Help with my garden on a budget

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Hi I would love to do something with my very small garden. Does anyone have any idea that wont cost a lot please and must be cat friendly. Photo provided. I have no idea what to do. Thankyou

I’d cat proof it first so your cats have a safe space to use where no other cats can get in and they can’t escape to be hit by cars etc.

I’d put a pergola in at the back and hang some toys down from the top and I’d plant a patch of catnip somewhere.

I’d plant roses, snapdragons, lavender and marigolds which are all (I believe) non toxic and cat safe.

NO LILLIES!
As these are horrendously poisonous.
As is Oleander and most bulbs.

I have a small wildlife pond which is ridiculously popular with all the cats as a regular watering hole so maybe a small shallow pond somewhere, maybe with a little waterfall?

Cut open some flower beds where the sun shines. Rake your grass before light mowing.

What are the dimensions and what aspect is it -N/E/W/ or S facing? If unsure you can use Google maps to work that out or just plot the path of the sun over/in your garden. Are some areas or perhaps one side mainly in shade? Bear in mind the sun is not at its highest yet. If you watch the light move through your garden you'll be better able to plan where to dig beds and where the best spot for a seating area might be. And although money might be tight now maybe think about what you might want to do later on and remember to factor that in when digging any beds!

I would have a look online to get ideas too, such as best cat-safe plants/ and shrubs, or for shady/full or part-sun, or maybe areas which stay drier, if there are trees in neighbouring gardens. Soil type is another consideration as knowing what your soil is like helps you buy plants more suited to it. I wasted money (a lot 😳) on plants which weren't suited to heavy clay...). I would say read as much as you can too. And enjoy it.

Do you mean a tidy up of how it is currently or a full bee idea? If the first I'd go with painting your fences, cut and top-seed your lawn and cut out a border around some or all where you can plant things. If its the 2nd option which wag do you face? How big is it? Is there a patio area? What does it look like from the opposite way to your photo?

We bought an old pallet for £2, some cheap bedding plants and a bag of compost to start making our postage stamp garden look a bit better this weekend.

Ok your cat looks disgusted by that wall

With plants

Start digging in some beds, best where there's lots of sun. Dug in compost (some councils give you some for free). Ask your neighbors for cuttings. I got lots of plants from neighbours when we first moved in. As the soil is the same, very few failed to take.
If you don't need a lawn, consider digging it up and creating a meadow. It's cheap, low maintenance and great for bees and other critters.

Hi. Can you draw the outline with dimensions?
It will make it easier to give ideas.

I'd mark our with string some beds.

Perhaps cut the lawn into an oval to give a softened look and to make flowerbeds.

Mow, rake and prick holes in the lawn then sprinkle with feed , weed and seed mix. It will take a while but will come back. Give it a water with a sprinkler.

The beds , weed them. Go over and over them and mix in some cheep compost. Look for plants that spread and are perennials.

You could paint the fence and wall a dark grey or creamy colour or a brighter colour depending on your taste. Stick a trellis on the wall and plant a clematis.

Only ideas. But once you cut shape into the lawn and fed it and nicely weeded beds it'll look so much better.

That should be new idea not bee idea and re-seed your lawn and which way do you face* sorry my touch screen is a bit rubbish!

dh has a thing about sharp edging he always says it looks a lot tidier (he has a point) (nasturtiums are nice lots of colour & you can use the seeds)

(they are used as capers)

I would go for a walk and check what is growing well in your neighbours’ gardens. Then plant the same. Otherwise you can waste lots of money on plants. Once you know what grows well, google and see which ones are easy to propagate. So for me, hydrangeas and penstemon grow really well. So I take lots of cuttings and just stick them into pots of new compost , keep well watered, and then you get loads of new plants for no money.

I put in some flower beds and a seat. A small tree if you can. And a bird bath and bird feeder. And make your cat wear a massive ruff so they don’t just catch the birds !!

Mark where the sun goes at different times of day. It will change a bit but if an area is sunny now it will be sunnier come summer. Check for shade from trees that aren’t out yet.

Then make a list of how you want to use your garden. Eg evening bbq, seat in morning sun, wildlife friendly, kids play, compost/storage, lawn, flowers, veg, herbs.

Mark out each area then plan paths to join them.

Ask for cuttings/divided plants from neighbours. Have a look in their gardens to see what grows well in your climate. A good rule of thumb is 1/3 evergreen plants so you have some structure in winter.

Once you have a rough plan I’d start with one area first so you don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Try putting in some cheap climbers (honeysuckle,roses, clematis) next to the fence for a quick and easy backdrop, it makes a massive difference. You need to remove the grass 1’ around to stop it getting smothered.

Reuse materials, eg upside down glass bottles almost buried make a nice border edging. Or logs and sticks, old bricks etc.

Personally I'd completely get rid of the lawn, have all beds with a path leading to a seating area (depending on where is sunny in the garden). You can get a lot of annual plants which self seed around, so you buy seeds once and they seed themselves each year (marigold, nasturtium, verbena, cerinthe, borage, stipa and lots of others do this). Then you can gradually add other plants you can choose to buy over time. My cat loves playing with stipa tenuissima, it's a grass which moves in the breeze and he pounces on it. You could use reclaimed bricks or other second hand materials for a path and patio area. Plants in pots dotted around would be great too. It's lovely sitting out surrounded by plants.
Just start googling for small garden ideas!

Wildflower seeds? Take out a patch of grass first before you sow them.