Ideas Needed on a Budget

I've just been helping my friend to clear part of her garden and she wants my help to make it look nice so I thought u all might help me. It is slabs but it will have to stay like that as she hasn't got much money but any ideas to cheer it up are much appreciated. Here are some pics:

 

Having a fire in the middle of the patio to make smoke to disguise everything is a novel idea, but I don't think it will catch on.

But seriously, a new dark colour on the fence panels may help. Blue?

 

Damn u sussed me lol

 

A few cans of paint to brighten up the fence, and some jayes fluid on the patio to remove the dirt, and a good brushing, will have it looking like new!

The flower shop near me at the moment has a lot of bedding plants on offer at the moment, that would perk up an area or to, even if they need a good dead head first, they will come again with some tlc.

Hope this Helps!

 

My friend has bought a few plants and I have planted them. She is going to paint the fences but wants to keep them green 1. because she still has some green paint and 2. because all the other fences would need to be painted if she painted them a different colour. I am going to lend her my pressure washer to do the slabs and she has a swing seat thing that she hopes she can renovate and put there.

She has an old kitchen table that has been outside and has warped and I wondered if there was anything she could do to turn this into an outside table? She still has the chairs and I think it would go nicely in that area.

I'll update the pics as we go

 

i would lift the slabs round the outside and turn/fertilise the soil for flower beds,lft the centre slab/s for a place for a self contained fountain surrounded by flowers.:thumb:

clean up the other slabs with water and a stiff scrubbing brush,no chemicals.

 

What sort of wood is the table and chairs made out of ?

If its pine, then plenty of varnish should seal it nicely. My mums quite expensive set is from pine just sealed. If you have a look at most swing benches (like the one you have) they are also pine.

If its MDF or something then I know you can buy stuff that 'seals' them but havent a clue if would last very long etc.

If she was planning on throwing them away then sticking them in the garden as they are wont harm. Maybe she could use them this year and then once next year comes around and they are too damanged have a look for a new set, or even cheap second hand ones on ebay or even your local freecycle.

I think once those fences are painted and the slabs all jetwashed - it will be soooo much better already!

 

I like the 'central heating'! And to think people buy those patio heaters to help warm up the planet!

As for the table, (the round one in the pic?), I'd think I'd search (skips or boot fair) for bits of wood with which to make a new top. The legs look to be metal so it might need some penetrating oil on the existing bolts (or 'gronching' the exisiting wooden top off then cutting through the bolts with a hacksaw) but once they're off, 4 new bolts wouldn't cost much in somewhere like Wickes. I'd then affix 4 short pieces of wood to the frame through the existing holes making a 'base' and screw narrow lengths of wood into those making a slatted top. Just as a BTW, in somewhere like Wickes you can buy single lengths of planed softwood very inexpensively - no, it won't 'last a lifetime' but about 10 years ago I made two small garden tables from it, gave them a coat of clear wood preservative and even though they've been outside ever since they're still fine. You can buy wood preservative cheaply in somewhere like Wilkinsons (the 'branded' stuff is about £6 cheaper there too!)

Just as a BTW - because in our last house space was limited, during the winter I drawing-pinned (is there such a word?) some clear plastic around the edge of my two tables (put a bit over the top in really cold weather) and popped some baby plants inside - it made a great little cold frame.

In the borders I'd be inclined to use climbing plants to help cover the expanse of fence - again boot fairs are a great place to get plants very cheaply, the DIY superstores and garden centres often have what I call a 'casualty corner' where even the most unpromising looking thing can become a joy with a bit of TLC and I'm not above haggling over the price either. Do any neighbours have plants she likes? Perhaps they'd be happy to snip bits off for cuttings which wouldn't cost anything or, she could do what my Gran used to do, smile sweetly at someone doing their garden, compliment them on how lovely it looks, ask them how to look after a particular thing she liked and, 9 times out of 10, she'd walk away with a cutting they'd given her! Additionally, as autumn approaches she could put a card in a newsagent's window asking if anyone is dividing perennials would they be willing to let her have some?

Just a quickie plant1star - Jeyes fluid is a disinfectant, it won't clean paving slabs and can leave them stained (as I once found to my cost). Your patio does however smell VERY clean!

 

Here are some updates and some other parts of the garden:





Before pressure washing:


After:


The patio:




The rockery:

 

Is that barbecue I spied in the corner under the window, still used as a barbecue? I had one like that and, when it rusted, I took off the 'wind-shield' bit, laid it flat (over where the charcoal once went) and painted the whole lot with a green similar to that used on the trellis in the pics. I then used it first as a portable potting table and later - when the axle rusted and the wheels fell off! - to stand plants on.

 

Thats a 100 times better Kelly, Amazing how a lick of paint a good clean and tidy and a few plants make.. Well done to your friend .. Dee...

 

It amazing how even small things make such a huge difference! :gnthb: Your friend's garden looks fantastic now! The coloured bark is great and very cheerful!

I also see that they have a tyre planter like me! Are you going to plant that up? Perhaps an apple tree (pillar'd - if that is such a word!) like I'm planning with mine. Will add height and fruit!

Well done to you both!

 

Yeah the tyres are still on the wheels but I'm gonna plant it up with some plants and make a nice feature.

Yeah that is a BBQ and I think it's still useable. Im trying to get her to clear the junk out of her shed so her garden tools and the BBQ can go in there lol

 

Kelly try to find a strong man with a tyre wrench thingy who would turn the tyres "inside out". They look great planted up. The garden is really coming on - well done to both of you.