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Design Dilemma DIY Gardens

Disguising features on a budget

last year

Hi all,

After renovating my terraced house I am now focusing on the gardens. This small patch was covered in concrete when I moved in 2 years ago which I immediately knocked out and have left like this. I did have a plan to also knock down these hideous walls and concrete path but cannot afford to

replace them sadly. I’m wondering the best way to make both more appealing and disguise them eg I did wonder about a brick coloured render or paint on the brick wall and adding planters on top, or perhaps a hedge behind which would hopefully grow over the wall and cover it…? No clue on how to make the concrete path look better. Any thoughts welcome. Thank you!

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Comments (7)

User
last year
The walls are not hideous! I'd power wash them and plant a low hedge against the wall. A camellia would be cute if it can grow in your area.

You could place an outdoor rubber mat on the concrete, and maybe paint the gate.

A cute privacy curtain that complements the yellow door and blue window trim could also go a long way.
arc3d
last year
Concrete path can just be smahed up and taken local waste site. Usually free or sometimes a small cost.

After that buy some edging (you could just use a long plank of treated wood) and secure it into the ground on the right side of path. Next put some weed barrier down. Buy around 4 maybe 5 patio slabs/tiles (you can sometimes find leftovers for free on gumtree). Level them out and fill the rest of the area with a few bags of gravel. If you can buy more weed barrier and gravel you could cover the whole area. Add a few plants...

And hey presto!
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Sonia
last year
I don’t think the wall is hideous, it’s just a wall. A cheap way to clean it up is to remove all the weeds in the path and in the bed and then sow some wildflowers. April is the ideal time. Or, if budget allows plant a few roses (yellow and/or white) which will flower all summer long. You can buy bare rooted ones now which are cheaper than pot grown ones. When they are in flower no one will even notice the concrete path. David Austins sell some beautiful ones, but most garden centres will stock some soon. Once the weeds are removed, dig in a bag or two of compost into the soil to feed the roses and you will be rewarded with beautiful flowers.
kazzh
last year
Sonia beat me to the wildflower suggestion! If you don’t need to allow for bin storage, just weed, clean the wall down, buildup the soil a little and sow!
Lizabeth
last year
Hi. The wall is fine. I like the thought of gravel path and garden. Easy to look after in a small space and if it's in a sunny aspect... some nice evergreen grasses and colourful alpines ..
Ricky Watkins
last year
Pressure washer wall & path weed gravel then seed it. Maybe paint the path too with appropriate paint.
Sonia
last year
Noticed a coping stone is missing from the pillar, so maybe put one in?

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