I gave my courtyard garden a glow up for summer whilst on a budget – my creative trick made ‘the world of difference’
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WITH spring in full swing and the weather heating up, if you’re on a mission to get your garden looking fabulous, you’ve come to the right place.
One woman has proved that you don’t need to have a luscious lawn to get your garden guest-ready.
In fact, this savvy DIY enthusiast has given her small courtyard garden a mega glow up, just in time for summer.
Not only this, but she also did it all on a tight budget and her jaw-dropping creative trick has made ‘the world of difference’.
The homeowner, who posts on social media under the username ‘The Little Brown Reno’, bought her end of terrace property back in February 2024.
Since then, this DIY fan has been working hard to turn her house into a home – and her courtyard garden is one stunning project you won’t want to miss.
Posting online, the content creator gave viewers a close-up look at her small garden before, during and after its renovation.
What was once a very plain and messy space, has since been given a total transformation and is now a garden of dreams.
Not only has it been brightened up with plants and lights, but this woman made sure to get the patio in tip-top shape and even created her own wall mural too.
Showing off her garden overhaul, the woman beamed: “How I transformed my little courtyard garden.”
She then explained: “The house had been empty for a year so it was just a bit unloved – just clearing all the stuff made a difference.”
To get the space freshened up, the woman explained: “I jetwashed the whole thing, built a new planter and painted all the fences black.”
She also added some greenery to the garden, which she nabbed from The Range and a local garden center.
As well as this, the savvy woman, who is from the UK, transformed her plain wall and decided to paint a mural.
The house had been empty for a year so it was just a bit unloved – just clearing all the stuff made a difference
DIY fan
Doing so made “such a difference” and now, she and her furry friend “love sitting out here, especially at night.”
Overjoyed with her home transformation, the woman, who bought garden lights from B&M and a plant pot from Asda, shared: “It’s only a small space but it’s so nice to sit out there now – my dog loves it too!”
Garden features that add the most value to a house
A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property.
Sellhousefast.uk carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK.
And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed.
- Shed – 82%
- Patio or paving – 76%
- Secure fencing, walls or gates – 72%
- Outdoor lighting – 66%
- Sturdy decking – 62%
- Water features eg. fountain or pond – 58%
- Modern garden furniture – 54%
- Artificial lawn/grass – 40%
Social media users react
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @littlebrownreno, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 79,000 views, 2,505 likes and 96 comments in just three days.
Social media users were impressed with the woman’s DIY project and many eagerly flocked to the comments to express this.
Looks amazing. Black fence makes the plants really pop
TikTok user
One person said: “Looks so much better.”
Another added: “Absolutely beautiful.”
A third commented: “Fabulous, a bit of imagination makes a world of difference. I love the wall.”
Meanwhile, someone else chimed in: “Looks amazing. Black fence makes the plants really pop.”
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8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden
Nick Hamilton owner of Barnsdale Gardens has shared his favourite plants and flowers you should consider adding to your garden, borders and pots.
Tricyrtis
A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is “as tough as old boots!”.
Penstemon
I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They’ll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes.
Luzula sylvatica ‘Marginata’
With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it’s great asset is that it
will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill – dry shade.
Eryngium x zabelii ‘Big Blue’
A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your
garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant’s interest period.
Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Winter Gem’
If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers.
Cornus sanguinea ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’
A dwarf version of ‘Midwinter Fire’ the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days.
Rosa ‘Noisette Carnee’
A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, “noisette” flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November.
Sanguisorba hakusanensis ‘Lilac Squirrel’
I’ve never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade.