Source: Unsplash
Do you ever look outside your window and feel ashamed of the state of your garden? This is something which I used to feel everyday as I opened the curtains of my bedroom. Here in Alberta, Canada is very different from back home in the USA, especially in Florida, where the garden was part of the home. Because we only have a few months of summer up here it doesn’t seem worth investing in the garden but rather our homes. My neighbor Ron Cadman is a gardener and after talking to him about this, he gave me some budget hacks which meant I didn’t have to borrow money from a lender just to renovate my garden, and they have worked perfectly.
Cleaning Up
You’ll be surprised at just how different your garden can look after a good clean up. Ron did this for me for a small fee and he was able to clear out the garbage, get rid of the weeds and moss and to be honest it completely transformed the wreck of a garden that I had. If your’s is a mess then get it cleaned up before doing anything else.
Planting
I didn’t have the time, inclination or the money to invest in a beautiful bedding area for my garden but I really was keen on the idea of putting some plants in there. Ron told me about how it wasn’t necessary to have a bedding patch and that in fact I could put plants in any type of vessel. And so I decided to start finding weird and wonderful vessels from wellington boots to beer barrels and the effect has been absolutely awesome. Bot only do they look good but they are incredibly easy to manage, perfect for someone like myself.
Old Metal
Old metal looks really cool in the garden and it can certainly add a classic touch to the area. I realized this after visiting a friend of mine who had several old sewing machines in their garden, surrounded by plants. And so my wife and I began to pick up whatever we could from flea markets and thrift shops, and we currently have an old tandem bicycle, a metal well pump and an old cooking pot dotted around our garden, and they all look absolutely great.
Pallets
The one thing which I really wanted in the garden was a decking area, just a small one, where my wife and I would be able to sit and enjoy a glass of wine on an evening. Buying decking isn’t cheap but a great alternative option is to pick up some warehouse pallets, you can get them cheap or for free if you are lucky! These pallets slot together perfectly and after sanding them down and treating them with varnish, the finished article looks exactly the same as decking does.
Not having money will not restrict you from creating a beautiful outdoor area in your home.
