What can I do with ugly tiny paved yard?

[Lucysdiamonds]

I live in rented accommodation so can't make drastic changes like ripping up the paving.

The yard is very small and narrow, the'res a high wall on one side and the kitchen extension on the other. Behind the kitchen extension is a tiny decked area covered with corrogated plastic with a plastic storage bench on the decking.

The paving is old concrete, cracked and ugly.

They're is a buddlea growing out of the wall at the top .. just looks scruffy and takes away light.

At the end of the garden there is a small flower bed, about 1.5 metre by 60 cm I guess. In there there is a crooked christmas tree.

What can I possibly do to make it look nice on a very low budget and with little knowledge or experience?

I thought of putting pebbles or gravel overt the concrete but it's heavy to carry.

I don't know anyone who can give me cuttings really.

What would quickly and cheaply make it look good?

Forgot to say, must be cat and dog friendly.

What colour would you paint the wall? White?

Reed fencing sounds nice. Bunting too ..

It's not a bad little yard .. just dark because of the high wall and the buddleia growing out of it. I'll get my step ladder out at the weekend and hack it down.

I do like the thought of solar lights criss crossed over .. nasturtiums in pots sounds good too. And clematis Montana .. I can picture it now

I would do something like this. The wall on the right is beautiful and is a real feature wall and I think fairy lights would make that magical in the evening.

Get onto a free cycling site or a local facebook site where people are giving away unwanted things and keep an eye on it. You can get some really nice things for nothing if you are quick and get in first. Look for a mirror, pots, a bench that would look nice against the stone wall. etc. I would definitely put a mirror on that window, painting that wall on the left would add colour.

That looks lovely! A bench is a good idea if I can get a cheap one.

Would the wall look nice in blue?

I'd ask landlord if you can "renovate" the concrete... I'm imagining some sort of pergola at back or just put cheap wood painted. Bistro chairs and table and an inviting path leading to it visually. Potted plants on along either side. You could just make different sized circles in different colour shades of soft muted green... Attaching photo of manhole covers for pattern reference.

Personally I would do it green as it's my favourite colour but hot pink or Moroccan blue would look good.

A bench would look great.

Yes, an out door mirror would look fab!

s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8f/75/3f/8f753f2d571b8cf57c84a89f3b76a417.jpg

I know you said not enough space for a table and chairs, but what about the small wrought iron type, put against the stone wall; or, a simple bench painted a pretty blue or lilac?

If you can't afford plants find your local allotments, they often have an occasional shed come shop and if you can put up a notice you can probably get free donations..I seem to end up sadly throwing away lots of plants / flowers as they have spread too much, and I always grow too many of things. I would gladly gift them to someone if I could find any more suckers people who wanted them.

I like the thought of a painted bench but realistically don't know if I'd sit out there when there's no sunshine ..

The local freecycle group seems dead .. Maybe because it's a city .. not sure. I lived in a village before and there was always plants and stuff being given away.

Because you have so many stone walls they will absorb heat during the day and give it back slowly as the evening cools. So It may well be nice to sit out there in the evenings and the summer nights with no sunshine.
You could use crates, you know like wine crates, as stools and throw cushions on them from indoors when you are inclined to sit, they also make nice planters and paint up easily if you can lay hands on some.

Anything you are allowed paint, I'd paint bright brilliant white. Colours will only contribute to the dark effect. Use your planters and flowers/shrubs to bring in colour.

Can you attach hooks for hanging baskets to make vertical use of the space too?

There is definitely some kind of bistro table that will fit in the space.

The few rows of tiling on the ground make it look unfinished - any way you could edge that off (perhaps using window boxes either side with a gap in the middle) as a kind of border to define a 'patio' area before the main yard bit? What would also look nice would be to create a zig-zag path through the yard bit by placing your planters carefully, maybe even some stepping stones or coloured pebbles/painted rocks to create a border either side of the 'path'?

OOooh, that could be really lovely.

Do not paint that stone! It would be a crying shame. It is a lovely wall just as it is. Painting will ruin it. Plus, when you paint anything permanent outside, you are locked into a cycle of constantly having to redo it, which is no fun. If you cover it with a shade-tolerant creeper that has white leaves or flowers, they will sing out in your darker conditions. I would put it on this wall, not the opposite one as some climbers can cause damp problems inside houses.

I would, however, redecorate the surfaces that are already painted to neaten then up. If where you stood to take the photo is the main place you see this garden, then the obvious place to have a focal point is on that end wall - this is where I'd put a vintage ads or mirror to bounce light around and draw the eye Put some shade tolerant plants underneath in that end bed and cut back the plant that is overhanging a little to maximise the light, air and water that everything underneath receives.

I very much like the idea of threading some lighting over the space. It would look really stunning. However, you need to do this properly, for obvious reasons - anything mains connected needs to be suitable for prolonged outdoor use and you need a special outdoor plug (I think Aldi might have these in at the moment) that is specially fitted. However, this could be quite a big ticket item, and you said you were on a budget. An alternative way of doing it would be to use solar lighting, especially if you can mount the solar panel high up where there is more light.

I would put something repeating and geometric down the left hand side - something like 3 box balls (these will cope with fairly heavy shade) in exactly the same pot to create a sense of symmetry and calm. Wall planters might be nice on this side too - I've seen really great ones that people have put together using guttering, which is cheap as chips (have a look on pinterest).

You could buy some cheap, bright coloured metal stools that you can store inside and move around easily so if you fancy sitting outside, you have got space to do so without having a big item of furniture sitting there going mouldy in the wet. (I'm thinking of something like the Ikea Marius stool which is £3).

It's going to be lovely!

I agree about not painting the stone,the stone is lovely,I was talking about the white wall.

Dame - yes, we agree I think!

That wall is wonderful.

A good clean & scrub

Many pots of different sizes which you can remove if you move

String up lights on a free standing arbour

And a small table and chairs

Some herbs in pots to smell good

www.tesco.com/direct/garden/arches-arbours-pergolas/cat6420012.cat?source=others

Price range from £28 upwards

www.amazon.co.uk/KooPower-Outdoor-String-Lights-Waterproof/dp/B01M28VTTH/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1486022339&sr=8-10&keywords=bistro+lights&tag=mumsnetforum-21

String fairy lights round it.

Collect bottles of wine drink them and buy candles to stick in bottles

Maybe a nice outdoor rug?

I like the idea of using crates as planters. You could also turn them upside down, stack them at varied heights and stand pots on top to give multi height of plants

Sunflower race!

I've no idea where to get crates from

I've looked online but can't find outdoor wall paint. I'll look in Wilkinson next time I'm in town. I'm not at all bothered about seating at the moment. I do like the thought of window boxes at the end of the tiled bit.

Wouldn't an outdoor rug just get ruined in the rain?

I'm still tending towards gravel and cobbles but not sure how to get them here cheaply. Some brightly coloured cheap pots with plants around the edges sounds great. Also stepping stones for a winding path ... if money wasn't an object it wouldn't be a problem. .. not sure how I can do it without spending a fortune though I'll look in poundland, b&m bargains etc ...

Pea gravel is probably the cheapest if you can get any one to get it for you. It is about £3 a bag from B&Q

That's cheap! I've got a car but it'll be pretty heavy to carry.

You can often get bags of gravel delivered cheaply from a builders merchant, though you'll still have to get it from the street to the back yard. It's worth figuring out exactly how much you need - it may be more than you think, even for a small area! It's surprising how far things DON'T go when they're being spread around!

I think you might need 'masonry paint' for your wall, but not totally sure. Ask Pigletjohn in the property forum!

Shove is right I think, same paint that you use on a house with render. That will look lovely and I really like the grey wall.

I went to Poundland this evening and got 4 window boxes for £1 each! Also got nasturtium Nigella and calendula seeds, a false orange blossom plant and some compost there. All for £1 each! I'll probably go back for more

I'll try and get to Wilkinson next week for lights and paint.