How to do a cheap garden makeover

Spring is officially here, which means longer days and hopefully – better weather. If you want to spruce up your garden without spending a fortune, here are a few of our best DIY ideas.

1. Clean up the edges of your lawn

Tidying up your lawn will make the biggest difference when it comes to transforming your garden. Get rid of any dead leaves, twigs (which you can use for composting), and weeds, and then give your lawn a good mow.

The trick is to make sure the edges are clean-cut so that it looks tidy. This will dramatically improve the overall appearance of your garden.

2. Create a vegetable patch  

Spring is one of the best times of year to start a vegetable patch. You can usually pick up a packet of seeds for a couple of quid from places like B&M or Aldi.

And if growing your veg goes to plan – you might be able to cut the cost of your shopping bill too!

A good place to start would be choosing veg that produces a lot and don’t take much time to cultivate. This includes:

• tomatoes
• leaf lettuce
• green beans
• herbs
• courgettes.

You can also cut down your gardening costs by building your planter out of old wood.

If you have a small or shared garden with little space for growing plants, try making a miniature herb garden instead.

3. Do a bit of painting

It could be that a lick of paint is all your garden needs.  

Giving your fence or shed a fresh coat with decent paint will make it look fresher and protect it from any damp which would damage the wood over time. If your garden is particularly dark or dingy, then painting the wood white instead of brown could make your garden appear bigger and brighter.

You can buy shed and fence paint from Wickes for £8 - £40 per tub, and you can choose between bold and classic colours.

4. Plant some flowers

Again, buying seeds is cheaper than buying plants. Seed Parade sells seeds for a variety of flowers from 59p per pack.

You can also plant flowers in pretty much anything. So, if you have any old pots, bowls and containers don’t throw them away, use them as plant pots instead. Using your old crockery could give your garden much more personality and help you to declutter in the kitchen as well.

If you wanted to get really creative with your planters, upcycle some old furniture instead. For example, you could use some old ladders as shelves for your plant pots. Or, if you had an old chest of drawers, you could fill these with fresh plants. One of the drawers could also be used to house your small gardening tools.

5. Repurpose and upcycle for décor

You don’t need to go out and spend a great deal on decorations for your garden. Use things you have lying around or pick up old bits from a charity shop to turn into something quirky.

For example, you could:

• use old plastic bottles to cultivate your garden – repurpose your used plastic bottles by making them into bird feeders. Alternatively, cut the top off and use them as plant pots instead. If you wanted a more challenging project, have a go at building a greenhouse using plastic bottles.
• turn old stones and rocks into a path – or use them as a border for your flower garden.
• repurpose an old pot or cake tin into a succulent planter.
• use bamboo canes to support taller plants – especially when it comes to plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and even peas.
• use solar-powered fairy lights – brighten up your garden at night with some solar-powered lights.

For ideas on cheap and eco-friendly gifts, keep reading here.