Little changes can make a BIG DIFFERENCE and don’t have to take much time, effort or cash!
50 smart ideas
ETCH AN UPLIFTING QUOTE into a piece of flat rock or stone with a special writing tool for feel-good vibes everytime you step outdoors. Metal Etching Carving Pen, £5.66 ebay.co.uk
FRESHEN UP BOUNDARIES with a fresh coat of paint – it will do wonders when it comes to making blooms pop!
CREATE A CURIO CORNER by pushing an old table up against a wall or fence and displaying some of your favourite (waterproof!) gardeny things.
HIDE AN UGLY COMPOST BAG by popping it inside a hessian sack. Vintage Grain Sack, £7.50 Craftypear2 at etsy.com
ACE THE ON-TREND rustic vibe with an old metal container spilling out from a border. Pick up one cheap from your local reclamation yard or salvage market.
Make room for something special
TRY THIS! Beat the bugs with a supersize citronella candle that’s bright and cheery too, £10 dunelm.com
Rose periwinkle
DON’T WORRY, be hoppy about bare spots – it means you can fit in a sculpture or two such as this Chi Africa Sitting Hare Recycled Metal Sculpture, H48cm, £53 nationaltrust.org.uk/shop
TRIM SOME LONG TRAILING IVY stems and wrap around a cheap twiggy hoop and make a fresh door wreath. Grapevine Shaped Wreath Brown, £3.99/Dia30cm wilko.com
EDGE YOUR BEDS with your glass-bottle empties for a bright and quirky recycled border edge. Be sure to choose a quiet undisturbed spot where they won’t be prone to breakage.
FILL GAPS in beds or pots with easy-grow rose periwinkle.
FANCY UP plain terracotta pots using leftover paint. Make them weatherproof by finishing with a coat of clear sealant.
MAKE YOUR OWN cute polymer-clay cane toppers. Simply mould into a design, with a hole in the base for the cane, then bake in the oven. £2/57g hobbycraft.co.uk
BRING GRAVEL TO LIFE with pockets of Mexican fleabane. It’s happy in shallow and poor soil and won’t mind if you walk over it. Sow indoors now and then plant out once the seedlings are 2-3cn tall, which takes around 14-30 days. ‘Profusion’, £9.99/500 seeds speedy-seeds.co.uk
REFRESH YOUR PATIO in a flash with an easy-clean eco-friendly outdoor rug. Kew Persian Floral Rug in Mauve Purple, made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, L170cm x W120cm, £74.35 therugseller.co.uk
CLOAK SEEDLINGS and precious plants, or decorate with fairylights, with a cute Garden Cloche, from £10.99 thewisteriatree.co.uk
PACK IN six different varieties of fruit, veg, herbs or edimentals in a small space with this genius Green Basics Grow Garden, W80cm x H27cm x D57cm, £39.99 elho.com
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