DIYer Turns Overgrown Yard Into Communal Garden For Under £50
- Helena, 56, wanted to create an outdoor space to sit in
- Her communal garden was overgrown and neglected
- She decided to tackle it herself and pick up bargains to spruce it up
- Money-saving buys were incredibly cheap, free or donated
- The space has been transformed into a relaxing garden for under £50
When you live in an upstairs flat it can be difficult to do without a garden, especially if you like gardening or sitting outside.
One savvy DIYer decided to turn her overgrown communal garden into a relaxing haven for herself and other residents in her block of flats - and she got the job done for under £50.
Helena Reid, 56 from Sheffield, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘My flat is an upstairs one, so I don’t have my own garden balcony or even a window box.
‘I got really fed up with having nowhere to sit out and I had seen posts in Facebook groups about what people have managed to do with their balconies.
‘We only have a communal garden, which is shared between four flats and is where all the bins and washing lines live.
‘It was overgrown with weeds and the council haven't done anything to it so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I wanted to create a nice place for us to sit outside.
‘First of all the weeds all had to be cleared. My son, his girlfriend and my daughter all helped me do that. It took us a good few hours.
‘We were limited to what we could actually do because the communal garden is all flagstones - so any planting had to be in pots.
‘Another obstacle was the washing lines - we could only put plant pots against the wall. There is also a bee’s nest so we had to avoid it.
‘I wanted to brighten the area up, so I painted one of the walls with some leftover paint I had. We then went to Home Bargains for some compost, planters and plants.
‘The plant pots cost between £1.30 and £4, and we also had plant pots and plants given to us by friends and family.
‘I had some twinkly solar lights and was given some post solar lights as well so we put those in the garden and it looks really nice at night now.
‘I managed to get our table from the roadside - it was being given away for free. My mum gave us the parasol and stand.
‘The chairs and olive tree cane from a reclamation yard and cost me £30 altogether.
‘In total I would not say I’ve spent more than £50 on the project as a whole.
‘The garden is still a work in progress. I have to repair and paint the fence and I keep adding bits to it.
‘I’ve painted a couple of bird houses and a few old tins which I’ve used as planters to add colour.
‘I got the candle holder for free so I spray painted that and added flowers.
‘I made a bird bath from two planters painted and glued together.
‘Everything was done on a tight budget but I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved so far.
‘I’m growing some plants from seed, and even my grandson is growing some tomatoes. We have herbs and potatoes too.
‘I want to add some trellis to the fence and a few decorative pieces, along with some more plants.
‘If I had to do it all again I’d definitely start earlier in the year so we have a bigger variety of plants.
‘I want to encourage more birds, bees and butterflies to the garden so I’ve put a couple of bird feeders up and planted lavender. Next year there will be more plants to attract them.
‘Hopefully other people will be inspired by our little garden. All we need now is some sun.
‘If you have a little bit of help from family and friends, it’s amazing what you can achieve.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Helena has proven that you can still do up an outdoor space, even if you don’t have a property that is attached to a garden.
‘By shopping smartly she has done a great job at transforming this overgrown space and turning it into a relaxing garden for everyone in her block of flats.’
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Well done Helena on transforming the back garden by not spending a lot of cash. Love how the plants have made a big difference and your hard work paid off.