There’s nothing better than kicking back in your own garden or outdoor space and whiling away a few hours. If you’re renting you may have a few restrictions on the physical changes you can make to your property.

However, this does not prevent you from having your own outdoor retreat; you can still create a lovely garden nook.

The trick is to keep it temporary and portable. Thanks to smart new products it’s easier to achieve. 

Remember, though, that any extra permanent changes you wish to make will need an okay from the property owner.

1. With a lick of paint, fresh paving tiles and a dynamic array of pots and plants, it’s hard to imagine this chill-out zone as the unappealing space it was. Add finishing touches such as a large water bowl, bench seat and a ready-made timber screen as a backdrop.

2. If a dreary timber gate or fence needs a lift, the quickest way may be to give each a coat of paint in a dark colour – we used Dulux exterior in Black. The paint transforms a drab fence into a strong backdrop for plants.

3. These spiffy modular tiles clip together to create an instant paved surface. They’re available in various colours and textures – we used granite. Starting from a corner, lay your tiles, ensuring they’re firmly clipped together. We laid our tiles 500mm in from the side walls so we could position pots and add a band of decorative mulch. TIP: If using a border tile, it’s often easier to lay the border first.

4. Select pots that are bold and funky yet lightweight. We used fibreglass composite Fibreclay pots. To keep the pots light and portable, don’t plant directly into them. Position supports inside the pots. We used bricks but you could use timber blocks or inverted plastic pots.

5. Where possible, choose plants that can remain in their plastic pots for some time – we chose super-tough yucca. Pop your plants, still in their containers, into the decorative pots. If required, adjust the height of the supports, then dress up the top with coconut-fibre mulch.

6. Not all plants can be kept in their plastic pots. When the time comes to plant them, fill your pots or tubs with a good quality potting mix. It may cost a few extra dollars, but quality mixes include many goodies such as water crystals. These can help keep maintenance down to a minimum.

7. Once you have finished dressing up your pots, mulch around them. This is one of the visual tricks to making the temporary landscape look more permanent. We used a mulch of fine blue metal as it matches the granite tiles beautifully. You could also use an organic mulch, however, it will breakdown and can be a little messy to remove.

8. Select bold foliage plants such as the striking Liriope ‘Evergreen Giant’. This strappy plant is super-hardy and looks fantastic all year round in pots or tubs.