Everyone wants an inviting outdoor space. And you can create a dream place for yourself, just like this one here, even on a budget. Read on for our smart money-saving garden design ideas, and see how you can turn a tired old yard into a fab new landscape with a minimum of fuss and surprisingly, a small amount of cash!

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Fence fixes

Add definition

One of the simplest and cheapest things you can do to improve your backyard is to define the functions of various areas. This tidies things up and can provide you with new usable spaces. You may even find that materials already in place can be re-used.

Clearing your yard will make the space feel larger. Begin by removing any unwanted lawn, taking care to save strips to patch any damaged grassy areas. Clear garden beds of weeds and unwanted plants. Carefully remove any edging or walls. To re-lay edging, dig a shallow trench at least one-third of the proposed height of the edging, and bed down the flags in a sand-and-cement mix.

For large areas, you can save loads of money if you mix your own cement, rather than buying premixed bags. Simply blend three parts sand with one part cement, and add a little Bondcrete to improve the binding ability of the mix. Clean up the joints with a damp sponge before the mix sets completely. Give the mix at least a couple of days to cure completely, before backfilling the trench with soil.