43 budget garden ideas to transform your outdoor space

If you’ve been neglecting your outdoor space, these budget ideas are just the thing to perk up your patio without spending a fortune. While low on spend, they're high on style and will transform your garden or patio into your favourite outdoor spot (and the envy of your neighbours).

From seating to colour, planting to hard landscaping, a little work now will make all the difference to your garden all summer long.

Don't just take our word for it - plenty of experts agree, starting with Charlie Davis, stylist and creative director. ‘You don’t need to spend a fortune on your garden makeover. Planning is key so that you make the most out of the space you have and budget available.'

‘A boring patio doesn’t need to stay looking dull,’ says Charlie, ‘even if funds are tight. Turn it into an extension of your interior, styled with either calm colours or flashes of brights.’

It's worth stressing that the art of gardening should never be overlooked as a way to revamp your space. Joel Bird, garden designer and presenter definitely thinks this is the place to start. ‘Gardening is one of the few things you can do for free. People always look for the “makeover” but remember how important the plants are in a garden, providing cover, shade, colour, texture as well as space for nature.

‘Look for the best place to sit in your garden, whether that’s for a morning cuppa or a drink after work. Find out where the sun is, and then pop a seat or bench there. A place to sit and plants are the very foundations of a garden for me, whatever your budget might be,' he says.

So for starters, have a look at your space and assess what you need to tackle first before exploring the more decorative ideas that we've listed here. Your garden will probably need a good tidying up first, so get your the lawnmower, pruners and all the rest out of the shed and trim back any green overgrowth.

‘Spring cleaning your outdoor space is a crucial first step when it comes to preparing for the new season, giving you a fresh canvas,’ says Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies. ‘One of the easiest ways to tidy up your garden is by neatening your beds and borders for the growing season. You can do this by hoeing borders to remove weeds and applying a good layer of mulch or manure over the surface to lock in moisture and give plants a boost for spring.’

Don't forget that other straightforward DIY tasks like cleaning a concrete patio or painting a fence can have a huge impact on your space for very little spend, too.