We've got the top money saving tips for making the most of your outdoor space this summer
Forget hours of weeding and planting, painting fences or putting up gazebos.
Here's five of the best hacks to transform your garden, yard or balcony, quickly, and cheaply, so you can get on with enjoying the British summer!
1. Brighten Up A Dull Patio
You can quickly transform your patio with a stylish planter and some easy case plants. Unless you're a budding horticulturalist who loves spending hours tending to your garden, weeding and watering, choose plants that don't need much of your time! Grasses and bedding plants are perfect. They add colour and interest, and are often bee-friendly. To save money, look for plants that are on promotion at your local supermarket or garden centre.
2. Alfresco Dining In Style
We all love to eat meals outdoors, it makes us feel like we're living the Mediterranean lifestyle! But, the weather is a little less predictable over here. So often it's a hurried affair, with a hastily chucked together salad accompanying a rather poor BBQ effort, with everyone huddled around on folding chairs. If you start out like this, it's never going to make you feel like you're on the set of Mamma Mia, enjoying a delicious relaxed alfresco dinner.
The beauty of this hack is, it's completely free! You don't need to buy anything - just raid your cupboards for dishes, platters, bowls and servingware and create a feast fit for a King (or Queen)! Forget the plastic plates and picnic table. Lay the garden table like you would for a dinner party. Serve food on platters and large serving dishes. Put that salad into a wooden bowl to share. Layer up cakes and sweets on cake stands, crisps and nibbles in small sharing bowls, and big jugs filled with refreshing drinks. Then simply sit back and enjoy a leisurely and delicious meal with friends and family. Just remember to take it all in when you're finished, just incase the heaven's open overnight!
3. Enjoy Sundowners
Make the most of every minute of summer by enjoying those last few hours of the day in your garden. Take drinks and nibbles outside and watch the sun set and the stars slowly appear in the sky. If you've got them, take lanterns and candles outside to add dreamy candlelight. Add throws and blankets to the end of a garden bench to wrap around your legs as the temperature drops.
4. Transform A Dull Wall
Don't spend hours painting fences, or planting climbing plants to try and hide fences and walls. Make the most of the extra space! Create an eye-catching display of plants with a wall planter, filling it with pots of herbs and bee-friendly bright flowers. Or, create an alfresco bar area, just like in this picture. We've used the Wylam Wall Planter's different levels to store bottles, mixers and tumblers. Perfect for a garden party, to keep the essentials within easy reach of all your guests.
5. Invite Nature In
While we are all busy enjoying the summer weather it's important to remember there's other creatures trying to survive in our gardens too. Make your garden welcoming to birds and insects and you'll be rewarded with plenty of wildlife to watch and enjoy all summer long.
You don't need to invest in expensive bird baths, hedghog hides, or insect hotels. You can make most of those yourself. Get creative and recycle at the same time. Make insect hotels out of lollipop sticks and twigs, and bird baths out of empty plastic containers. You'll find plenty of ideas and videos on Pinterest and YouTube.
Our collection of garden and outdoor accessories starts from just £3.50 so you can quickly and cheaply update your garden and make the most of sunny days.
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