I spent £150 upgrading my ugly garden wall – I got cheap furniture on Facebook too, I’m over the moon with how it looks
WHEN you think of a garden renovation, you probably think it's going to break the bank.
But one man has shown how he updated his outside space on a budget - spending just £150 to transform his "ugly wall".
Martin took to his TikTok page to share the transformation, which he began by painting the brick wall black.
"The reason I did this was so I wouldn't be able to see the brick behind the wooden batten," he explained.
But it was time-consuming, so he said that a "cheaper and easier option" would be to attach a weed membrane to the wall, with the battens then going on top.
Hopefully we'll have a summer soon to enjoy it!
Martin, DIY aficionado
Once the wall was dry, he fixed three vertical fence rails to the wall, before he started fitting all the battens.
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He paid £76 for 30 lengths of 4.8m timber from a supply store in Sunderland.
After they were all in place, he used leftover fence paint that he'd originally bought from B&Q for £15.
He wired up some outdoor lights, and bought a "beautiful outdoor rug" to go underneath some furniture he'd snapped up from Facebook Marketplace.
"The new rugs made it feel so much more homely and nice under bare feet," he added.
Finishing off the project, he jetwashed and resealed everything, adding: "Hopefully we'll have a summer soon to enjoy it!"
"Over the moon with how this little idea turned out for a cheap makeover on an unsightly wall," Martin captioned the video.
"Fantastic job that mate, well done, made a massive difference to the garden!" one person commented on the clip.
"Cracking job, love this," another added.
With Martin replying: "Thank you, I'm so pleased with it!"
6 Spring Gardening Jobs You Can Do in 60 mins
A gardening pro, or just starting your planting journey? Nigel Lawton, a gardening expert at Dobbies Garden Centres has shared the six jobs you can do to transform your garden in under an hour.
1. Tidy up
Remove dead leaves, neaten beds and borders, remove any seeds and apply a good layer of mulch over the surface with organic peat-free compost. TIME: 60 mins
2. Design beds and borders
Trim back winter flowering plants where blooms have started to fade. Start by removing any dead, diseased or damaged branches, and get rid of any branches that cross over, Nigel says.
Then prune summer flowering shrubs like Buddleia, Lavatera and hardy Fuschias to allow room for new growth. As well as encouraging new growth in the plant by removing dead material, pruning will also allow you to control the height and shape of your plants. TIME: 50 mins
3. Create a cosy patio
If you have a patio, transform it into a cosy socialising spot.
Start by giving that a good clean with a jet wash to quickly complete the job in under an hour. You can further liven up the area by adding some garden furniture paired with some cushions, some throws, and an outdoor rug. TIME: 30 mins
4. Refresh pots
To enjoy instant colour in your garden this spring, Nigel recommends refreshing your pots, hanging baskets, and window boxes with early season flowers for a country garden effect.
Plant in threes or fives to create a impactful display with small, medium, and large plants of different heights beside your door. TIME: 15 mins
5. Lawncare
Another beginner-friendly task you can do to spruce up your garden is taking care of the lawn by cultivating the soil and making sure the area is level and firm.
Rake out any moss or dead grass, and apply lawn treatement in late spring. TIME: 15-30 mins
6. Welcome wildlife
Spring is the perfect time to welcome wildlife into your garden as small animals come out of hibernation and new birds hatch into life.
To ensure your garden is a safe space for wildlife, Nigel suggests dedicating a small section of your garden to creating a wildlife-friendly habitat with pollinating plants and places for small animals and insects to shelter.
You can create a safe space for them by stacking branches in a shaded spot to help protect them from the elements. All of this can be done in under an hour. TIME: 40 mins
"Love it, looks amazing," a third wrote.
"That looks really good mate, well done, will give it a try myself," someone else commented.
"Thanks mate, easy enough to do in a few hours," Martin responded.
"If I did it again I'd paint all the lengths before you put them up - save messing about with a brush in the gaps."
