How to do up your garden on a budget: Garden furniture

Okay, you’ve created a landscape plan and picked out plants, so now it’s time to think about the garden furniture.

Having a place to sit, entertain and enjoy the outdoors makes all the difference in a garden. Without outdoor seating, a garden could become merely a view from your home or a place in which to work.

However, good garden furniture can be expensive, so here are some tips to help you furnish your garden on a tight budget:

Use what you have

If you have some garden furniture, but it’s mismatched and looking the worse for wear, roll up your sleeves and use paint or wood vanish to revamp each piece and create a cohesive look.

Turn trash into treasure

If you don’t mind dumpster diving, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you can find in other people’s trash.

I had wanted an outdoor coffee table for ages, but I didn’t want to spend more money after buying two garden benches. One day, I found a table frame in our complex bin room that was almost perfect – it just needed a new top. I gave it a spray paint and added an inexpensive tray that fitted the top perfectly and hey presto, we had an outdoor table.

Buy second-hand

Whether it’s a second-hand shop, school fair or online market, scout around for preloved garden furniture and you could find the pieces you love at a fraction of the new retail price.

DIY what you can

If you’re handy, you could turn wooden pallets into patio furniture (click here for a tutorial)

However, you don’t necessarily have to pick up a hammer to make garden furniture. Simply pop outdoor cushions on strong plastic storage boxes and you have some instant garden seats (and an extra storage space). It’s a perfect seating option for a small outdoor space, like a balcony.

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