Good garden design doesn’t have to cost the earth and with a little forethought a simple makeover can have the hallmarks of experts. Follow these easy ideas for budget busters.
- Shape a lawn or turfed area with a clearly defined mower edge. Use blocks or paving.
- Mass plantings of similar varieties of plants. It is more effective to select fewer varieties of plants and repeat the plantings.
- Focus on foliage rather than flowers. Use flowers as an accent in the garden rather than the primary reason the plant was selected.
- Paint is cheap and a quick way to update accessories. Dark colours make an area appear larger. Use dark green or black for fences. It will give the illusion of the fence disappearing. Plant dark green foliage in front of the fence.
- Place large pots together in multiples of 3 or 5. This is more appealing in odd numbers.
- Reuse old furniture. A coat of paint and some creative alternative uses, E.g. a garden bench becomes a shelf for pots will add additional interest to the garden area.
- Level paving or slabs, even simple concrete slabs will look good if laid correctly.
- Choose large hanging baskets for spring and plant up with waterwise varieties such as hanging succulents.
- Outdoor lights add a magical glow to the night garden. Low voltage, solar or battery strings are all great alternatives to traditional outdoor lighting.
- Grow edible plants in large pots, not only do these look attractive they are productive as well.
- A few strategically planted trees will draw your eye upward, following the foliage, making the outdoor space appear larger.
