8 easy gardening ideas that look expensive (from a beginner)

This year, I’m in my gardening era, using every available weekend to create the cottage garden of my dreams. But I have expensive taste. And without the funds in my bank account, I’m having to find alternative ways to do it.

I’ve searched Pinterest high and low for inspiration, and spent evenings planning how to achieve the look I want. And along the way, I’ve found some of the simplest ideas for gardens that make the biggest difference.

Whether you’re new to gardening or you’d like to give your outdoor space a makeover, here are my favourite, easy tips to transform your garden into the outdoor space of your dreams.

What are the easiest garden ideas for beginners?

The easiest garden ideas for beginners are digging borders, painting fences, and tidying your lawn with an edging tool. You’ll want to fill your border with hardy perennials to avoid overspending, and add clusters of plant pots for that curated, lived-in feel.

Final verdict: what are the most affordable garden ideas?

Most affordable: Weeding is an absolute must, and it's completely free. My best advice is to stay on top of it little and often.

Best for instant impact: Plant pots with fast-growing plants like lavender, cat-mint, or herbs like mint, rosemary, and sage.

Best for quick wins: Tidy your lawn with a lawn edging tool for that put-together feel.

Best for beginners: Weeding & removing overgrown edges from your lawn are both ideal for beginner gardeners looking to elevate their outdoor space.

1. Dig a border

For gardens that lack colour or interest, one of the best things you can do is dig a border. All you really need is a shovel. A great tip is to use your garden hose to mark the shape of your new border before you dig. My favourite beginner landscaping idea is a wiggly, zig-zag border that gives that organic, wild cottage border feel.

Once you’ve dug it, turn the soil over and mix it with some compost to improve the soil quality. Keep the edges looking smart with an edging tool. Then it’s the fun part - planting all the beautiful flowers and shrubs that’ll make all the difference.

What you'll need: Garden shovel & compost

Approx. cost: £20

2. Plant pots

Adding plant pots to your garden can create that lived-in, considered feel to your outdoor space, as long as you know how to do it. When I first started, I bought tons of cheap pots and shoved them anywhere and everywhere. Unfortunately, it’s true what they say - buy cheap, buy twice.

This year, I’ve invested in higher-quality pots with proper drainage holes and been more thoughtful with my placement, and I love how it looks. Clusters of pots (groups of 3-5) of various complementary shapes and sizes look best. Terracotta pots are great because they come in lots of different patterns, shapes and sizes, and have a lovely, rustic texture – and they weather well too.

What you'll need: Plant pots, compost & evergreen/perennial plants

Approx. cost: £20-£100 (depending on how many you buy)

3. Cottage plants

As a gardening newbie, I know the importance of finding good beginner plant recommendations that require minimal effort but look beautiful. I’ve had my fair share of fussy plants that just died straight away - it’s not the vibe.

To save your money, you’ll want to prioritise perennial plants that come back year after year. I recommend you start with some of the following: English lavender, cat mint, alliums, and hardy geraniums. The key is to deadhead regularly and give them a feed every month or so.

What you'll need: Perennial plants

Approx. cost: £10-£50

4. Paint fences

When I moved into my house, my fences looked tired and run-down. Naturally, the whole space looked spent, no matter how much money I spent on outdoor decor. Since I’ve painted them, the space has never looked better, and I underestimated how much it would completely transform the garden.

Save your money and use a primer undercoat (I used one from B&Q). This will prolong the life of your fences and mean you won’t need to repaint them every year. I recommend Cuprinol fence paint. It’s super hardy and high quality, and available in tons of aesthetic colours.

What you'll need: Primer, fence paint & paint brush/car sponge

Approx. cost: £50-£150+ (depending on fence size)

5. Weeding

Weeding is by far the most affordable garden idea out there. It's completely free, and all you need is a good eye and some elbow grease. When I moved into my home, my garden was horrendously overgrown, so it was the first thing I did before I even thought about buying anything.

Once I'd weeded the space, I discovered that I actually had two large borders with beautiful, rustic brick edging, and the garden was such a lovely shape. My best piece of advice is to stay on top of it. Even one month of sun and rain can encourage tons of weeds, so it's all about little and often, especially when it comes to keeping your borders looking their best.

What you'll need: Garden hand fork

Approx. cost: £2-£5

6. Lawn edging tool

This one is an absolute must if you’ve got a lawn that often grows over your patio area. Last year, I embarked on a project to get my lawn looking its best, which involved reseeding it for this summer. Now, it’s truly flourishing, but it’s become a little overgrown and rough around the edges.

That’s where a lawn edging tool really comes in handy. It’s easy to use, and it does a fantastic job at neating up your edges. I’ve just done this with my lawn, and it instantly made my garden feel like it had been landscaped by a professional.

What you'll need: Lawn edging tool

Approx. cost: £10-£20

7. Patio cleaning

Over on one of our sister sites, Ideal Home, I wrote about how I saved myself a huge amount of money when I cleaned my patio and brought it back to life. Beforehand, my patio was stained with years' worth of black spots and mildew, and my dream of achieving a cottage garden felt out of reach. No matter how nice my pot plants were, my space felt dark and dingy.

That was until I discovered the Pro-Kleen Ultimate Black Spot Remover from Amazon. It’s super simple to use, and I was honestly amazed at the difference it made. My patio was like new, and now all I do to maintain it is give it a clean once a year with a pressure washer.

What you'll need: Patio cleaner & pressure washer

Approx. cost: £80-£100

8. Tiered pots

This one feels straight out of a Pinterest board, and it’s even suitable if you’re looking for small patio garden ideas. Add some varied height and interest to your space with a tiered pot display. The best tiered gardening ideas are the most affordable ones, and all you need is something to put your pots on, like bricks or a secondhand bench.

I recommend creating your display in a part of your garden that needs more colour or interest. If you want to grow some herbs, this would be a beautiful way to do it. And it’s less expensive than buying a raised bed, too.

What you'll need: Plant pots, herbs, compost & bench

Approx. cost: £20-£100 (depending on how much you buy)