‘THIS REVAMP COST UNDER

p cost UNDER £900!’

TOP DECK

‘The large rug really helps bring the scheme together and gives a cosy feeling to the space’ Heidi Stone followed a boho chic vibe in her stunning garden, filling it with relaxing seating areas and beautiful planting

We had so much to do when we moved to our new home over six years ago and the garden was definitely bottom of the list, says Heidi. ‘We’ve worked our way through most of the inside of the house, putting in a new bathroom and en suite, sorting the hall, living room and the bedrooms.

We’re both handy, so have done much of the painting and some major jobs ourselves. When lockdown began, we decided to do something with our garden.

First moves

The boys love to play football out there, so we spent some time getting the grass up to scratch. We had some mature plants, but the flower beds were small and very sparse, so our first job was to make them a bit bigger. There are two areas at the back of the garden separated by the shed, and we gave each an individual look and purpose. We began with the decked space. It was old fashioned and boxed in with strange banister-type railings. We ripped them out and treated the deck itself, which was sound, oiling it and adding a special seal.

IDEA TO STEAL A large rug adds a visual impact, but is easy to roll up and store in case of rain TOTA L £897

TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST Moving and sorting

I wanted to create a boho chic vibe and a relaxing seating area, so we ordered three new fence panels to go along the back of the deck, replacing the rattan pieces that were there. The rattan was then recycled to hide the back of the garage. The garden furniture was next. I had wanted to buy a new set, but there were such problems with stock and deliveries that I dragged out my 12-year-old benches from Ikea to see what could be done. Having washed all the covers and painted the metal arms black, I realised they still looked good. I love orange teamed with black and white, and chose a large

‘I saved money by making my own planters – I bought some basic crates and lined them’ Do it!

CRATE PLANTERS

Shop around for cheap wooden crates or recycle used ones.

Make sure they are nice and deep and line the sides and bottom with thick, heavy-duty plastic sheeting. If sticking to the natural look, coat with a clear varnish so they last longer, or paint in a stain to suit your colour scheme elsewhere in the garden.

Plan out your planting, opting for varieties that you know will grow happily in a container.

The crates will be heavy so place in a sunny position before you start filling. Add crocks to the bottom for drainage then fill with compost and plant up. Water well.

new rug, which combined the colours, and added a leather pouffe we’d bought at a Brighton flea market.

Recycling win

The other side of the shed was a nothing space, and I had the idea of making it a cottage-style eating area. I found a lovely set of cane furniture online for £100, which looks a bit retro. When the weather is nice, we eat out there and it’s also somewhere to do potting and planting.

Plant solutions

Although the flower beds were looking good, I wanted more greenery on the deck and I’ve used a mix of real and artificial plants to make it feel lush. Amazon, Clas Ohlson and Ikea have a great selection and it means you can leave them out there and not worry too much. We also found out that our local garden centre was offering pick-and-mix bundles of plants that would otherwise perish, and we got a huge amount for £100, which has filled up the beds.

Final touches

Rather than use our existing cushions, I invested in a few special new ones for both areas to mix in with the theme: shapes for the boho side and insects and flowers for the country side. I also added a string of lights so we could sit out at night. It took us around five weeks in all. I was teaching online throughout, but I’m so thrilled we took the time to do it.’

‘I FOUND A LOVELY SET OF CANE FURNITURE ONLINE FOR £100, WHICH LOOKS A BIT RETRO’

LUCKY FIND

‘There was an old stepladder in the shed, which is ideal for plants and lanterns’