dd wants a pretty garden - not much cash !!

[trinni]

Hi all

We have a tidy, small but boring back garden. Mostly lawn with a couple of flower beds and some yellow chipping.

Dd wants to transform it into a pretty place to sit in the evening.

Anyone have any cheap and cheerful ideas, without splashing too much cash?

[MrsSnaplegs]

Try your local gardening club/society - often members give away spare seeds at very low cost/free as well as surplus plants.

[trinni]

Thanks for that idea MrsSnaplegs, don't know whether we have one in my area but will definitely check.

[MrsSnaplegs]

give me a rough idea where you live and I can find you something.

Other option is gardening mag with free seeds on front - only get it if something you want grow obviously

also plant offers in some of weekend papers ok but need to know what you want to grow - go to library now it is school hols - borrow some gardening books and set DD a holiday project to "plan" the garden, then work out from there what you need

look on freecycle and in freeads of local paper for tools and plants - place a freecycle ad for spare plants

[EightiesChick]

Ask on freecycle for garden furniture and tubs etc too if you want them - bet lots of people will be upgrading theirs and getting rid of old ones during the summer.

[trinni]

MrsSN, I live in Wellington Somerset.

I will give freecycle a go too. Will look online now!

[trinni]

OK, have joined the Taunton freecycle group. Membership pending, so will wait excitedly!
Thanks

[TheDoodler]

Fairy Lights are cheap and cheerful for a garden of an evening...

[MrsSnaplegs]

www.wellingtonsomerset.com/clubs.htm#wgc

Wellington Gardening Club listed here - good first point of call.

www.nccpg.com/In-your-area/Local-Groups/Somerset/Group-Events.aspx

Plant Heritage group - has plant sales an hour before the meeting for members

I also seem to remember years ago my mum going to the "last day" of shows like Bath and West and waiting until the very end when stallholders were dismantling stands - often had stuff given to her then - times have changed a bit in 30 years so probably wouldn't happen now

[trinni]

Thanks MrsSnaplegs for your help. I know where the gardening club is held and it isn't far from me either.

Have also joined freecycle, lots of interesting things there.

[werewolf]

Solar powered lights. Good in the borders, or to have as a table top light.
I bought a solar garden light recently from B&Q similar to this. Very good, especially against a wall as it casts an intricate pattern.

[ComeWhineWithMe]

People on freecycle give away seeds and cuttings too.
The pound shops/99p stores have aisles with loasds of garden stuff on.

[bunnymother]

Am pregnant and hormonal... How sweet that you want to make a lovely garden for your DD - she will never forget this. Hope it works out beautifully!

[Takver]

If your freecycle allows requests, you could ask for any plant divisions/cuttings etc of pretty flowers & herbs. Most gardeners I know are only too happy to give away spare bits of things

I'm a veg gardener not a flower person, so don't know the proper names, but we have what I know as an African daisy which is perennial, you just pull off bits of root/plant to divide it, and it makes big (saucer sized) daisy type flowers all summer - my ultimate easy flower that you can stick at the edges of sheds etc to pretty them up a bit.