Tackling the garden can cost just pennies, says horticulturalist and garden designer Anne Britt
With November in full swing, there has never been a better time to update your outdoor space. And doing so doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, it can cost less than 50p – or be even free! Here Anne Britt, a horticulturalist and garden designer with 20 years in the business, shares how to transform your garden for less.
TIDY UP!
As all of our great gardens open to the public know (your National Trusts, RHS sites and stately homes), no matter how unruly the rest of your garden is, if your hedges, edges and lawns are kept clipped and neat, your garden will look cared for. So now is the time to get out the clippers and strimmers and then finish with a good sweep of patios, grass and paths.
GO POTTY
To brighten blank bare walls or fences near to the house, add simple wood plank shelving (the sort you’d find for kitchens) and place terracotta pots filled with herbs. The latter are handy for the kitchen, too, so it’s ideal they’re kept close by. You can get pots and herb plants for pennies from local garden centres.
LIGHT IT UP
Outdoor lighting is not just for Christmas. It looks twinkly and pretty all year round, and works especially well as we head into autumn and the evening light fades earlier each day.
String pretty battery powered fairy lights (not solar as they won’t work most of the year) through a shrub or tree in view of the house. It’ll be a lovely focal point from inside, and draw you out on fine evenings.
PAINT IT BLACK
Paint is cheap but can instantly transform your garden from shabby to smart. Fences, garden furniture, sheds, pergolas, summerhouses all benefit from a quick freshen up. Use outdoor grade paint such as Cuprinol. Keep fences and sheds neutral – personally I am a huge huge fan of black paint as it makes plants pop against it, reserving colour for prettier structures such as furniture and summerhouses.
REALLY WILD
Make David Attenborough proud and rewild a little patch of your garden. Give bees, butterflies and other insects a hand by buying a packet of wildflowers – which cost next to nothing, you can pick some up for less than 50p, and in fact The Range has some gorgeous wildflower scatter seeds for 49p – and sprinkling them over the area.
It makes for a lovely surprise when your flowers bloom, and you’ll be proud of not only feeding the ecosystem, but also growing plants from scratch.
SHOP SECONDHAND
Want a smart water feature or planter for your patio? Go on eBay or Facebook Marketplace and look for a ‘galvanised tank or trough’. Shopping secondhand is great for the environment, as you’re giving a home to something that may otherwise go into landfill, and it’s good for your bank balance too.
You’ll find people will often part with unwanted items for just a few pounds. I have filled my own trough with water, added a water lily and use it as a decorative dipping tank to water the pots with a watering can.
You can also fill them with compost and plant them up for year round interest.
FEED THE BIRDS
Add a squirrel-proof bird feeder in view of your window and fill it with sunflower hearts. Bringing bird life into the garden has so many benefits – they feed on aphids and caterpillars and generally keep your plants pest free.
They’re stunning too, and a total joy to watch. Add water for them to drink and bathe in, choosing a bird bath, big or small, new or secondhand, and enjoy the show from your window.
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