DIYer Turns Rotting Garden Space Into Bright Place Using £15 B&Q Bargain

• Emma, 35, wanted to make her back garden liveable for the summer
• She picked up bargains from B&Q and IKEA for the project
• By seeking sales and using household items she transformed the space on a budget

Now that the warmer weather has started coming in, many of us are starting to tackle our gardens and make them look good for the summer. The good news is that transforming our spaces doesn’t have to break the bank, as one savvy DIYer has proven.

Emma Bailey, 35 from Sutton, Greater London who posts to YouTube as Emma's Allotment Diaries, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘I wanted to make the back garden a liveable space for the summer, and it required some work because the furniture was rotting, there was a big pile of compost causing damage to the shed and the patio needed a good clean.

‘As part of the makeover I decided to change the colour of the fence from white to dark blue because I felt like the white was washing out the colours from the flowers and making the area seem a little dull.

‘The design was an experiment really. I've never designed a garden before but I knew I wanted an area at the back to sit and relax in.

‘The plan is to sit out here regularly to do some work, especially as it's such a massive space. The patio is quite solid, so there's no point in pulling it up.

‘We did have pallet furniture in the back of our garden on the patio, but we smashed up and removed it. We took it to the recycling section of the dump so it can be repurposed.

‘The original furniture was uncomfortable to sit on, and got quite dirty. I also found that a lot of bugs and spiders would hide in it, which wasn't really very nice.

‘We decided to buy a new table and chairs from IKEA, and we found the prices quite reasonable. It was about £200 all in.

‘The first job I needed to do was clear out the compost area. I raked it out, bagged it up, swept away the remaining soil and got rid of it.

‘This waste had been causing the bottom of the shed to rot so I'm glad it's gone! We have now got a special bin to store garden waste, which was long overdue.

‘I then washed the patio with the garden hose. I used bicarbonate of soda on the more difficult stains.

‘At this point it was time to paint the garden fence. I went for the colour Urban Slate from the Cuprinol range. It was on sale for £15 at B&Q. We have lots left over!

‘This darker off-black colour was chosen because it contrasts nicely with the plants I placed in front of it.

‘It took a while to get the paint job done but I was really pleased with how it looked when I was finished. Looking at it from a distance, the combination of this colour with the yellow shed, pink blossom and tulips looked great.

‘The next day, I laid down a rug on the patio which I picked up for just £25 from B&Q. I then assembled the IKEA furniture.

‘Once we put the table and chairs together it was just a matter of planting lots of colourful flowers to encourage wildlife and pollinators as well as create a calm area to sit in.

‘I'm thrilled with how it looks, as it was such an easy makeover but really effective. It's transformed the back garden and I'm really looking forward to using the space in the summer.

‘I also have a mini allotment area further down. The space is only 6m by 2m but don't let small spaces stop you from growing fruit and veg because you absolutely can do it. At the moment I'm growing peas, I have a blueberry bush, and some potatoes.

‘I also make use of the vertical space and have pots hanging on the fence. I've got little strawberry plants and chives.

‘If we had to do it again, we would have remembered to put the lid on the paint pot once it had been put in the shed, because the next day we pulled a bike out of it and knocked the whole pot over!

‘We would never get a professional to tackle the garden. All of the fencing and landscaping has been done by us. YouTube tutorials help. We are both pretty hands on with the DIY in our house and garden!’

Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Emma has proven that a little goes a long way with this makeover. Sometimes it makes all the difference to shop around and invest in a solid piece of garden furniture that you know will stand the test of time - and more importantly, be both comfortable to sit in and bug-free!

‘By using household items such as bicarbonate of soda to clean the patio and getting cheap paint on sale, Emma has transformed her space and created a beautiful area to sit outside this summer.’