Read how Wrexham resident Allan Longshadow created a beautiful garden and space of his own on a budget.
Before After
Repurpose and Recycle
Save your old wardrobes, planks, bed frames and more. You can repurpose almost any wooden household furniture into planters, box ends and borders with little more than a lick of paint. Plastic water bottles make excellent starter pots for seeds too!
A Lick of Paint
It’s amazing what can be achieved with patience and a lick of paint. There are outdoor paints that are suitable for tiles – opening up a whole range of possibilities.

Barking Mad
Chipped bark is a great material for finishing off flower beds and planters and helping them look even more developed and it is extremely cheap to buy!
Find It on Facebook
People are always clearing their gardens, and more and more are using Facebook to sell off unwanted items. Check with local groups for plants, planters and garden furniture at a fraction of the usual price. You never know, you might find a bargain on your doorstep.

Flower Power
Flowers are a great way to bring any part of the garden to life. Check out the offers from local nurseries at the Queen’s Square street market on a Monday – you’ll be surprised at how far your money goes.
Top Tip – Reduced Price Plants
If you go to any garden shop, you’ll inevitably find a handful of plants that are clearly past their prime and have been reduced in price. In most cases, generous watering and some TLC can restore them back to health in days.
Aggregates

Aggregates such as slate, spar or flint can transform areas of garden into something special. They are particularly useful if you have limited topsoil or foundations that prevent you from planting into the ground.
Water Features
Creating a water feature can be a great way to add life to a garden and with a little creativity, all you need is some pond liner and a pump. Dig your own pond and use what you’ve excavated to landscape the surroundings.

Allan is the founder of the Wrexham publishing company Wordworx. He also runs an online lifestyle magazine called Motiv8.me. It’s packed full of interesting features and ideas – visit it here.
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