5 Easy Ways To Spruce Up Your Backyard On A Budget

Turning a neglected backyard into an inviting outdoor entertaining area can be a daunting task that is often accompanied by a hefty price tag. However, there are plenty of ways to freshen up your backyard without breaking the bank. Below are our top 5 DIY home gardening tips to spruce up your backyard on a budget.

1) Build A DIY Fire Pit

DIY-ing your own outdoor fire pit is a great way to create a cosy hangout area in your backyard without breaking the bank. Not only will a fire pit create a focal point or point of interest, adding a few logs or recycled chairs will turn a previously unused corner of your backyard into a functional outdoor seating space, great for entertaining.

Building a fire pit with concrete retaining wall blocks that can be found at any hardware store will cost around $50 – $60 and take a day or two to complete. For an easy to follow guide on building your own fire pit click here.

Note: check the rules and regulations of your local city council before building a fire pit in your backyard.

2) Add Affordable String Lights

Another way to transform your backyard into an inviting outdoor entertaining area is to add some affordable string lights. Theses can be picked up for next to nothing in the after Christmas sales at Kmart, supermarkets, and even dollar stores. Alternatively, spending a little bit more will get your globe string lights which tend to be more durable, with bulbs that can easily be replaced when needed.

String lights can be wrapped around branches and outdoor columns, draped in trees, and even run from the top of your house to a fence to create a canopy of twinkling lights overhead. Additionally, consider adding rope lights to the lawn edge and garden beds to ensure that the blooms of your garden can be enjoyed at any time of the day. This will quickly turn a boring backyard into a beautifully lit summer entertaining space, without blowing your budget.

3) Free or Low-Cost Outdoor Seating

Keeping an eye out for second hand outdoor seating on websites such as Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace is another great way to improve your backyard without having to spend too much money. In fact, many of these websites have free sections where people can give away old furniture that they have no use for. You may find that any furniture that you get for free may be damaged or rundown. However, a fresh coat of paint or adding a few screws here and there can turn old, worn out furniture into a beautiful new outdoor setting.

Plus, your search doesn’t have to be limited to outdoor furniture. Simply pick up a waterproof sealant to turn indoor furniture into up-cycled outdoor seating.

Alternatively, there are plenty of online tutorials for building your own outdoor furniture out of low-cost materials such as old pallets. Try painting the top of an old tree trunk and adding a waterproof cushion for a DIY garden seat.

4) Plant Perennials

Starting a garden can be a daunting task for beginners. However, planting a small selection of durable, low maintenance perennial flowers (such as geraniums and daylilies) will keep your garden looking bright and colourful with minimal effort. This is because, once planted, perennial flowers will come back to bloom again year after year without having to repurchase and replant them.

Ask at your local garden centre for suggestions on low maintenance perennial flowers that will thrive in your area.

5) Create Edging For Your Lawn

Creating edging for your lawn is an easy and cost effective way to make your garden look neat and manicured. There are a number of inexpensive materials that can be used to edge a lawn available at any hardware store, such as bricks, pavers, and tiles.

This will keep your yard looking neat and tidy with minimal effort and create an appealing division between garden bed and lawn.