How can I get a cheap garden makeover?

neilsadams

Good call about the colleges and school leavers I will give that a look. Hopefully I can find someone who has a design project to come over and sketch something out so we have an idea how it can look.

Don't want to get rid of all the grass as I actually like cutting it but would like different areas rather than one slab of grass!!

Thanks for all the helpful comments 3v3, adelight, emiff6 and Sue-UU. Will start emailing colleges now :T

westiea

Horticultural students (design/general) will want paying - they will probably already be working as part of they're course anyway so they have an intrinsic value of they're own worth.

I wouldn't let a bunch of 16 year olds loose on anything that required a level surface and consideration for run-offs etc. You are more likely to end up with more expense to repair said patio/deck than if you paid someone for it.


I think what we are all saying is that a garden takes years (does it ever stop?) to develop, and that makeover programmes enhance the myth that if you throw a bit off decking and bung in a few shrubs = job done.

If it took you 4 years to do your house then a few years on the garden is pretty much immaterial. It will give you an equal amount of genuine pride, and love and a huge amount of knowledge. Which you will not have once Bodge-It-and-Scarper have left!

Sambucus_Nigra

Sue-UU wrote: »

Why not get a card into your local PO or shop offering work for school children.

Yes, why not put a card in a shop offering work for school children - and get a nice visit from a police constable who takes your computer away and you in for questioning.

neilsadams wrote: »

Thanks for all the helpful comments 3v3, adelight, emiff6 and Sue-UU. Will start emailing colleges now :T

I think they all broke up for the summer.

cootambear

neilsadams wrote: »

If you read what I wrote I didn't say we couldn't maintain it, just that we had been spending all our time and money on the house and so hadn't got around to the garden yet. We now want to find a cheap way of getting the garden tidied up and designed properly.

Well, we ran out of serfs in the 16C. I think like others have said, a big garden is a big task. You will have to pay people the going rate to work on your land or do it yourself. Garden makeover progs are great on the telly, the reality is somewhat different.

Either get your hands dirty, or pay someone else to do it. There are no fairy godmothers.