Most homeowners buy a beautiful home with sizeable rooms but compromise on the size of their garden to get the house that they want most. When the time comes to actually use a garden, it can feel impossible that you could be able to change the space on a budget – but it’s so doable you’ll be shocked. There’s one big advantage to having a small garden; it doesn’t always cost very much to overhaul. Repairing and painting the fencing, getting the lawn back to full health and even adding furniture can all look expensive on paper, but if you are smart and savvy with your choices you won’t have to worry about it. When you start to look into how you can make your garden better, choose to maximise the light and go with a simple look. The simpler you go, the less you have to spend on making it look completely different to what you already have.
With the six tips that we have for you below, you can transform the small space that you once regretted buying into, into a beautiful garden that you’ll never let go of again. Here’s how you can get the garden you want on the budget you have:
Plan, Plan, Plan.
Before you get started in ripping out the garden that you have at the moment, sit down with a pad of paper and make a list of all the things you want for your outdoor space. You have to be sure you really want to change what you have already before you get stuck in spending your hard-earned cash on garden supplies that you may never use. Sketch what you have in your head, from the lawn size to the shrubbery that you want to install. Then, think about the things your garden will need to be healthy as you put it together, from pesticides to lawn freshener which you can buy with Seasol. Always spend out the most money on the best materials, as you want things to last longer. There’s no point in buying budget fencing if it’s going to rot the moment rain touches it.
Get Help.
A garden doesn’t just spring up out of nowhere, but when you’re on a budget you can’t just hire in the local landscaper. Equally, you don’t just want to start ringing people for a favour. Why not hold a party in your garden (yes, the unfinished garden) and while you’re feeding all your friends barbecued meats and topping up their glasses, ask for their help? In fact, you could hold a barbecue or a party while you get the fences painted, the lawn laid, and the flowers planted. You may end up all squiffy in the end, but it’s a great time with friends and you’ve got everyone helping you out for the low price of burgers and beer.
Shop Around Smartly.
You’re on a budget, which means you probably won’t be able to afford the waterproof, cherry wood decking with the solar canopy that was pitched up at your local garden centre. You need to shop around for your garden and the costs of certain things, such as natural stone, vary hugely depending on where you look. Always go to recycling centres to see what wood and pallets you could rescue. While you’re there, you could find some gems such as unused pots and containers that you could use for planting flowers.
Penny Pinch Your Plants
Always be smart when it comes to your plants. You don’t need to pay out massively for your seeds plants to be repotted, not when you can grow plants from cuttings or seeds. Bulbs are inexpensive in the autumn months rather than other times of the year. Don’t ever be put off by smaller shrubs that you can plant into the ground, as these will eventually grow to the size that you wanted from the beginning. Bare root plants are always more affordable in the colder months, as the sunshine months are more popular for gardening. Don’t be put off by plants or seeds on sale, though, because you could find some real gems.
Make Furniture.
Buying garden furniture is a luxury, especially when you think about buying gazebos to shade from the sunshine. Instead of heading to the garden centres to buy new outdoor dining table sets like these, why not make your own? Repaint and upcycle indoor furniture that has become unfashionable and make sure that you weatherproof it. The last thing that you want to do is to work hard upgrading the old indoor furniture for it to be immediately ruined by the weather. It may not last you forever, but it’s there to last you as long as your low budget does. You can be really creative with the furniture that you have in the garden, and those pallets that you rescued from the recycling centre earlier on could be weatherproofed and used as low picnic tables. Sit on the grass and get your munch on!
Optical Illusions.
Tiered planters are a fantastic way to maximise the space that you have in the garden for flowers and herbs. By using tiered planters, you’re planting up the fencing rather than around the ground that you are trying to maximise. Diagonal paving is another way to give your garden the illusion of more space, and it also gives your garden a contemporary look that most people don’t manage. Your whole garden can be transformed simply by laying paving in a diamond shape!
Your garden doesn’t have to cost you much money, but you can be very creative with it anyway. Get some budget paint and paint funky designs on the fencing to make the whole area colourful and quirky. Choose in-season seeds so that when you go to plant your borders, they will be cheaper than buying those out of season. Sprucing up your back garden is important if you hope to feel pride in the space that you have.
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