It can be pretty expensive to upgrade your garden, especially if you want to put in a pool or a sunroom or something like that that adds value. While you know it’s going to be valuable in the end, sometimes you just want to give your garden a new look without having to go with the investment depth of a fully functioning pool. Sometimes, you just want to be able to sit outside in a beautiful space without the worry of spending a ton of cash to get there.

Of course, what you spend to make it look good will always depend on what you started out with, but your garden can be upgraded for a lot less than you think. There’s nothing quite like the therapy you get when you spend time in the garden, especially during the summer months. The good news is that you can do much of the upgrading in your garden by yourself. You can still call in experts to help you but you don't have to go down that route if your budget doesn't allow it. Don't even worry if you don't know how to get started; that’s the idea behind this article! We’ve put together some ideas that will help you to upgrade your garden without spending too much. Let’s talk about it!

1. Start with a cut back. You can borrow garden equipment if you need to and you don't own any yourself. Borrowing blowers and lawn mowers is 100% low cost because it’s actually free to do that, especially if you have great neighbors. You can just make sure that you fill the tanks if they’re gas powered. By starting your garden with a cutback, you can keep it looking good and you can see what else needs to be done to ensure its health.

2. Style your weeds. Yes, we believe that you should be slicing back the weeds and pulling them by the root, but some weeds turn to beautiful flower bushes and those weeds are the ones that should be styled. You should consider the fact that weed styling was even used as a way to make plants look beautiful at the Chelsea Flower Show - the ultimate in outdoor trends. The best part is that you can really get creative here and make it the prettiest part of the garden. 

3. Recycle your waste. Reclaimed waste and rubble can help you to inject a little urban appeal into your garden. Try sticking to the woody, drought-tolerant plants if you choose to do this, though. You won’t be able to keep a rose bush going in rocks but you can make a point of choosing plants for their poor nutrient value and excellent drainage. It’ll give your garden a brand new look and keep your space the way you want it to look.

4. Get stuck into chaos. If you want your garden to be eclectic and you want a bold look, grab seeds from your favorite plants and scatter them across the garden. It’s a great way to add some new chaos to the plant beds and you’ll add so much more colour to the area. Not only will this make it look nice, it will elevate the garden space and give it a whole new look for very little investment. You’ll end up with an effortlessly beautiful garden.

5. Grow your own trees. A lush way to change the way your garden looks is to grow your own trees and you can start with fruit trees, too. If you have a lot of use for them, lemon trees can be grown from seed right in your backyard with the right conditions. It can take a few years to fruit, and you can shortcut by buying the actual tree and planting it, but it will take a couple of months to get a pretty tree to fawn over.

6. Go with self-sufficient flowers. You don't have to have a green thumb to know what you’re doing in your garden, but you do have to have some idea of what you want it to look like. Self-seeding plants are a great option for this because once you have your first batch of seeds, you can plant and let them do their stuff. Self-seeding plants only need to be placed once and as they die back, they’ll drop new seeds. This will give you new blooms the next growing season and you don't have to do anything. The best plants for this are forget-me-nots, poppies and even verbena.

7. Head to the beach. You might wonder why the beach has anything to do with the garden but if you take yourself to the beach, you’ll find driftwood, shells and foraged finds that make your garden look very beachy! A beachcomber space in your garden filled with things from your favorite beaches will give you a feature completely free. Plus, going shell hunting on the beach is so much fun, so you get a fun afternoon out without having to spend much cash at all.

8. Start making your own compost. If you’re organized enough, you won’t have to worry about composting your garden. You won't even have to pay for bags at the garden center, because you can start feeding your garden for free. Peelings from veggies and potatoes as well as egg shells can be gathered and you can use them in the spring and summer to feed the plants. You can spend a good six months of the year collecting all of this and then you’ll have a huge supply when it comes to gardening.

9. Save your seeds up. If you’re going to replant your garden, don't go to the garden center to buy seeds, especially not when you can save the seeds you have through the year. When the flowers in the current garden borders have turned into dry seed pods, you can cut these off and store them in paper bags. You can then label the bags and keep them safe and you have things to plant next year. 

10. Add a pond. You might think that a pond is a huge expense to add to a garden but it’s really not. Well, it doesn't have to be, anyway. You can add a mini pond without splashing your cash on a new fountain. You just need a good sized washing up bowl, a plant pot or even a sink you no longer use. All of these things can become a new pond and you can make sure that with the right drainage and plants, it can look fantastic. 

11. Get out there and tidy up. Making some time to tidy the garden will absolutely help you to create a welcoming, upgraded garden space you can be proud of. De weeding the patio, giving the furniture and decking a clean and even repainting the fence canal are low cost ways to keep your garden looking fantastic. The best part is that if you don't want to do it yourself, you can rope the kids in to give you a hand!

12. Clean the patio. If your garden is concreted with a patio, then you’ll know that keeping on top of its cleanliness will make a big difference to how it looks. Use a pressure washer to blast away any dirt and built up slime, and thoroughly cleaning it will make sure that you have a garden to feel proud of. The patio shouldn't be a slip hazard, so do this on a dry day!

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.