With the cost of living going up and stretching household budgets, you may not have as much money to transform your back garden as you once did.
So, Charlie will transform the one backyard three times with the budget increasing each time to show you what you get for various levels of spend.
And of course, there’ll be lots of cost saving tips along the way.
Before:
After:
Part 1: Defining the borders
How to zone your garden
Step 1
Dig out and remove old features such as a clothesline.
Step 2
Spray marking paint to define new garden boundary curves to suit your design.
Step 3
Hire a turf cutter to remove turf where wider, curved garden beds will be.
Step 4
Pressure wash fence to remove algae and dirt.
Step 5
Use a roller to apply 2 coats exterior paint in your chosen colour to the fence. Allow to dry after each coat.
Step 6
Follow manufacturer’s instructions to attach new clothesline to fence.
Step 7
Install garden edging along beds, according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 8
Arrange plants to allow for growth, then plant, water in well and mulch.
How to build sleeper stepping stones
Gather your supplies
- 200 x 100 x 2.4m H4 treated pine sleepers x 3
- Timber decking stain in charcoal
You will also need
- Wheelbarrow
- Rake
- Shovel
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Square
- Circular saw
- Paintbrush
- 125mm bugle head screws
- Level
- Mallet
- Broom
Step 1
On ground beneath arbour, use rake, shovel and wheelbarrow to separately dig out mulch and then soil to about 300mm deep. Tamp down base. Recycle mulch onto mulched area elsewhere in yard.
Step 2
Mark up sleepers and cut in half (so 1200mm) with saw. Repeat for a total of 5 stepping stones.
Step 3
Apply 2 coats of stain to the top 50mm of 3 sleepers, where they will protrude from the ground.
Step 4
Put 2 unpainted sleepers in base of hole, parallel to arbour sides. Check and adjust for plumb with level and mallet. Sit painted sleepers on top at 90°. Stagger horizontally for visual interest. Check level and adjust as needed. Predrill and screw together top and bottom sleepers, using 2 bugle screws per sleeper, equally spaced.
Step 5
Return soil around sleepers with shovel until top 20-30mm is just visible, stamp down loose soil until compact. Sweep sleepers with broom to complete.
Part 2: Create a feature
How to build an arbour
Gather your supplies
- 140 x 45mm x 3m H3 treated pine x 3
- 90 x 90mm x 3m H4 treated pine posts x 4
- 70 x 45mm x 2.4m H3 treated pine x 6
- 2.4 x 1.2m lattice panels x 2
- 18 x 18mm x 2.4m H3 treated pine x 4
- Weathershield exterior paint in your colour of choice
- 14g x 125mm galvanised batten bugle screws
- 40 x 2mm galvanised bullet head nails
- Quick set concrete 20kg x 8 bags
You’ll also need
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Square
- Circular saw
- Ruler
- Painting gear
- Drill
- Impact driver
- 14g smart-bit countersink drill bit
- Post hole digger
- Scrap timber lengths
- Nail gun
- Claw hammer
- Large flat head nails
- Spirit level
- Mallet
- Centre punch
- Step ladders x 2
Step 1
Use tape measure, pencil, square and circular saw to measure, mark up and cut timber as specified in the Components table.
Step 2
To create tapers on each end of both beams, measure 40mm into width, then 250mm along length. Mark with pencil. Use ruler to connect pencil marks. Draw diagonal lines. Refer to Beam taper diagram.
Step 3
Use circular saw to cut along pencil lines to create tapers.
Step 4
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to create tapers on battens, this time, measuring 25mm into width and 200mm along length. Refer to Batten taper diagram.
Step 5
Apply 2 coats of exterior paint to all cut timber components. Allow to dry after each coat.
Step 6
To do first arbour side panel frame, set out 2 posts parallel, on a flat surface, rail width apart. Sit rail on top of posts to form a ‘U’ shape with no overhang at top or sides.
Step 7
Drill 2 countersink holes into rail with smart drill bit. Position holes diagonally from each other and about 50mm from rail edges.
Step 8
Insert bugle screws into predrilled holes. Screw tight with impact driver.
Step 9
Repeat Steps 6 to 8 No cutting 4 to assemble frame for the second side panel.
Step 10
Dig 4 holes 200mm wide x 600mm deep using post hole digger. Position holes 1780mm apart for width and 1380mm for depth (the rail length). Tamp interior of the holes with a post to firm ground.
Step 11
Use a length of scrap timber as a temporary brace for first side panel. Use a nail gun (or hammer and flat nail) to attach brace about 700mm up from bottom ends of post. Leave enough room to remove nail later with a claw hammer.
Step 12
Stand side panel posts in holes with rail facing outwards. Attach a scrap timber length to the front post about 1500mm above ground, to act as a temporary diagonal brace.
Step 13
Taper a final piece of scrap timber to act as an anchoring peg for diagonal brace. Nail peg as an ankle to the brace with a large flat head nail. Next, use a level and mallet to check and adjust posts for plumb. Hammer peg into ground with mallet to hold arbour still for construction.
Step 14
Repeat Steps 11 to 13 to install the second side panel and bracing.
Step 15
To create an easy reference point for when it’s time to assemble battens, use centre punch and hammer to create indents along top edge of both beams, starting 280mm from end of top of beam. From here, create indents every 400mm for 6 indents in total. Measure from centre to centre of indents.
Step 16
Measure and mark up 470mm in from the ends of beam fronts. Predrill holes through depth of beam. Insert bugle screws.
Step 17
Measure and mark up a line, 250mm in from the batten ends.
Step 18
With a spare set of hands, hold front beam against front posts. Use level to check for plumb. Screw beam to post with impact driver. Repeat to attach second beam to rear posts.
Step 19
Place battens perpendicular to beams, lining up predrilled holes with indents on beams. Insert screws and tighten with impact driver.
Step 20
Measure and mark up a vertical line, 15mm in from the inner face of all the side posts.
Step 21
Attach beading along pencil lines with nail gun (or bullet head nails and hammer). Do nails equally at about 150mm increments.
Step 22
From inside of arbour, position lattice panels against beading and secure with nail gun, or nails and hammer. Space nails roughly 150mm apart.
Step 23
To permanently secure your arbour, pour 2 bags concrete into each post hole. Add about 4 litres of water per hole, then mix with scrap timber. Let set.
Step 24
Use claw hammer to remove nails from timber support braces. Remove pegs from ground.
Part 3: Build your retreat
How to create a dreamy outdoor zone
Gather your supplies
- Curved aluminium garden edging
- Road base
- Geotextile fabric
- 10mm river pebbles
- Portable firepit and furniture to suit
- Forest fines mulch
- Assorted plants
You’ll also need
- Landscape marking spray
- Pickaxe
- Shovel
- Rubber mallet
- Metal rake
- Level
- Tamper
- Utility knife
Step 1
Mark out circle for your chill zone, then use pickaxe and shovel to dig out turf within, to a depth of 80mm below your finished edge height.
Step 2
Install edging around circle, according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 3
Fill circle with road base to 50mm deep, make level and tamper down. Spray down with hose.
Step 4
Line road base with geotextile fabric; use knife to cut edges to fit.
Step 5
Fill circle with river pebbles to depth of 30mm.
Step 6
Add furniture, firepit and plant around the edging, then mulch. Complete your dreamy outdoor zone with textured river pebble groundcover, then chill by your firepit and ignore the world.
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How to makeover a garden on a small budget
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