Hello World! Welcome Friends! The Australian climate is perfectly suited to the outdoor life, and the garden provides the platform for many enjoyable summer evenings with family and friends, and is considered by most homeowners to be an integral part of the living space. You might be lucky and have your garden looking just how you like it, but however nice it is, there is always room for improvement, and with that in mind, here are some inexpensive garden ideas to brighten up your exterior living space.
Shading Solutions
Technology has opened up the exterior screening industry and the arrival of retractable awnings and cantilever umbrellas allows for elegant and cost-effective shading. Side based umbrellas offer a large shade print of 9 square metres that is both sturdy and easy to adjust, with effortless wind-up opening and closing , or you might prefer a traditional centre post umbrella, which is very portable and easy to open, and some models have a tilting top section that allows you to maximize the shaded area.
Exterior Furnishing
Every garden demands comfortable seating of some sort, and with online suppliers of affordable outdoor furniture in Melbourne, it won’t cost a fortune to furnish your terraced area. Online suppliers do not have the huge overheads of a traditional furniture showroom, and with the best brands at lower than retail prices, you really can’t go wrong. Resin wicker chairs that are handwoven and UV protected bring some rustic charm and character, and with aluminum frames that do not rust, you have a stylish and very durable set of furniture, at a fraction of the cost of rattan. Stylish steel tables and chairs are well suited to a modern looking terrace, and with a wide range of designs, your dining area will be both functional and elegant.
Eco-Friendly Lighting
The rapid development in solar panel technology has given birth to the perfect outdoor lighting, and with small LED units with a spike at one end that you simply push into the lawn or soil, the small solar panel on the top of the unit will store energy during the day and the light will automatically come on as dusk settles in. There are other styles that have a flat base and be put in any location. As far as regular lighting goes, LED strips allow you to create a Disney-like effect by sticking a small length of the strip under a window frame, or even draping a few LED strings over trees and shrubs.
Cooking Equipment
There are online suppliers of quality BBQ brands like Weber, and by investing in the best, your food will always be cooked to perfection. If you are using a make shit BBQ, things can get real messy, and if you are expecting to get a good few years out of your BBQ, then go for a quality brand that is tried and tested. If your budget stretches that far, why not have a custom built stainless steel outdoor kitchen fitted? This is the perfect set up for hosting parties, and as the kitchen is designed around the patio, you will make best use of available space.
Trees and Shrubs
When talking gardens, we must never forget the input of Mother Nature, and by spending a couple of hundred dollars at a garden nursery, you can really transform the view you have from your terrace. Some of the more popular evergreen species that are natural to Australia would include the acacia – of which there are hundreds of varieties – and for some color, there is acmena and agonis. A little online research will give you a wide range of options, and an afternoon of hard work will have everything in place, and don’t forget to nourish the soil prior to planting and give lots of water for the first few weeks.
If you have all or most of the above, there are still some small features you can add, such as a hanging garden that is made from recycled plastic bottles, and with a little creativity, you can make small changes here and there, which can only make your leisure area a nicer place to be.
Purchasing garden equipment is far easier with online shopping, and you can browse at your own pace, and with all the product information at the click of the mouse and lower than retail prices, you can turn your yard into a tranquil paradise without spending a fortune.
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Toodles,
I always tell people that trees and shrubs are one of the best investments ever when you’re working on your garden and overall landscape in your yard!
Choose edible shrubs. This is, of course, a personal preference, but we added tons of shrubs plant that stay small, grow slow, and bear fruit. For example, we added cherry bushes, jostaberries, blueberries, honeyberries, lingonberries and gooseberries. They are all ornamental and although they don’t necessarily save you money, they do provide entertainment and many jars of jelly or fresh fruit over the years.
Yes! Nothing brightens up the garden like some well cared for shrubs and bushes. It can also enhance the smell!
I’ve always been a fan of easy to maintain garden plants like Spring Bulb Iris, Crocus and Lavender. I’m partial to Lavender because of it beauty and amazing fragrance.
Weber is one of the best grill brands but there are also others to make our cooking easy and delicious. Nice decorating ideas.
Thank you very much for the Cost Effective Garden Makeover Ideas.
Very innovative and looking great.
Excellent guidance and tips.
Beautiful photos to help inspire me.
Cheers Penny…