Garden Transformation for Under £100…Voila! (Dog Not Included)

This is the time of year when it is lovely to bask in your garden, enjoy the sunshine and admire all the hard work you’ve put into creating your own little oasis.

Don’t worry if you’ve neglected your garden this spring, its still not too late to create your own little piece of paradise, in fact you are perfectly timed to take advantage of all the summer sales. Shops and garden centres have some amazing sales of garden furniture, screens, earthen ware and garden ornaments.

Our lovely Fen recently moved into a beautiful new home and the garden was a total mess, check out the before pics… A few days of hard graft which I’m sure has contributed to her recent dramatic weight loss and under £100 spent and she has created this beautiful sanctuary. (Scape Interiors cushion and seatpads)

Here’s a quick guide to how you can create your own stunning garden that will be the envy of all your friends for under £100!
Here is the garden before its transformation.

1. First draw a plan of the space you have, clear out all weeds, cut back the lawn and dig over any flower beds, get rid of all the weeds but consider keeping any of the plants that may be established and worth keeping. Dig over the soil and create borders or beds if none exist. If it’s only a small garden and you are on a tight budget a 50 cm border creates a bed that will be easy to fill. Don’t be afraid to buy up the dying or flowerless plants at the garden centres or flower shows, they are often dramatically reduced and a little bit of TLC, some plant food and regular watering will soon see them bloom.
   
   
2. Create a curved border and edge with old bricks to create a distinct area. Hunt through skips for old stock bricks to create a distinct edging for the border that will add age and character.
   
   
3. Invest in a few interesting plants to create a focal point in your garden. Consider a Chilean Potato Tree, a low maintenance semi evergreen with deep purple blue scented blooms that appear in generous clusters from June right through to September. These are followed by yellowish white fruit, a vigorous climber this plant is perfect for covering a sunny sheltered wall or fence. This fragrant shrub is very attractive to bees and we must all make an effort to look after our bee population. The one in this picture was purchased at 10cm high for £2.00 in April. Just look at it now! Jasmine creates a lovely aroma and loves to climb, plant near seating areas where the scent will be appreciated. A small 10cm Jasmine plant was only £2.00.
   
   
4. Another interesting couple of plants to create focal points; the Sambucus or Black Elder, a low maintenance and hardy shrub with virtually black foliage and pretty pale pink, musk scented flowers from May -July followed by blackred berries in the autumn that are attractive to birds and make lovely wine. Also, Saliva or ‘Hot Lips’ as it is also known. This is a fast growing, neat , hardy perennial which grows to about 50-60 cm and can be planted in pots or straight into the ground. It flowers all summer and into the winter with pretty two-tone red and pink flowers. Like the Chilean Potato Tree, these were purchased for £2.00 each from a flower show at 10 cm but quickly grew to give a lovely focal point in the garden.
   
   
   
   
5. Scavenge boot sales or buy damaged or broken earthen ware pots and old rusted galvanised tools at knockdown prices. Fill the pots with compost and plantings of lobelia and place these at angles around the beds to create interest and character. Place the old tools against walls or fences to create interest. Fill the spaces in between with lupins and cheap bedding plants. Consider painting the fence a bright colour or cover in a bark screen. Hang old mirrors, Antique Metal Oval Mirror, Rustic Butterfly, plaques and rusted garden ornaments from walls or fences to give a feeling of space and mystery.
   
   
   
   
6. Paint an old pallet in the same colour as the fence and either use as a bar or hang from the fence and pop in pots of hanging plants which this time of year can be picked up for under a pound for a whole tray; consider Fuchsias, Petunias, Bacopa, Geraniums and Lobelia. Alternatively, use the pallet to create your own herb garden as Fen did.
   
   
   
   
7. Pick up a second-hand patio table and chairs and stain or repaint to match the shed, and use bark chippings to create a sunny snug in the garden. Hang a few solar powered lights in this area to take the garden from day to night.
   
   
   
   
8. Hammocks can be purchased for under £10.00 and are perfect if you have a garden with two trees that you can hang it between.
9. Invest in one of our velvet floor cushions to create a cosy seating area which can easily be moved around the garden to capture sun or shade. Alternatively, give your sofa a makeover with new cushions and use the old cushions a new lease of life in the garden.
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Finally the addition of a water butt will give you a supply of environmentally friendly water to keep your garden fresh and in bloom right through until winter.