Brilliant Hacks To Transform Your Backyard On A Budget

“What’s a living fence?” we hear you ask. Well, it’s a pretty cool decoration that’ll instantly transform your garden. All you need to do is plant a bushy shrub or tree in an available space. Then, while it’s growing, “train” the sapling to branch out into a jaw-dropping design. It’ll look incredible. And it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to create!

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of rain. It gives your grass a good watering! But too much can spell trouble, causing damage that’ll ultimately cost you money. To swerve that problem, pick a spot and make a ditch. “Fill [it] with perennial plants,” backyard specialist Pol Bishop told The Delite website. “Rainwater will flow toward that part of the garden and nurture the plants.”

If you’re struggling to think of ways to make your garden feel more vibey, why not DIY your own outdoor cushions? Find some colorful outdoor-friendly material from a second-hand store, or maybe you have an old picnic blanket or tablecloth lying around the house. Then, grab a few old pillows or cushions – or buy some at a thrift store — and use the material to create a new batch of covers for them. They’ll look great on your outdoor seating or piled up on your decking for a snug new hang-out space.

Garden fire pits are awesome features to have, especially if you love entertaining outoors. And they’re not as pricey as you might think. You can even create one from scratch! Gravel and paving stones are fairly cheap to buy, and they’re perfect for the pit’s foundation once you’ve dug your hole. Then place the stones at an angle to line the walls of the hole. Overall, it’s a job that should only take a couple of days.

Horticultural spray is an absolute must if you want to protect your flowerbeds from pesky bugs. You don’t have to splash the cash for a bottle at the store, though — you could mix a batch yourself. It’s pretty easy: just add a tablespoon of plain dish soap to a cup of vegetable oil. Then, drop a helping in with some water and you’ll be good to go!

One gardening expert advised that if you’re growing your own fruit and vegetables in your backyard, one of the most effective methods of warding off unwanted diners was introducing natural predators. Birds eat a wide variety of pests like caterpillars, slugs, and aphids, so taking the trouble to attract them to your garden by providing seed and a bath for our feathered friends will pay off in spades.

Instead of spending money on numerous chairs in the backyard, here’s an alternative idea. Why not invest in furniture that can essentially act as a “two-in-one”? For instance, an L-shaped bench can be both a seat and a place to lie down for a couple of people at the same time. This tip will be particularly useful for those with smaller gardens.

Before the colder months roll in, garden expert Phil Dwyer suggests that you should trim your grass a bit more severely than usual. Why’s that then? Well, it’ll stop the lawn from becoming tangled when it eventually grows again. Dwyer told The Delite, “For that final mowing, go even a little bit lower.” Give it a try in the fall, folks.

Reluctant to spend big on a new garden bench? Well, this hack could be right up your alley. Yes, you can build your own seating space for a relatively small outlay. Just pick up some inexpensive concrete slabs from a specialist store, before “dry-stacking” them into the shape of a bench. After that, stick a cushiony cover on top and you’ll be done!

If you’re looking for a cheaper way to combat the annoying weeds in your garden, newspapers could be the answer. No joke, folks. As gardening expert Pol Bishop told The Delite, “Cover the newspapers with dirt, mulch, and grass clippings to keep them in place. With time, the newspapers will smother the weeds beneath them.”

Outdoor curtains: few items can make your patio feel more stylish! But you don’t need to buy these drapes at the shops: create your own with fabrics that are already in the house. Bedsheets are perfect here, so grab a needle and get threading. The results might just blow everyone away.

The price of shop-bought pesticides can drain your gardening budget pretty quickly. So, to save a bit of cash, bear this in mind: apparently, Coca-Cola is just as effective. Thanks to the fizzy drink’s sweet taste, ants will be drawn to it. Then, they’ll tuck into any bug larvae around your flowers, protecting them as a result.

Do you find that more and more animals are causing havoc in your backyard these days? If so, one gardening fan suggested burying plastic forks around your plants, with their prongs poking up out of the soil, as a way of helping to ward off unwanted visitors. The home-grown hack might just help to prevent, for example, cats and other four-legged friends from uprooting your carefully planted flowers, shrubs, fruit and vegetables.

Garden decorations don’t have to be elaborate. Sometimes, a straightforward arrangement can look just as awesome as a fancy spread, and for a fraction of the cost. So keeping that in mind, you could create something nice with an inexpensive flower collection. Just stick them around an empty shelving unit in the yard. It really is as easy as that.

While it might seem daunting at first, creating a backyard bar is actually quite simple. It won’t dent your finances too badly, either. To pull off the job, pick up a stack of plain stone slabs from the store. Arrange them into makeshift pillars, before sticking some wooden planks on top. And that’s it! The drinks will be flowing in no time.

Soil can get everywhere when you’re working with pots in the garden. Cleaning up the mess can be time-consuming to say the least! But if you throw a coffee filter into the bottom of the pot before you start to put in the earth, the permeable mesh will keep the soil in the container. 

If you want to preserve the life of your backyard hose, listen up: this incredibly simple tip could save you having to buy an expensive replacement. On sunny days, keep the piping in a shady area out of the light, because the Sun’s rays will weather your garden hose more quickly.

Looking to add a bit of order to the seating in your garden? Well, this hack could be just the ticket. All you’ve got to do is divide the space up into “zones.” So, one section could be used solely for eating food, while another is dedicated to downtime. It won’t cost you anything either, as you can utilize the chairs you already own.

Compared to perennial flowers, annuals are much cheaper to buy. After all, they don’t grow back the following season once the plant dies in the soil. Don’t let that put you off, though. In addition to their friendly price, annuals can really transform a plain-looking garden — especially the more colorful bulbs. Pick a few up from the nearby gardening store and get creative!

As it turns out, humans aren’t the only ones to feel better after taking an aspirin. According to Robert Johnson, founder of woodwork firm Sawiner, our flowers get benefits from the pain-killer, too. Just drop a tablet in a full watering can and let it disintegrate. He told The Delite, “It works as a repellent for pests and averts rot and diseases for your plants.”

After trimming your lawn, do you clean up the clippings that are left behind? Well, now might be the time to stop that. You see, that grass will actually enrich the lawn once it deteriorates, giving the whole area a boost. Due to that, you won’t have to invest in as much fertilizer, so you’ll be saving money in the long run!

Depending on how much wood you use, slatted fences can take a sizable bite out of your gardening budget. But with a bit of creative thinking, you could significantly slash the outgoings. To do that, just leave bigger gaps between each panel. That way, your wood will go further.

Who doesn’t wince when thinking about hardscaping? It’s pricey to say the least! But money can be saved if you plan carefully. Yes, when looking for materials, don’t ignore “the stone leftovers” that are often found in specialist shops. There’s a very good chance that you’ll get them for a lower price.

To help potted soil stay moist, Anna Nielsen of Our Good Living Formula advises, “I use diapers. I peel the top layer that goes against the baby’s bottom, and put the diaper at the bottom of the plant pot. Just make sure that the absorbent side is facing up and the plastic side is facing down.”

Root rot is no joke. It’s an issue that develops when you overfeed your flowers, and there’s no way to fix it, which means you’ll have to buy replacement plants. Yet the problem can be swerved altogether by placing a kitchen sponge in the pot so it’s under the bulb. Landscaping expert Mike Wilson said the material will absorb excess water and help to keep the soil in better condition generally.

Garden lighting can bring a real ambience to the space, which is great if you’ve got guests over for the evening. But what lights should you use? Well, consider going for string lights at the store. They’re relatively simple to put up around the yard and won’t leave a giant hole in your budget. What’s not to like?

It could be argued that bees are the most important insects for maintaining your yard’s long-term health. They do so much for the plants, and it doesn’t take much to draw them in, either. “Bees do get dehydrated sometimes,” landscaping expert Wilson noted to The Delite. “So if you have some dishes of water around, it’s a great way to get these pollinators to visit your garden to hydrate themselves.”

Even though annuals are cheaper than perennials, the latter plants always return when spring begins. That’s something to remember if you want to keep your gardening costs down. After all, it means you won’t have to buy new flowers to take their place each year. Talk about a nice investment. They’re quite beautiful as well, which is an added bonus!

Before you throw away the dregs in your teacup, consider this. When mixed with water, the concoction is perfect for certain types of flowers. “Acid-loving plants include blueberries, potatoes, rose bushes, ferns, and magnolias,” a gardening expert told The Delite. “Tea grounds and tea leaves contain many nutrients and also tannic acid, which improve oxygenation levels and soil quality.” 

When do you water your yard? If you do it towards the end of the day, it’s possible that it could actually cause long-term damage to the flowers, unless you’ve got a sophisticated drip-irrigation system set up. Apparently, leaving plants too damp throughout an entire night can invite disease. Switch to mornings if you can, then!

You’d be surprised how much of a difference a trellis can make to your garden. It’s an unsung feature compared to many other pieces outside the house! Anyway, you don’t have to pay big money to get your hands on them. In fact, trellises and arches are often available at yard sales for excellent prices. 

Warnings don’t come clearer than this. Expert Phil Dwyer told The Delite, “Don’t let tree leaves smother your grass.” Unless they’ve been ripped up, your lawn won’t get any benefits from them in the colder months. So what should you do with the fallen leaves, then? Simple — start mulching. The results can have a hugely positive effect on your soil.

How about this for a cool idea? Grab a helping of ready-mix concrete from your local store and create a few awesome DIY stepping stones. These features will really catch the eye in your garden, and you can opt for any designs you fancy. Plus, this method is considerably cheaper than buying the stones outright. It’s a lot more fun, too!

Want to get the most out of your acid-loving flowers? Well, listen closely to this tip. The soil must have acidity to it, otherwise they’ll struggle to last in the garden. So try taking some coffee grounds out of your kitchen cabinet, before mixing them in with the earth around your plants. That should give them a hearty boost.

If you want to spruce up a boring wall in your backyard, pull out a few pieces of spare wood sitting in the garage, and build them into a couple of open-topped boxes. Once that’s done, you can then plant some flowers in them and hang the results on the wall. Just like that, you’ve created a “vertical garden” for very little outlay.

Attention all swimming-pool owners — here’s a hack for you. The creator of Poolonomics.com, Rick Patterson, suggested, “If you find your pool has a lot of film from sunscreen or just looks a little oily, throw a tennis ball in. [Its] fuzz picks up the top layer of oil, and it acts as a focal point for smaller debris.”

Unsurprisingly, patio chairs and tables go through a lot across the year — especially if you don’t bring them inside. As a result of that, the weather can really wear them down. But don’t take that as a sign that you need to invest in replacements. Instead, pop open a paint can and give the pieces a makeover. They’ll be revitalized before you know it.

Thanks to their potassium contents, bananas are a welcome addition to anyone’s diet. Mind you, we’re not the only ones who can benefit from them. Yes, garden soil can also get a huge boost. As it turns out, potassium is found in fertilizers, alongside phosphorus and nitrogen. So, place a few peels around your flowers. It’ll make a big difference!

It can be a bit of headache trying to find the right plant pots at the store. For one thing, their prices can get exceedingly high, which isn’t great news for your wallet! As an alternative, though, try crafting a few planters at home for a fraction of the cost. Grooved plastic is said to be an excellent material here.

When trimmed grass clings the blades of a lawn mower, that’s bad news for your garden. The tool won’t work properly, and it can subsequently damage the lawn. Expert Pol Bishop shared a cool trick to stop that from happening. He told The Delite, “[Cooking spray] prevents clumps of grass from sticking to your blades.” Put it on ahead of time and you’ll be set.