13 Woodland garden ideas

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​No other garden style can immerse you within nature like woodland gardens can! Woodland gardens have the ability to transport you far away from civilisation into your very own dream land. Dense canopies of vegetation can block out surrounding buildings and boundaries to create a feeling of serenity.

Such environments are fantastic for recreation, contemplation and stress relief. However there is much more to woodland gardens than just trees and plants. 
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​From luxury seating areas to wild camping dens and places of nature study there is so much to explore! Consequently, in this article I have compiled a list of 13 exciting woodland garden ideas.

​From hobby pursuits to exciting landscape installations there is something for the whole family to get involved! See our 13 exciting woodland garden ideas below! 

1. ​Fire pits

​Human beings have gathered around fires in forested environments for thousands of years. It is no surprise therefore that so many find such an activity so exciting and stimulating. Particularly within woodland gardens roaring fire pits can create a real feeling of inner peace. There is no better time to sit back and enjoy your woodland gardens atmosphere that at night. Not only are fire pits great to watch you can also cook up tasty evening meals!

​2. Bird watching hides

​Bird watching hides are a great installation for incorporating into woodland gardens. Although at first they may seem a little over the top they have many benefits! Bird watching hides do not have to be just for watching birds. During the evening as the sun comes down they provide plenty of opportunities to see other wildlife too. These can include small mammals, amphibians and even reptiles. Hides also provide the opportunity to sit silently and admire your woodland garden in peace. 

3. Logs piles

​Log piles can really provide the opportunity to include some ecology into your woodland garden. Very often, gardens and managed landscapes are too tidy and free of organic debris. In natural woodlands dead trees as well as decomposing timbers provide lots of habitat for smaller creatures. This intern can encourage greater numbers of birds and other larger animals to your woodland garden. Logs can also be arranged to provide naturalistic sculptures and structures. 

4. Pergolas

​Pergolas can create a real focal point within woodland gardens and add spatial hierarchy to a space. These structures are the perfect opportunity to grow a dense covering of climbing plants. Climbers grown over such structures are a fantastic way to increase seclusion and boost privacy. This is particularly advantageous if your garden is too small to grow trees and large shrubs. Pergolas can also be built with transparent roofs so you still have a sheltered seating area even when it rains. 

​5. Insect hotels

​Insect hotels are an arrangement of different materials to create shelter and nesting opportunities for small creatures. These can range in both size and aesthetics but traditionally been made up of rustic waste materials. However in recent times insect hotels have become well refined pieces of land art and sculpture. This has led to a variety of small insect hotels appearing on the market. These hotel nest boxes can make a great ecological installation to any woodland garden. 

​6. Benches

​Woodland gardens have always been somewhere for people to relax and enjoy nature. This makes providing some well positioned seating paramount within a woodland garden. These can be particularly effective facing features of interest such as bird feeders and garden focal points. Benches can be sourced online or if you are feeling creative built with sleepers or old tree trunks. 

​7. Arbour seats  

​Arbour seats are small, covered, seating areas designed to create outdoor resting places. Arbour seats can create the perfect environment to read a book or simply admire your garden. These covered seating areas come in a wide variety of styles and designs to suit your tastes. In woodland gardens they are perfect for seating areas or positioned to admire a particular view. 

​8. Grottos

​Grottos are a type of manmade cave built in gardens historically as a garden feature. Grottos have had many designs over the years with many hosting monuments or religious features. The dark enclosure of grottos would create contrasting experiences from open landscapes to enclosed spaces. In woodland gardens grottos can be built to create artificial ruins which have an exciting, rustic appeal. These can look extremely effective with plants and climbers growing over them! 

​9. Raised decks 

​Decks can provide the perfect, elevated, platforms to look over our landscaped gardens. This elevation is even more effective within woodland gardens as it places you within the vegetation. This can really help you to experience your woodland paradise at its very best. Raised decks can provide the perfect platform for outdoor dining and nature watching. Such decks also hold the added advantage of creating much needed storage space underneath. 

​10. Mushroom farms

​Mushroom farming may seem like an unlikely garden exercise for most people. However, growing mushrooms is less complicated than some may imagine! There are now plenty of mushroom growing kits and infected wooded dowels on the market. The infected dowels can be hammered into tree logs so the mycelium infects the timber. After a few months the mushrooms should start to sprout. Woodland gardens provide the perfect shady and sheltered places for growing fungi.  

​11. Hammocks

​One of the best ways to enjoy a woodland garden is to simply spend time relaxing. There is nothing quite like sitting back and listening to rustling leaves and bird song. One of the best ways to do this is by lounging in comfort swinging amongst the vegetation! The only true way to do this in style is with a hammock. There is now a good range of garden hammocks on the market perfect for woodland gardens. 

​12. Garden torches

​If there is one thing better than electrical outdoor lighting it is a naked flame! The dancing light of real flames can really set off a woodland garden during the evening time. This is especially so if you are having guests round for a late night party. One of the best ways to light up seating areas and walkways during such events is with garden torches. These fuel lit torches can have a real impact and are a fun way to celebrate your woodland paradise. 

13. ​Tree house

​Tree houses can add much fun and enchantment to woodland gardens especially if they are built with character. When elevated amongst the branches you will be able to appreciate the garden from a different perspective. Being able to sit within the canopy will enable you to observe wildlife and reconnect with nature. Tree houses will also offer the opportunity for friends and family to connect without the disturbance of electrical devices and social media. 

Thank you for reading our article on woodland garden ideas! Below I have included some other woodland garden articles you may find helpful. 

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