Are you a renter with a yard, who's longing for lawn on which to loll about or a herb garden to tend?

You can easily add both, then take them with you when you move. Imagine the look on the removalist’s face when you say: ‘Yes mate, I said we’re taking the lawn, too!

1. Cordylines not only look great in tubs, their tall, leafy and narrow form makes them ideal for screening, too. Just plant up a few pots and arrange them en masse where desired. Best of all, cordylines come in a wide range of colours and leaf forms. So you’ll be sure to find a variety to suit your needs.

2. Add tiers of potted colour to a fence or wall by adding hanging baskets filled with cheerful geraniums. You don't even need to screw in hooks, just use basket hooks and suspend from the top of the fence. Then hang the basket. For an attractive tiered effect, attach another hook to the bottom of the first basket to suspend another basket. Repeat as required.

3. Star jasmine is a vigorous climber that’s quite at home in large tubs. Just provide a stake or frame for this pretty plant to twine around, and you’ll be rewarded with masses of richly fragrant spring flowers.

4. Spruce up bland walls. We used Dulux Exterior textured paint (in medium texture), that was tinted in Bleached Bark, to bring life to a large wall. It provides a finish that’s similar in appearance to a bagged or rendered surface but is simply applied with a roller.

5. Faux wrought-iron plaques are a simple but effective way to dress up a wall. They can be hung on basket hooks – there’s no drilling or hammering required. And for best effect, where space allows, use a number of plaques rather than just one on its own.

6. Enviro Grass is the modern version of the much-maligned AstroTurf. It comes in a variety of textures that replicate various turf grasses. Roughly position your Enviro Grass and trim it to shape with a Stanley knife. TIP: Lay it along the longest straight edge to reduce cutting.

7. Pour dry sand over the Enviro Grass once it’s trimmed into shape. The sand anchors the turf. Evenly distribute about 20kg of dry sand per 10sqm. Sweep the sand into the pile of the turf, then smooth down the pile.

8. To finish off your new outdoor room, why not add a rug? The lovely Alfresco rug pictured above is designed to take whatever the great outdoors throws at it – rain, hail or shine.

9. This fantastic courtyard now provides the best of both worlds – lots of spots for pottering around in, and a lovely area in which to relax and entertain. And the best thing is, it can all be packed up when it’s time to move on – it’s truly a dream garden to go!