Newbie - garden makeover - help please!

Hi all,

My boyfriend and I bought our first house in November last year. The back garden although small was perfect as it was the only one we viewed that didn't have public access through it (and with two dogs that isn't ideal!).

However, now that the weather is getting nicer I'm keen to sort it out as it's so ugly. Nothing fancy - we do have dogs after all!
Here's a few current pictures:







Its basically three tiers - the bottom level outside the front door is removable decking squares (I'm sure that isn't the right name!) and then a patio at the top and the rest is pea gravel.

The fence is finally being done next week thank god - it fell down 3 times this winter and it seems it was a very DIY job many many years ago (all posts put in differently, different heights etc). So now just decided to cry inside and pay a professional to do it properly. Thoughts on colours for the fence much appreciated. The garden is quite dark at certain times of day because of the enormous trees behind so I was thinking perhaps a lighter green or something.

We've got rid of the wooden chest thing and shed will be going soon. We're going to buy a smaller plastic storage thing for the lawnmower and other bits and bobs as we don't fill the shed and its taking up a lot of our precious room.

Once we get an outside tap installed (also next week) we're going to pressure wash it all which should help.

My main ideas are as follows:
- The patio slabs are all over the place and all detached so somehow just refix them as we can't afford to have the patio entirely redone.
- Replace the gravel on the right hand side with turf. That side of the garden does get sun and I'd love somewhere grassy for us to sit (and the dogs). There's potential that one of our dogs will destroy the turf as he scratches up grass in the park after toileting but if you don't try...
- Plant a little border on the left.

We're on a super small budget so would like to do all this ourselves really!

Here's a pic of the patio:

All the slabs are loose. It appears to be bricked edges with a deep sand base - quick dig with the trowel and all I could see was sand in there. The slabs at the edges were just stuck on with some cement at the edge touching the brick and grouted. I'm thinking this is probably not the right way to do it? How would you guys recommend we proceed with it? As its a bit hairy to walk on!

 

It's probably not what you want to hear, but dog urine wrecks havoc with lawns (as does scratching it). For a lawn that small I think you'd be dealing with problems from the off. Have you thought about using 'fake' grass? The better stuff these days looks pretty good and means you'll be able to use it all year round. As it's a small area it won't be expensive either.

As for the rest, if it was my garden I would repaint the wall and add a thin border of ornamental grasses along the top for some colour/movement - the beds below look nice and fairly low maintenance. You could go for a contemporary look on a sensible budget I think if you do the work yourselves. You'll be surprised what a day's work will achieve!

 

Thanks for the reply! I did consider artificial grass but think it will be way too expensive with the groundwork that needs to be done etc. :( The dog wee isn't so much an issue as boy dog will wee on the fence (which wont have grass below it) and girl dog refuses point blank to go to the toilet in the garden anyway! The scratching is of course of a concern though.
Can't see the picture you've attached for some reason?

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Igloo. Your garden will soon come together, concentrate on one area at a time and it won't seem to daunting. I can't help you with re-laying the slabs but I think I'd jet wash those off to rejuvenate them.

Take a look at Neil's thread below, it may give you ideas on layout and content.

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/my-tiered-garden-log.74862/

 

Thanks all Fence is coming in on Tuesday next week so once that's done we'll be starting properly.

Thanks so much! Yeah nothing heavy will be going on it at all, the odd barbeque and that'll be it as its in the shady side of the garden so won't even have a table and chairs.

Question - As the slabs are sitting on top of the raised brick edges how will the sand stay between the joints on those edge slabs?

 

Fence has started going in. Decided to go for 5ft with gravel boards and have to say with only a few panels in so far I can already see an improvement in the amount of sunlight that's coming in over the back fence. It was about 7ft before because they'd put some extra bit underneath the 6ft panels.

And now reconsidering artificial grass but looking at about a grand if we pay someone to install it all. Area is only about 14sqm so its quite expensive for us

 

Annnd the fence is in. Its made such a difference to the general look of the garden, much tidier!!



Painting the fence and jet washing and repairing the patio is nexton the agenda

 

The fencing looks great: a transformation indeed!!

 

Shed has now gone! Gave it away via the internet to someone who would love and care for it Really pleased with that decision as the garden looks lots and lots bigger and now have more actually usable space.



Replaced it with a smaller plastic storage box. We've currently got it on the decking but I may move it at some point. Water butt has been cleaned out and repaired too.



Fence painting is underway. Found a colour that I really like but god I forgot how painfully slow fence painting is - especially the first coat!

I'm now planning to build a raised planter to go in the top left corner behind the patio as that area is currently wasted and it needs to be raised so it doesn't get trampled by canine feet. Have loads of random pieces of wood so should be able to put something together (we can't really afford sleepers). Not sure what is best to line it with to protect the wood?

 

...it's really coming along and looks so much nicer with the new fencing. Great job.

 

What a difference! It's looking great​

 

Thanks guys I'm pleased with it so far. The last house we rented hada huge garden that was totally out of control (think brambles taller than a person that grow back within weeks of cutting it all back). It put me off gardening a bit as we'd spend hours getting it under control only for it to be back to how it was before we could even blink.

But I'm really enjoying doing this little garden up Helps when its your own garden and you're not putting the effort in because a lazy landlord can't be bothered!!

 

So I went out to hang some washing and somehow got massively distracted from my work and this was the result:


Pretty pleased. I've never handled a drill unsupervised let alone made something like that before Its upside down in the pic - posts will go into the ground a little.

It will be going against the fence behind the patio but need to dig that area out first. Cost me a grand total of £15 by reusing one of the fence posts from the old fence (that was still solid) and random pieces of wood I found in the shed

Sneaky peak at the new fence colour too - although that's just the first coat.

 

How very creative of you, well done