this one step further then decking allows you to do so in many ways. Here we will look at some other things you can do to get more from your garden and your decking and to really transform the way you use your outdoor space.

Shelter

    First of all it's a great idea to get some shelter for your decking. What this does right away is to allow you to use your garden if ever it rains and that means you can also keep more things out on your decking like magazines and other things to read. Add some wooden chairs (preferably chosen to match the decking) and you immediately have a space where you can sit and read magazines and books while you listen to the sound of rain gently pattering against the roof. On top of this you can also benefit from having some shelter in other ways. For instance you could place cushions on the floor and this way create an area for relaxing just like those found in Arabic pubs and restaurants or Bedowin tents.

Lighting

    For all this to work you will also need to have some nice lighting that you can enjoy while you sit outside. Look into getting some garden lights that will cast a nice ambience over the garden and this will help to create a sense of peace and tranquillity here.

Hot Tub

    Having a hot tub is something that many people dream of adding to their garden. However using decking makes it a lot more practical because it means you won't risk trampling grass into the hot tub, and because it means that you can get out without making your floor muddy. Meanwhile because your decking will likely be right by your house it means you can easily hop in and out of the house to dry off etc.

Water Feature

    And as all this will create an area with a very Zen and relaxed feeling, why not also add a water feature? Again it's perfect for wooden flooring, and at the same time it will make the space even more relaxed for sitting and reading or for just gazing into the distance. A fish tank is an idea too and these are easier to maintain than ponds.