You've got 10k to transform your back garden...

[NoDramaLlamas]

What are you doing to it?

We're currently doing up ours on a lesser budget but we'll do most ourselves, after next week it'll be a blank rectangle canvas. Looking for any ideas as it feels overwhelming planning it.

We were looking at a pergola to the back with informal seating and a swing for the teens, and plants climbing up the poles with flowers dotted about, dining set by the door on the patio with BBQ set and a fire pit somewhere close perhaps as the kids will sit and toast marshmallows with us on summer nights. Some trees for privacy and lots of swirly borders with all kinds of flowers. What do you love about your garden?

We have a really large patio, big trees, but most of all I love our pond. It has a fountain and I love the sound of running water!

A pond, we put one in before Christmas, just a small pre formed one. It's amazing how much the birds love it, we have newts and frogs. It's brilliant.

Our garden is not very big (standard new build sized garden) but the things I love most about it are:

A variety of seating options. I have a little bistro set with two chairs and a small table immediately outside the back door so I can sit out there and drink my morning coffee. Then we have the usual dining set of table and chairs, we also have a parasol over the dining table so when it's very hot we can sit in the shade. Then I have a little bench at the end of the garden, tucked near a flower bed that gets the evening sun. I'm sat there right now typing this with a G&T in hand.

Low maintenance planting and year round interest. I work on the ratio of 30% evergreen plants in all of my garden borders to keep it looking reasonable in winter. Then I fill in with perennial plants that I leave all winter as they look good in the frost even when they're brown, cut down or give a good prune in early spring and they sprout again. Verbena bonariensis, hydrangeas and many ornamental grasses are good for this.

Having some vertical interest so the garden isn't all flat. For us this is trees, there are plenty that work well in smaller gardens so space needn't be an issue.

Painting the shed in a jolly colour.

Having a bird feeder and a bird bath.

Mine is all patio and very bare.
I'd add in raised beds with lots of foliage and colour
Decked seating area to break up alllllll the paving with a pergola or similar
a designated eating area
Finished off with nice outdoor accessories and lighting

Keep any hard standing away from the boundaries as it's always untidy, or hide the edges with planters or furniture.

Break the garden into 'rooms' if you have the space. Seating area enclosed with planting and an element for height or shelter.

Open area for play or group gathering.

Decide each area either physically or visually with planting, hedging, trellising, steps etc.

Make planting really significant, plenty of height and volume, small column trees if you have space.

For 10k I would rip out our decking and replace with paving and take out all the plants as I have a weed which is killing everything so will attempt to remove entirely. I like the shape as is but all new planting. Put trellising up on either side where beds are so I can give the clematis a decent chance of covering the fences.

I rent but, as much as I love trees, I'd take down the two huge fir trees (after nesting season) as half of the garden is in complete shade and the end of the garden is full of docks. I'd then plant much nicer trees and turf the end of the garden with proper grass.

To be honest I'd go on 'Garden Rescue!
With that budget they'd have a field day.

Decking in the top corner which is a sun trap.

New garden furniture .

De weeding the flower bed and adding a new plants

Errecting new shed and greenhouse

I'd have a summerhouse and wooden boardwalks with running water and rills.

Try looking on Pinterest for ideas similar to the size & shape of your garden.

I’m not sure I’d manage to spend £10k, it’s only small and we’ve done a lot already.

I’d pay someone to finish digging out the bamboo we’re about 2/3 of the way through.

I’d finish replacing the crappy bamboo(!) screens around all the boundary fences with nice trellis.

I’d replace the ivy covering most of the walls and borders on two sides with more interesting things.

I’d get proper mains-connected lighting put in.

I’d replace the ugly concrete slabs on the front path with something nicer.

And finally I’d add a little fountain to my water feature and possibly add a second one on the other side.

Most of that is on our list to do over the next couple of years, and I’m happy to tackle the bits we can ourselves. It’s more satisfying that way.

I love my small trees especially my acer. Most of my garden is evergreen planting so it looks great in winter with pockets of flowers for colour.

Best to find out what planet will suit your garden, im north facing so it limits my choices somewhat.

I habe three patio areas for different needs, large dining area, small patio for 2 people and another mid size one for additional entertaining which I'm think of using as outdoor cinema space.

I also don't have lots of pots just one and I think that makes it easy to look after.

I'd like a summer house and a patio area. A pergola or wrap around porch so I could sit outside and stay dry/shaded.

General tidy up, new gate and fences. To pay someone to dig and clear over grown areas ready for planting.

10 wouldn’t be enough to buy both sides next door and dig up their trees and bamboo