Garden World on a Budget

Posted: 27 July 2009 by Metricon Homes

Tags: decking, design, furniture, theme, tiles

Setting up a new garden can be a budget-blowing experience. Many fail to realise what costs are involved until the process is already in motion.

But even if dollars are tight, you don’t have to put off getting things moving. There are many low-cost garden projects to inject beauty and to make the outdoor space around your home more enjoyable. Best of all – winter is one of the best times to getting this going!

It’s all about creating features that make you and your family happy and improve your lifestyle, say Metricon’s Display Landscape Manager . Metricon suggests you need to work out clearly in your mind, just what sort of garden you are after, then focus all efforts in that direction.

To jump-start your new garden, Metricon has devised some cheap, but chic, easy-to-achieve ideas that are designed for various budgets.

New landscaping materials:
One of the funkiest and most effective landscaping materials is ice tile – a tile through which light can pass. It is simple for the DIY enthusiast to install and use and brings night-time intrigue to any garden. You need to set up some low voltage gardening lighting cable behind it, screw on clear Perspex and then stick on the ice tile using silicon adhesive. When you turn the power on at night – watch it glow and create lots of mood and interesting patterns.

Outdoor furniture
At one point, garden furniture meant a simple timber table and some matching chairs. Now it’s all about bringing the best of the lounge room outside. Appearances are paramount – it must be a piece that shouts “wow”, adding to the outdoor impact. Metricon suggests adding a snazzy Bali-style hammock, or perhaps a funky Art Deco-look lounge on which a Hollywood starlet might sip pina coladas, or even a chaise lounge that scream sophistication. The tip is to keep it simple and centre your theme around one piece of furniture.

Decking
Concrete or tiles can work wonders, but timber decking is a garden marvel. A good timber deck can eliminate lawn and therefore mowing and it doesn’t conduct as much heat in summer as hard paving. Wood is such an earthy and organic surface to entertain or relax on, and it helps to soften those other hard surfaces around your outdoor area.