23 Brilliant budget garden ideas that will boost your outdoor space without breaking the bank!

Is your garden looking a little lacklustre and in need of more than a little TLC? Well, there’s no time like the present to tackle your outdoor space. If your garden fencing is in need of repairing or painting, or your garden edging seems overly messy it can impact upon the whole of your backyard space. Breathing new life into your back garden (or front garden, for that matter) doesn’t always require a landscape gardener.

There are plenty of simple updates that can be achieved on a budget, and which make a huge difference to the appearance of your outdoor space. Whether it’s a small garden, a patio or a balcony garden, there are plenty of budget garden ideas (or even DIY tricks) to boost your space.

Love your garden? See more of our garden ideas.

From simple garden lighting to inexpensive outdoor furniture ideas, pretty planting to statement outdoor styling for summer garden parties, there are a multitude of smart ways to make your garden great without breaking the bank. All it takes is a little planning and a few clever tricks, and you can turn any garden into a tranquil haven, country retreat or al fresco dining area – even on the smallest budget, as these ten garden ideas show.

1. Make a shed multipurpose

Create the perfect place to entertain by making a your garden shed a multi-purpose solution. It can house garden furniture in the winter, then open out into a bar for garden parties and alfresco sundowners in the summer months. Hang herbs from the roof to utilise during cocktail hour.

2. Repurpose old pans into planters

Before throwing out old pots and pans, think about whether they could be used as alternative planters instead. Their hard-wearing shells make them ideal for the outdoors. Simply punch a couple of drainage holes in the bottom before re-potting your plants.

3. Dress the garden with indoor accessories

Why double up the expenses of buying beautiful home accessories? Dress your deck with attractive textural accessories that can be easily popped inside should the great British weather do its worst. Doubling up also makes the outdoor an extension of out stylish indoor spaces, a rising trend we’re seeing right now for gardens.

4.Paint your house number on plant pots

One for the front garden. This paint idea is a thoroughly charming way to make your house instantly identifiable. It costs next to nothing, especially if you already have a plant pot in mind and a test pot of paint. Get creative and paint the design of your choice – here simple flowers are created with freehand brush daps. To paint the numbers neatly we recommend using either a wraparound stencil or marking them precisely with masking table.

5. Fashion a plant display using old ladders

Step up your garden features with the help of decorative ladder shelving. These ladder shelves are formed by tying two ladders together at the top. Wooden planks laid across the runs provide the shelves on which to display potted plants, lanterns and decorative accessories. Super easy to make and totally cost effective. A step in the right direction for budget gardens!

6. Power up solar lights for ambience

Fairy lights in the garden help to add ambience. This clever idea is made using a kitchen staple, the Kilner jar, and a set of solar-powered lights. Powered by all day by the sun these dainty lights will cast a pretty glow over gardens after dark. They are a great solution that doesn’t cost a lot at all.

7. Brighten a wall with plants in picture frames

Simple but hugely effective, this easy make costs just a few pounds but is a smart way to bring colour to a dull wall. It’s a great Bank Holiday project – you’ll need some frames, chicken wire, paints, and succulents and moss to fill them out.

8. Upcycle an old cabinet into a potting table

Here, an old freestanding kitchen unit has been transformed into a place to repot plants with a few easy modifications. Start with a lick of paint, and maybe look to changing the worktop – here, a surface with a lip stops soil dropping all over the floor. Add hooks to the side so you can hang trowels and other tools for easy access. Inside, you can stash compost, pots, seeds and more, freeing up space in your shed.

9. Lay a path made from old bricks

Put that pile of leftover bricks to good use and make a path that mirrors the shape of your flowerbeds. Lay them long and sideways in a bed of gravel to create a patterned curve.

10. Add instant colour with bedding plants

A tray of Tagetes or Antirrhinum (snapdragons) will add instant colour to your front garden and bloom throughout the summer. Be sure to feed them weekly with tomato food in the summer keep them well watered in the heat – snip off any dead flower heads to keep them looking top notch.

With the right care they should be packed with flowers until early autumn.

11. Perk up a patio with a rug

An outdoor rug and some oversize floor cushions laid over faded decking or a grubby patio will instantly lift your outdoor space and ensure an entertaining area just as stylish as your interior. Go for designs that are patterned on both sides, so you can flip them over if they start to discolour in the sun.

Get the look
Buy now: Nomad Tarifa Rug, from £169, Weaver Green

12. Impress guests with an outdoor bar

Rather than disappear into the house every time another drink is needed set up a bar outside and make cocktail hour an alfresco affair. You can pick up the materials needed to knock up your own Tiki-style serving area cheaply at your local DIY store. Or you could keep it really simple and upcycle and old wooden bar cart, making sure to treat the wood against the elements. Keeping drinks cool is as simple as filling a bucket with ice.

13. Use plastic bottles as containers

It’s only when you look closely that you notice this potted display is actually contained in used drinks bottles. We spotted this trick at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, and isn’t it genius? Try it yourself by carefully cutting off the top of each bottle, then adding gravel for drainage, followed by soil and the plants of your choice.

14. Hang baskets filled with blooms

Hanging baskets are easy to make and look stunning. Make sure you use multi-purpose compost and feed regularly with tomato food. For a sunny spot use sun loving Surfinias and Bacopa and for a more shady corner try Lobelia and trailing Fuchsia.

15. Create a mini vegetable garden

If you want to make your garden a bit more about sustainability, but don’t really have space (or the funds) to plant a full-scale veggie patch, why not try a neat vegetable trug instead?

16. Turn your shed into a summer house

If you have a garden shed, but you’re not really using it for anything beyond storing a toolbox and housing some cobwebs, don’t waste the extra space. You can spruce it up pretty easily and turn it into a bright and airy potting shed (if you’re green-fingered) a sunny summerhouse, a neat studio or even a garden playhouse for the kids.

17. Create a cute bird feeder

It’s not always big things that change the feel of a garden – it can simply amount to the sounds you hear. Boost your garden’s atmosphere by encouraging birds in with a DIY bird feeder their song will instantly create a more positive feel. Talk about an idea on the ‘cheep’!

Looking for more garden ideas? READ: Garden Path Ideas and Walkways Making a Statement in Your Yard

18. Paint the fences

Garden fences need more care and attention than we usually care to think about. How come the paint job it needs never lasts as long as we hope it will? So, if you’re looking for garden fence ideas, why not treat it a bit differently next time you give it a coat of wood paint.

Use paint specially designed for outdoor use to add new life to your garden as this will help preserve the wood, meaning the colour won’t fade. Instead of your usual shades of golden or ashy brown, consider a fresh, playful colour instead. Create a bold statement with your trellis or shed by using bright oranges for a hot Mediterranean feel.

To focus attention on the plants themselves use a colour to divert the eye away from fences and gates such as holly green. This will make them melt into the background.

19. Upcycle drawers to create a unique planter

If you have an old, unused chest of drawers knocking about the house, give it a new lease of life by turning it into a unique colourful garden planter! This four-drawer unit is well-balanced with two staggered tiers of plants, that bring a playful touch to your back garden design.

20. Create an inexpensive awning

If you have a compact patio garden that’s a bit of a sun trap, consider hanging a simple sail-like canopy. It won’t take up the valuable space that a parasol would, but still gives you a little bit of safe shade. You can buy shades like this at B&Q.

21. Opt for a one-colour wonder

In a balcony garden, don’t overcomplicate things; choose slender planters in a rich, summery colour and match your furniture. A lick of metal paint can update an old iron garden chair quite easily and is a cheap update, too. This beautiful blue has a real Mediterranean feel and, together with the slender lines of the plant pots and the chair, the small garden area feels comfortable rather than cluttered.

22. Transform a plain wall with a mural

Here, and old brick garage has been magically reinvented as a mystical pathway through the woods. And all it took was some tins of paint, applied by an expert wall artist. Commission your own work of art, or have a go yourself if you’re really counting the pennies and fancy yourself as the next Banksy.

23. Boost seating with colourful cushions

Enjoy this garden makeover: 80 Fantastic Vertical Garden Indoor Decor Ideas

Keep a feeling of warmth, even in a shady corner with bright cushions and matching planting. Give your old garden sofa a boost by layering it up with new-season accessories for a modern, budget-conscious look.

Do you have any stunning, creative and beautiful DIY home décor ideas and designs to add? Why not discuss it on our comment section or mail us at [email protected].