Cheap back yard ideas

Energize

Energize

Energize

Caporegime
Joined
12 Mar 2004
Posts
29,960
Location
England
So I've recently moved into a shared house with a small back yard that's just empty at the moment, all stone paving, so I thought I'd take it on as a little project. I'm looking for cheap winter garden ideas like potted plants, maybe some decorations/furniture. The yard is north facing with a 2m brick wall around it so it doesn't get much light unfortunately, I guess I'm looking for stuff that is relatively hardy. I have no idea what I'm doing at the moment! I've taken some measurements obviously not to scale, the red lines are doors, the one at the top opens inwards. Literally any advice would be appreciated.





 
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Keep an untamed section, with wildflowers, log pile or compost heap to entice hedgehogs, they're in decline by 30% in urban areas, and 50% in rural areas. They're vital against the unrelenting presence of slugs. Bug hotels are popular too.
 
Not a lot is going to grow in a cold shaded spot in winter, even the easiest of winter flowers like pansies need a bit of sun. You could try some I guess, they are cheap. I'd also plant up some pots with bulbs ready for the spring.
 
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Welshman said:
how will the hedgehogs get through the brickwall??
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I must have skim read and missed that part before the photos were uploaded. I'll leave my comment incase someone with a more open backyard refers to this thread for ideas on their own backyard.
 
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Cut drainage holes through the wall for adventurous hedgehogs, ;) then hang pots on the wall with trailing ferns and other forest type plants that love shade. In early spring, plant marigold seeds in pots on your windowsill and put them out in may to give colour along with other annuals like pansies.
 
There's actually a hole in the brickwall so wild life can come through.

I've now attached a couple of pictures to the op. My dad is going to come over and powerwash the paving. Even if there was some fake decor I could put up in the meanwhile it would be an improvement.
 
What are the recommended brands of string lights for outdoor use? Can these be powered from lithium or lead acid batteries or do they need a mains connection?

That white wall is particularly garish could do with painting something a bit more in keeping with the rest of the yard.

Maybe some trellis with a climbing plant could help it look a little less industrial and provide a better backdrop.
 
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You can get variety of cheapish solar string lights from places like B&M. Or get some mains powered ones (Amazon?) and just run them through the window to a plug inside for now?

Clean patio will make a big difference. Jetwash all the brick walls too. You can use a hypochlorite solution wash to get rid of the algea growth.

Make a long ish (6ft-8ft) wooden planter to go against the wall, trellis up the back and have a climber in there. Ferns are good for shady spots too as mentioned but they die off in the winter.

You could paint the white wall a Mediterranean kind of orangey clay colour maybe?
 
My first question is what are you trying to achieve. A useable space that people want to go into, or just to make it look nicer?

Do you want to be / are green fingered? My other half picked up a fake hanging basket that is super realistic. No idea why she did, we have loads of planter boxes and people just assume the hanging basket is real because they know we grow plants.

You can get some pretty decent cheap green wall (fake) stuff.
From your directions I assume back to house looking out the gate is looking north? If so the the white wall faces East so morning till probs early/mid afternoon sun. Depending on time of year.

Really I think the main thing is if your planning to try to use the space or just to make it look nicer.
 
zaniro said:
Keep an untamed section, with wildflowers, log pile or compost heap to entice hedgehogs, they're in decline by 30% in urban areas, and 50% in rural areas. They're vital against the unrelenting presence of slugs. Bug hotels are popular too.
Click to expand...

Hedgehog would need a ladder though!!!
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
My first question is what are you trying to achieve. A useable space that people want to go into, or just to make it look nicer?

Do you want to be / are green fingered? My other half picked up a fake hanging basket that is super realistic. No idea why she did, we have loads of planter boxes and people just assume the hanging basket is real because they know we grow plants.

You can get some pretty decent cheap green wall (fake) stuff.
From your directions I assume back to house looking out the gate is looking north? If so the the white wall faces East so morning till probs early/mid afternoon sun. Depending on time of year.

Really I think the main thing is if your planning to try to use the space or just to make it look nicer.
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I suppose for the winter period just to look nicer, but as the weather warms up I would definitely like to make it a useable space as I like sitting outdoors whether I'm reading, on my laptop or having a bbq/meal with friends. When I was a kid my grandmother had a huge 200m garden backing onto the canal and I used to do loads of gardening, just at the last place I lived at it was a 2 bed apartment with no dedicated outdoor space.

Maybe a bird table would be a good thing to have in winter months?

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
They can if they choose fit through quite small gaps.
I suspect there may be enough space under the gate for a normal size hog.

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Well they can definitely fit through the hole in the wall next to the gate in any case as rats come through there no problem. :p
 
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Energize said:
I suppose for the winter period just to look nicer, but as the weather warms up I would definitely like to make it a useable space as I like sitting outdoors whether I'm reading, on my laptop or having a bbq/meal with friends. When I was a kid my grandmother had a huge 200m garden backing onto the canal and I used to do loads of gardening, just at the last place I lived at it was a 2 bed apartment with no dedicated outdoor space.

Maybe a bird table would be a good thing to have in winter months?



Well they can definitely fit through the hole in the wall next to the gate in any case as rats come through there no problem. :p
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Its touch and go for bird table as they should be at least 2m from any nearby walls etc.

Have you discussed with house mates at all. How many are there?
I would assume all would be using it if you make it nice. So maybe you need seating for 4 say?

Tidy up IMO for winter.

Then consider for summer some seating, heavier permanent or cheap light if you think a risk of it going missing.
Add some pots with some trees probably (small conifers for example).
You probably want to check with owner if you can mess with the wall or not. If you can a few pre planted hanging baskets.
Then maybe consider some seasonal plants, again in pots. Things like chilli plants will flower and attract bees plus look good. Ie mix some plants for food with flowering plants.
A "pub type" bench table may be your best bet. EG https://www.gardenstreet.co.uk/gard...l_uyroAG1M20gb6iXaRsZ3-JQhLqIokqrRTe--c11JzIY
Not easy to steal when built. Should last a few years and you can dismantle and take with you if you move on.
You can work at it, have a group get together etc.
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Its touch and go for bird table as they should be at least 2m from any nearby walls etc.

Have you discussed with house mates at all. How many are there?
I would assume all would be using it if you make it nice. So maybe you need seating for 4 say?

Tidy up IMO for winter.

Then consider for summer some seating, heavier permanent or cheap light if you think a risk of it going missing.
Add some pots with some trees probably (small conifers for example).
You probably want to check with owner if you can mess with the wall or not. If you can a few pre planted hanging baskets.
Then maybe consider some seasonal plants, again in pots. Things like chilli plants will flower and attract bees plus look good. Ie mix some plants for food with flowering plants.
A "pub type" bench table may be your best bet. EG https://www.gardenstreet.co.uk/gard...l_uyroAG1M20gb6iXaRsZ3-JQhLqIokqrRTe--c11JzIY
Not easy to steal when built. Should last a few years and you can dismantle and take with you if you move on.
You can work at it, have a group get together etc.
Click to expand...

It's a 5 bedroom house but at the moment there is only one other tenant after the couple in the other room burgled my flat and were charged with burglary and have been prohibited from coming back to this address on bail. :cry:

Lighting would be nice, I can't imagine it going missing really, my other house mate is pretty chilled and is fine with whatever I do with the garden. Landlord doesn't really give a toss about the decrepit property so I think I can get away with hanging baskets, it's not as though I can make the place look any worse!

That site you linked to has given me a lot of ideas re raised flower beds etc. Think I just need to cover up that garish white brick wall with something maybe a trellis as suggested earlier with some climbers.

Think for now I'll go with one of those sets of a small round table with a couple of chairs, cheap and allows me to use my laptop or eat outside etc when the weather is good.
 
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Energize said:
My dad is going to come over and powerwash the paving. Even if there was some fake decor I could put up in the meanwhile it would be an improvement.
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After the paving/walls are cleaned and dried, treat them with BAC50 (Benzalkonium Chloride 50%) diluted to around 2% - 2.5%. It will very slowly get rid of any remaining green, white or black spots and keep it that way for a year or so. In an area with lots of shadow anything cleaned will degrade again quickly if not treated.

This is same chemical Patio magic and Wet and Forget products use but less than a fifth of the cost!
 
I'm familiar with that chemical as it's the active ingredient in my mouthwash, I never new it had herbicidal effects though!
 
if its a shared house why not power wash the slabs to make it cleaner and get a planter or 2 like the following then thats yours to do with what you want.
717wnPfZymL._AC_SL1280_.jpg
 
2013 said:
if its a shared house why not power wash the slabs to make it cleaner and get a planter or 2 like the following then thats yours to do with what you want.
717wnPfZymL._AC_SL1280_.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah, my dad has a powerwasher so he's going to be doing that, and I saw those planters on the above linked site and think they would work pretty well, add a bit of garden furniture, and something to cover up the walls a bit.
 
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