I transformed my garden using a £5 buy from B&M – it cost me a tenth of what I was quoted & still looks good 2 years on
A WOMAN has proven that you haven't got to fork out a small fortune to make a huge difference in your garden.
Instead, Emily Clare, who was left "completely shocked" when she was quoted an extortionate amount for a patio or decking two years ago, decided to take matters into her own hands.
In a clip posted to TikTok (@coloursofnumberone), she explains how she ditched the initial plan in favour of a holiday, and instead decided to DIY her garden space herself.
Sharing exactly how she achieved the finished look, she begins by saying how she placed a "super cheap" weed membrane down that she snapped up for £5 from B&M.
Next, she hammered a few pieces of timber to form an edge around the required space, before filling it in using two huge bulk bags of gravel.
Demonstrating how hard work pays off, she enthuses: "Two years later now and it honestly still looks great!
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"We use it loads we keep our furniture on it and it's showing no signs of any weeds growing through or needing topping up with more gravel or anything."
She goes on to say that the patio has needed no maintenance since, so it's little surprise she admits she's "proud" of what she's managed to achieve on her own.
Two years later now and it honestly still looks great!
Emily Clare
Despite admitting it was hard graft, she adds it was "surprisingly easy" and she'd definitely advise anyone follow in her savvy footsteps over summer.
That way, she notes you can save your hard-earned cash for a well-deserved holiday.
Alongside the post, the DIY whizz penned: "Your garden doesn’t have to cost thousands!! This is one of my best projects to date.
"Who needs decking or a patio installed when you can DIY this for a tenth of the cost.
"Also look at how far the climbing plants have come in two years!!"
It wasn't long before the video went viral, racking up a whopping 667k views and hundreds of comments from very impressed social media users.
"Omg this is amazing!" praised one.
A second penned: "This is a great idea & never would have thought to just go on top of the turf!"
A third enthused: "Looks amazing! Thank you for posting, I’m going to give it a go myself too."
Meanwhile, a fourth noted:"Looks great, I'm planning on trying something similar."
Another added: "This has literally made me jump up and inform my husband we are going to B&Ms. This is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. Thank you!"
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And one more chimed in: "We did the same! We couldn’t justify the decking/patio and went with gravel!
"We also managed to get the gravel for free after talking nicely to the site team so win win really!"
May gardening jobs
The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the tasks you need to crack on with in May.
GARDEN growth can go from nought to ninety in May, depending on the weather. The last UK frosts are generally seen at the beginning of the month, so all of a sudden there’s so much more to do and grow.
Plant out dahlia tubers
It's a joy to finally plant out your dahlia tubers. Remember how big they can get - and space accordingly - anything up to half a metre apart.
It's a good idea to put your support stakes in now instead of trying to work around them.
And make sure you include lots of well rotted manure or decent compost to feed it and then mulch to keep it moist and suppress weeds. They generally start blooming in July.
Final feed to Spring flowers
You can give a cheeky feed to all your remaining tulips and daffodils.
Although the majority of bulbs aren’t guaranteed to come back year after year any more, as long as you’ve left them to die back naturally there’s a good chance they’ll have stored enough energy to come back again. Tomato feed is fine.
Tie up climbers
Your clematis, honeysuckle and rambling roses should be well on their way by now - try to use plastic free string to tie them back into their support, or tuck them round each other to make sure they don’t sprout off in crazy directions.
Feed the lawn
It’s not too late to give your lawn a good feed.
Whether you use granular or liquid, it can give it a good boost to see it through the harsher summer months.
While mowing, don’t go too low with your cut length yet and never take more than a third off the grass height.
Get creative
It’s also time to get creative with hanging baskets and pots.
Trailing pelargoniums, which a lot of people call geraniums, and Begonias are a good, low cost way of getting lovely returning blooms throughout the summer in your baskets.
And pots can be planted with spring bulbs.
Don't forget the greenhouse!
Give your greenhouse a good tidy and clean the glass inside and out.
The improved light will help plants grow quicker inside and tidying is good for the soul.
You can just use a household white wine vinegar and water solution - or even neat if you’re feeling spendy - which gives a really good shine.