8 great ideas to transform your garden without spending a fortune

A garden, whether small or large, is truly an invaluable asset: it offers the opportunity to enjoy a space outside that is all our own, to relax in or to share with friends and relatives. It also gives us the opportunity to admire the great wonders of nature, even in the most humble of contexts.

However, it can be that due to the small size of a garden, one  might think it is not worth doing anything to make it more comfortable. But it is by no means true that the only way to create pleasant outdoor spaces is by investing large amounts of money in them. There are small, targeted interventions and improvements that can be done to transform these spaces without breaking the bank.

DIY planters: There is no need to buy expensive pots. The focus, in the end, is on the flowers and plants and they can thrive in imaginatively recycled objects. Or use wood and concrete to build a customized flower bed, and your garden will be truly unique.

Garden furniture, such as sun loungers, armchairs and sofas, must necessarily have cushions on them made of resistant fabrics, which do not fade in the sun or stain easily. And in general, they are always solid colors with neutral shades: sober, but in the long run also a bit boring. However, they do offer the ideal backdrop to be liven up using smaller, colored cushions. Even for these, it is best to choose fabrics suitable for the outdoors. By doing so, from spring to autumn you will have a colorful and pleasant outdoors living room.

A brazier (firepit): this is an American fashion that has its admirers all over the world. A fire pit where you can grill food or use as a spot around which to gather, to enjoy the outdoors even on cooler evenings. Using DIY techiques, they can be built quickly and without great expense.

Lights: the first thing that dissuades one from staying in the garden until late, is the dark. It is not necessary to install lampposts with a complex electrical system and everything that goes along with this. You can use solar lamps or decorate the area using strings of light bulbs. The area will immediately feel magical and pleasant.

A garden without plants is a sad place, but if you don't have time to take care of palnts, (or you are tired of having to go out of your way to make keep certain species alive), convert to planting herbaceous perennials. Choose the ones that best suit the area where you live, their exposure to sunlight, the climate and the soil. There is literally an infinity of these plant types and all of them create breathtaking spectacles. And they cost a lot less than roses, peonies, hydrangeas, azaleas and similar garden plants.

Give vertical gardens a chance: green walls are more beautiful than any wall or fence. So not just hedges, but also installations where plants grow on vertical supports - even "murals" made with moss on concrete walls! You will have your own corner of greenery without encroaching on the ground space.

Consider furniture to be used in several ways: a bench to sit on when coffee is served, but also on which one can lie down on as if it were a lounger, for example!

The lawn requires care, but on the other hand, paving is a big expense which also makes the garden more hot. Why not settle on something in between? Large stone slabs (or similar paving) to create the path to be walked on, and all around let the greenery grow. There are a myriad of ground cover plants (which grow out over the ground instead of upward), super hardy and often displaying beautiful, variegated leaves. And you don't have to cut this as often as an open lawn!

Are you ready to bring your garden back to life?