Summer’s here and there’s no better way to spend a long sunny afternoon than relaxing in the garden. The trouble is, your outdoor space looks about as inviting as a wasp’s nest! Sprucing it up is something you might want to keep putting off, thinking it’ll take too much time and money, but you may be surprised at how quickly and cheaply you can get it looking like a place you’ll relish spending hour after hour.
Upcycle
Garden furniture can be pricey, so it might be time to use your imagination. If you have something like a wooden pallet lying around, this can quite easily be transformed into a garden table. Likewise, an old sink or bathtub can be turned into a planter, a well-used indoor chair can become a rustic outdoor chair, and an old potting bench could even be made into a cocktail bar, with a splash of colour!
Get planting
Adding colourful flowers is a great way to make your garden look a million dollarswithout breaking the bank. Plant them in pots or hanging baskets to brighten up a dull corner or to decorate your patio or yard. If you’re short on space then ‘vertical planting’ might be the way to go – pick plants that grow upwards like trees or climbers, or try planting in pots that are fixed to your wall. Foliage can give you added privacy too and any garden waste is something local junk removal companies can handle.
Get painting
If your garden fence is looking tired, the shed ugly and the deck depressing, then you might think the only way to improve things is to tear the whole lot down and start again. But paint could be your saviour, and it’s incredibly cheap by comparison. There are lots of colours of wood paints and stains to choose from, so you can pick something that’ll cheer the whole place up for the summer months. Select wood-protective paint to prevent rotting, and choose a colour scheme that matches the flowers in your garden. If you’vegot your flower bed looking lovely, you don’t want to draw attention away from this with a garish fence.
Your deck can also be repainted to give it a fresh, vibrant look, though you may have to do this every year to keep it looking great (still far better than building a new one!).
When choosing your paint, check to see if you can save further cash. Some credit cards, debit cards and prepaid debit cards offer cashback options at certain stores.
Make it cosy
Why not treat your garden as an extra room by laying an outdoor rug, and adding cushions or even pillows to make your garden furniture feel extra snug? You can stitch outdoor fabrics around indoor pillows to make them durable, then sit back with a book and a glass of wine.
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, it would be such a shame to waste this valuable space. Time spent outdoors is great for our mental health, so why not turn your garden into your own little sanctuary where you enjoy spending time with family and friends?
