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Backyard on a budget


Backyard ideas on a budget: Create an outdoor retreat for less

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(Image credit: Grit and Polish)

Are you searching for backyard ideas on a budget? You are not alone. For anyone who lives in a metropolitan flat or tiny cottage, a backyard seems like a luxury – one that requires time, energy, and, above all else, money to maintain. 

But, while an outdoor space is a great bonus to any beautiful home, it doesn’t have to cost you a small fortune. 

Need proof? Have a look at these innovative yet cheap backyard ideas, all of which are beautiful too. Turns out, all you really need to have a gorgeous garden space is time, elbow grease and some creativity.

Backyard ideas on a budget

Our beautiful but cheap backyard ideas will inspire you to update your space and create your ideal outdoor retreat, whatever your style and budget.

1. Create a vegetable garden

(Image credit: Rocky Hedge Farm)

If you’re looking for a budget-conscious backyard idea that will also allow you to save money on your grocery bill, consider adding some raised garden beds to your space.

The beauty of raised beds is that they can be tailored to your specific size requirements, meaning that a vegetable garden can be fitted into even awkwardly shaped spaces and easily integrated into small backyard ideas.

Sarah Blankenship, the blogger behind Rocky Hedge Farm , created several in her yard with a few wooden planks. Once you’ve constructed the raised beds, fill each one with soil and seeds for a homemade vegetable garden.

2. Add an arbor

(Image credit: Farmhouse on Boone)

Another way to dress up your backyard is with an arbor, perhaps incorporated into your garden fence ideas like in this yard's design. This garden detail can add a whimsical charm to your garden, plus it might discourage critters and nosy neighbors from infiltrating your space.  

An arbor might look like a fancy feature, but Lisa Bass from Farmhouse on Boone proves it can be an affordable undertaking. Once you invest in a drill and saw, all you need is some planks of wood, screws, and a fresh coat of paint.

3. Add interest to your patio – on a budget

(Image credit: Hayley Stuart )

Whether you’re curling up with a good book, enjoying a meal al fresco, or simply admiring your garden, a patio never fails to offer an excellent vantage point. But, if you're looking for some fresh patio ideas, consider stenciling a cool design on the floor. 

Not only is this an easy project that can be completed in a weekend, but it can also be done for a fair, affordable price. Let blogger Hayley Stuart show you how it’s done.

4. Build your deck from the ground up

(Image credit: I Spy DIY )

Or, if you don’t have a deck or patio in your backyard, you can always build one from scratch. 

Admittedly, this budget-friendly backyard requires time and a close attention to detail. In fact, levelling a sloped backyard can take a few days. But, as this final product from home decor blog I Spy DIY proves, the results are so worth it.

5. Give your small garden the textured treatment

(Image credit: The Grit and Polish)

Want to make a patio from scratch, but not willing to put in that much elbow grease? This patio refresh from the Grit and Polish offers the best of both worlds, making it the perfect backyard idea on a budget.

Here, husband-wife duo Garrett and Cathy used pea gravel to landscape a backyard with visual and textural distinction from the rest of their grassy plot. For a makeshift patio, the couple covered a portion of the gravel with large pavers.

6. Make a splash with a stock pool

(Image credit: Emerson Grey Designs)

Pool ideas offer endless fun and for many they are a backyard staple. However, building a pool can get expensive. If you’re looking to make a splash for less, add a stock pool a la Bri Moysa of Emerson Grey Designs .  

The designer accessorized a stock tank with homemade steps, tropical plants, and a fresh coat of black paint to make it feel like an intentional addition to the backyard, not an afterthought.

7. Introduce solar garden lighting 

(Image credit: Sugar Maple Notes)

A few strands of twinkling lights are an easy, affordable way to add some style to your backyard. But, unless you have a few trees to hang them from, you might be out of luck. 

Fortunately, this idea from Sugar Maple Notes is a good one, creating clever backyard ideas on a budget by using a planter as a base for a post to drape string lights from. Not only aesthetically pleasing, solar garden lighting ideas will also save energy and keep costs down.

'Our DIY planter posts project is so simple, yet makes a big impact in our backyard,' explains blogger Sarah Harmsen. 'The string lights add just the right amount of twinkle to our patio – much needed for summer evenings on the porch.' 

8.

Set up a spot for outdoor lounging – and garden shade

(Image credit: Future)

A cooling spot for relaxing, entertaining or designed purely as a retreat will make your backyard a joy to use all day long. Think about a planning a shade garden that includes multi-sensory experiences of sight, sound and scent – all that's needed is some draping fabric, wooden posts and a bit of creativity.

If your budget allows, invest in a small pond or water fountain. The trickling water will feel cooling and add a relaxing soundscape to your sensory garden.

9. Enhance a sense of garden privacy

(Image credit: Diana Elizabeth)

For a backyard ideas on a budget that are both affordable and space-efficient, consider decking out your privacy fence.   

'Because of the small footprint, we decided to use vertical garden ideas – and add plants in unique vessels on the fences,' explains Penny D. Francis, designer and owner of Eclectic Home . 

'Half -round brass wall vessels were perfect for the succulents. We created a planter made from white oak that extended the length of the fence that also doubled as a bench for guests.' 

The result? A small yard that doesn’t sacrifice style.

10. Defy gravity with a trellis 

(Image credit: Eclectic Home)

Speaking of your privacy fence, you can also spruce up often overlooked fence or garden walls with a DIY trellis. 

Blogger Diana Elizabeth used floral wire to create a diamond-shaped trellis on her wall, allowing her jasmine plants to reach new heights. It’s a budget-conscious idea that can appeal to all of the senses.

Kelsey Mulvey is a New York-born, San Francisco-based freelance journalist who covers lifestyle and design content. She started her writing career while studying magazine journalism at Boston University, where her work was syndicated by top digital publications like USA Today and MSN. Upon graduation, Kelsey covered lifestyle content The Wall Street Journal, Off Duty and Business Insider. In 2017, Kelsey started her freelance journalism career, where she contributes to design publications like AD PRO, Elle Decor, Wallpaper*, and more. W

11 Beautiful Backyard Ideas On a Budget

Looking to upgrade your backyard without breaking the bank? We have you covered. From hardscaping to softscaping, use our 11 DIY landscaping ideas on a budget to complete this project without taking out a second mortgage.

11 Cheap Backyard Landscaping Ideas

1. Use Mulch Alternatives

While mulch reduces the amount of water and weeding your garden needs, it’s expensive and takes time to install. Try these mulch alternatives for landscaping to spruce up your backyard for a fraction of the cost.

Low-Cost Mulch Alternatives:

“Stone mulch works especially well in clean environments like around in-ground pool decks, traffic islands and narrow beds between buildings and pavement. This is because grass clippings and other organic matter won’t be as likely to soil the stone mulch in such places. Also, stone mulch is less likely than wood mulch to wash onto pavements or blow into swimming pools.”

Steve Boehme | GoodSeed Farm Landscapes

If your heart is set on traditional mulch, it’s best to go with pine mulch, says Gene Caballero of GreenPal. “It’s way cheaper than hardwood mulch and is easier to transport and spread.”

2. Repurpose Old Tires

Tires are bulky and difficult to get rid of, as many waste haulers won’t accept them. Why not put them to good use in your backyard?

According to Michelle Bull of Lakin Tire, recycled tires are inexpensive and easy to find. “They can be picked up at a local recycling plant for a few dollars, but most people are willing to give away any old tires that they have on hand,” she says. Here are a few budget landscaping ideas using tires:

How to Landscape With Recycled Tires

3. Go Vertical With Your Gardening

If you’re looking for simple backyard ideas to spruce up a small outdoor space, vertical gardens are a good place to start.”

Vertical gardening, simply put, is using vertical space to grow plants. If you’re looking for small backyard landscaping ideas on a budget, vertical gardens are a good place to start. Not only do they make the most of limited space, but they can be inexpensive too, especially if you’re using recycled materials like old plastic bottles to make it.

DIY Vertical Garden Ideas

4. Add a Splash of Color

Sometimes all it takes is a splash of color to make your backyard pop.

This can be as simple as painting planters to give your garden a contemporary look, or giving wood and metal chairs a fresh coat of paint. To save even more on this budget backyard landscaping project, reuse leftover paint instead of buying new ones.

You can also add a quick splash of color in the form of flowers or foliage, positioning them on a deck, patio, at an entryway or tucked into a planting bed.

5. Plant a Functional Garden

Cut grocery costs in the summer time by growing your own vegetables and herbs right in your own backyard. From DIY herb gardens to plants that repel bugs, you can easily turn your backyard into a space that’s beautiful and functional with a few terracotta planters and the right placement.

6. Opt for Natural Perennial Ground Covers

Tired of weeding the lawn? Skip the weed killers and opt for dense spreading perennial ground covers instead.

According to Jonas Sickler of ConsumerSafety.org, weed killers can be both costly and hazardous to your health. “Harsh chemicals in Roundup can sicken pets and has been linked to cancer,” Sickler says. “Weed killers aren’t just bad for your health – they also pack a punch to your bank account at over $20 [per container].”

Check out these cheap ground covers that are beautiful and low-maintenance:

Cheap Natural Perennial Ground Cover Options

Pro Tip: If your backyard is full of big, beautiful trees, you may want to choose shade plants that can handle living in their shadow, as not all plants can tolerate full or partial shade.

7. Build an Outdoor Fire Pit

There’s no better way to bring the family together than with s’mores over a fire pit. But you don’t need to spring for a contractor to put one in – with one trip to the home improvement store, you can have your own backyard campfire station in just a few minutes. If you need to get rid of rocks from another project, building a fire pit with them is a great way to do it.

Here are a few ways to make your own fire pit without overspending:

Fire Pit Ideas on a Budget

8. Plant a Tree

Planting trees is one of the easiest, least expensive backyard landscaping ideas of all. All you need are a few digging tools, some mulch and the tree. Plus, you’ll end up saving even more if you plant trees in the right places.

“Planting shade trees is a common-sense solution that will save you money and make you more comfortable. Trees are simply a wise investment in future comfort and energy savings. Just take a minute and sit under one on a ninety-degree day and you’ll understand this perfectly.”

Steve Boehme | GoodSeed Farm Landscapes

9. Use Affordable Lighting

Outdoor string lights are a staple budget backyard idea. Their soft, ambient glow can turn any patio into a chill summer hangout. White twinkle lights cost about $6 per strand, or for a more modern look, you can pick up a strand of clear globe lights for around $9. Though slightly more expensive, globe light strands are usually more durable than twinkle lights, and the bulbs are easily replaceable. Once you’ve picked the kind of lights you want to install, get creative with your backyard lighting using these tips.

Cheap Backyard Lighting Ideas

10. Spruce Up Your Frence

Not crazy about how your fence looks? Whether you have a wooden or chain link fence, there are several ways to make it visually appealing. Use these budget landscaping ideas to beautify your fence, especially if it encompasses your entire backyard.

Ways to Upgrade Your Chain Link Fence
Ways to Upgrade Your Wooden Fence

11.

Buy (or Build) Low-Cost Seating

After you’ve beautified your backyard, you’ll want to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. But there’s no need to run to the furniture store – you can easily search for used pieces online or make outdoor seating in the comfort of your own home.

Cheap Outdoor Seating Ideas

Additional Budget Backyard Ideas to Consider

When it comes down to it, the most effective backyard ideas are the simple ones. Once you’ve made these small but impressionable changes to your outdoor space, you can move onto bigger projects. Whether you’re looking to install a new patio or plant a new flower bed, we have you covered.

Yards in the back yard - 135 best photos of the design of the courtyard of a private house and summer cottage

Darenka

BUGAEV Parks & Gardens

Comfort and peace are at the heart of the atmosphere of a country house. And the tools for the embodiment were soft plantings of hydrangea tree that envelop the house, a small open meadow in front of the main entrance, accent trees of Canadian shadberry, a small decorative garden and a cozy patio behind the house. Parking is provided at the entrance to the site. Of the buildings - a guest house, here is a bathhouse. The farthest part of the site is a natural forest with a walking path.

Project of the Month: September 2017

TCP Custom Outdoor Living

This freestanding covered patio with an outdoor kitchen and fireplace is the perfect retreat! Just a few steps away from the home, this covered patio is about 500 square feet. The homeowner had an existing structure they wanted replaced. This new one has a custom built wood burning fireplace with an outdoor kitchen and is a great area for entertaining. The flooring is a travertine tile in a Versailles pattern over a concrete patio. The outdoor kitchen has an L-shaped counter with plenty of space for prepping and serving meals as well as space for dining. The fascia is stone and the countertops are granite. The wood-burning fireplace is constructed of the same stone and has a ledgestone hearth and cedar mantle. What a perfect place to cozy up and enjoy a cool evening outside. The structure has cedar columns and beams. The vaulted ceiling is stained tongue and groove and really gives the space a very open feel. Special details include the cedar braces under the bar top counter, carriage lights on the columns and directional lights along the sides of the ceiling. Click Photography

Private residential building in Rostov-on-Don

Architectural studio Chado

The abundance of greenery set the atmosphere for this project: it turned out to be chamber and cozy thanks to the variety of plants and fruit trees planted along the perimeter of the yard. In this part of the house there is also a summer kitchen with a barbecue area and a dining table. The interior and exterior are united by sliding stained-glass windows on the rear façade. Large windows connect the kitchen-living room to the backyard terrace, where there is a large infinity pool and a stone grotto with a fish pond.

San Pasqual-Exterior

J & M Construction & Development

Louie Heredia
Stylish design: private house gazebo in the backyard in a classic style with a summer kitchen and concrete slabs - the latest trend

Sauna in Nekrasovo

Artel "Danila, Makar and Brothers"

Fresh design idea: a gazebo in the yard of a private house in the backyard in a rustic style with a summer kitchen and stone paving - a great photo of the interior

Carman Bay Cottage (Lake Minnetonka)

John Kraemer & Sons

Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Architect: Swan Architecture | Interiors: Katie Redpath Constable | Landscaping: Bechler Landscapes | Photography: Landmark Photography

Townsend

Yardscapes Northwest

Fresh design idea: pergola in the yard of a medium-sized private house in the backyard in a rustic style with a decorative concrete coating - a great photo of the interior

Estate - Lindon, Utah (40)

Magleby Construction

Inspiration for home comfort: a huge pergola in the backyard of a private house in a country-style backyard with paving slabs and a fence

shipwreck

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shipwreck

3

shipwreck

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Stylish Design: Mid Size Private Backyard Gazebo in Nautical Style Tile Latest Trend

Lemont Landscaping

KD Landscape

The distinct spaces can be seen from this overhead view. The dining area is separated from the social space by three large containers on one side and from the fire pit by a low profile planting bed on the other side. A small grill with counter is conveniently located near the three season room. Landscape design by John Algozzini. Photo courtesy of Mike Crews Photography.

Deerwood

Cusimano Architect

Zac Seewald
Inspiration for homeliness: medium-sized classic backyard yard with fire pit and canopy

Budget Path Ideas (Garden & Backyard Design)

A garden path can be a great way to fully expand your outdoor living areas, take care of your plants effectively, and enjoy your backyard to the fullest. Creating your own garden path does not require large expenses.

Many inexpensive options are available such as pea gravel, pavers, flagstones, bark, timber and pebbles. For those who want to create a beautiful garden path, these are the best path ideas on a budget.

The small but cozy patio above is furnished with comfortable seating furniture in a round red stone seat. A lone red slab is laid out vertically to the entrance to the passage to serve as a passage to the smaller circle. Pebbles and boulders of various shades and shapes are scattered everywhere, contrasting with the greenery of tall thin trees and potted plants. A low wooden bench is located at the back of the patio for extra seating and as a contrasting design element.

Garden paths can make or break a backyard. The materials need to be practical and durable because it can be frustrating to keep replacing an expensive paver that doesn't meet the needs of homeowners. It's also important to use material that matches the surroundings and doesn't detract from the floral area you've worked so hard on. Finally, it is important that the garden path is safe to use. The path will be the main path of movement throughout the garden, so it must be slip-resistant, highly visible, and easy for people (and pets) to step on.

Here are some inexpensive but beautiful materials that you can use when choosing a garden design paths for your home. Don't forget that these materials can be mixed and matched to give your garden more variety beyond the usual plants and flowers.

Slabs - can be the hardest DIY to make, but large cut flat stones give any garden an instantly luxurious rustic look. They also withstand harsh weather conditions and require little maintenance, as aging only improves their appearance over time. Some popular uses for flagstone include sandstone, travertine, and limestone for a paler tone. For bolder hues and textures, slate, bluestone, or quartzite are also good options.

Wood A warm and easy addition to any garden, wood comes in many cuts and sizes so there is a lot of variety when choosing what works best for your garden. Aside from aesthetics, make sure you choose wood that is resistant to mold, weather, and wood rot, as these are in close contact with moist soil. To reduce the need for maintenance, it would be wise to apply wood sealant and apply termite protection to the wood prior to installation.

Fine gravel is a quick solution when you need to create a garden path, any garden or hardware store will most likely sell gravel, just ask for the size of the fine gravel or the stones will be too big. Simple and hardy, fine gravel is great for gardens that prefer a more industrial style. To avoid placing small stones, place a barrier around the area to be washed with fine gravel, preferably larger stones, or metal or plastic lining around the edges.

Pebbles is a more elegant solution for fine gravel, the pebbles have a better variety of colors as well as a nice round shape. Your local gardening supply store should stock a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes that you can simply pour over a dry patch of compacted soil. As with fine gravel, be sure to install an edge barrier to keep rocks from flying across the garden.

Concrete is one of the most basic building materials today. Surplus concrete left after building a house can be used to quickly lay paths in the garden. Store-bought concrete in single paving stones or made from home mold is a reliable and extremely cheap solution for those on a budget who need a garden path. This concrete can also be used in large strips and molded into regular shapes such as circles or rectangles. In addition, some concrete mixes need to retain the imprint of the leaf or shape of the top layer so that the slab is more non-slip and also adds design to what would normally be an everyday part of the garden.

Pebbles - To give old plain concrete a look, consider adding a layer of pebbles on top of the concrete to give it more texture and color. It is also a good way to improve the non-slip properties of garden paths, even if the steps are overgrown with moss.

This gorgeous tulip garden is a gray concrete path surrounded by a white river road. A simple do-it-yourself walkway project like this one can be done with no experience and without putting a lot of effort into your budget.

This beautiful garden path is made from gravel and pressure treated wood. The path is surrounded by a bed of bark interspersed with plants and stones that create a unified garden design.

This backyard flower garden is the perfect place for an inexpensive concrete path leading from the house to the lawn. Concrete pavers are very affordable and easy to use.

Although simple, this dual yard walkway design contrasts with the difference in color and texture between fresh green grass and fine gravel. Surrounded by river cliffs, a sense of order is maintained, and at the far end stands a lone wooden lawn chair - a great way to enjoy the view of the old red brick house in the background.

This DIY garden path is constructed from paving stones laid in a bed of river stone, with a line of brick structure to separate the path from the grass. The path leads to a small wooden terrace with a gazebo in the backyard overlooking a small pond with a stone fountain.

Flat stones are laid out horizontally, forming terraces on the sides for a wide cluster of bushes and shrubs. To match the rustic quality of the horizontal stones, large free-form slabs were used for the steps in the garden, as well as for the platform that fanned out into the garden. These slabs can even be made from concrete and will be strong enough to withstand all kinds of weather conditions as well as heavy user foot traffic.

The large green lawn is covered only in places with collections of exotic plants and trees. A small path winds along the perimeter of the garden with low bushes on one side and a gravel path on the other. Made of randomly arranged stone blocks, the empty spaces are filled with simple crushed gravel, all flanked by a linear arrangement of roughly scattered mini boulders to keep the path neat and orderly.

This beautiful garden path includes some very interesting textures. Semi-cylindrical mounds rise above the ground, rounded logs are horizontally laid out along their path. The alternating diagonal squares on the track are a set of circular weathered wood cross-sections. These round platforms provide a smooth, even surface as opposed to the uneven, unpredictable texture of logs.

This grassy backyard was quickly transformed with the addition of a reclaimed wooden walkway on a raised platform. With a lighter tone wood than the wood used for the perimeter fence, it can be the center of attention in this minimalist backyard. The sinuous nature of the deck also allows users to enjoy walking to and from the backyard and provides a better visual aesthetic than a linear one.

Purple flowers accentuate the rough, rough texture of square paving stones. The walkway pavers are finished in a gray pebble wash finish that matches the existing pebble wash paths attached to the house and lined with potted plants. Pebbles are not only cheap and easy to clean, but they are also abrasion resistant and non-slip even in wet conditions.

This rustic but comfortable patio of gravel on the rear yard is laid out between large paving stones paved with pebbles. The gravel bed is held in place with metal barriers on the side that also hold the soil and mulch used for plant boxes that contain many native shrubs and weeds. In the center of the garden is a great seating area with modern style wooden and metal benches and tables, a high stretch fabric hammock and low wooden benches under large canopy trees.

In the garden's backyard, a series of curvilinear cut flagstone blocks in a beige meander. The light-coloured slabs contrast beautifully with the reddish nature of the shavings scattered across the planting area. The rustic secondary tree used for the low perimeter fence and the short rows of a variety of blooming flowers also bring rustic charm to this backyard garden.

Tall garden plants with green and purple leaves peep out next to rows of white flowering bushes. These two planter sections surround a grassy garden path tiled on each side with rectangular, textured stone tiles. This grassy path leads to the central tree, which is shaped like a helmet.

This gravel path skirts a low red brick garden wall. The whitish color of the small pebbles contrasts with the overgrown vine bushes that occupy the garden wall. In addition, tall vertical purple lilies on the opposite side contrast with the horizontal nature of the gravel path and low brick wall.

Japanese-style home with large zen garden outside of strict walking paths. It consists of very fine gravel, which is necessary in order to be able to traditionally comb the pebbles with a rake. Large flat but rough tones are scattered throughout the garden, leading from the large step to the hallway of the house to the street. A lone bonsai tree is the only greenery in the garden, except for the dense pine trees behind the house.

Large steps of rough hewn stone are stacked on top of each other to form a series of steps that cut through the sloping bank of grass. For budget reasons, large boulders can be replaced with poured concrete, given a worn and worn appearance, and then coated with a suitable water-weather sealer to increase durability.

This rough, flat stone path runs through this rich mission garden. Low white rose bushes gather around the base of larger shade trees, and a path leads to a central stone fountain surrounded by low bushes. To the side is a red brick terracotta floor used for patio decor, contrasts in color with the plain gray stone of the walkways.

This rustic backyard features a homemade concrete stone walkway built from a resin mold that is framed with glass bottles in different colors. The path is surrounded by white gravel and wooden fence .

In this example, a linear series of reclaimed railroad timber is laid out horizontally on a lush patch of grass. Despite the simple and minimalist design, it's actually a great way to reuse existing materials and integrate them into new environments to give them new life. Weathered wood like this is also known for being highly resistant to heavy foot traffic and lends a rustic feel to a simple lawn path.

Round garden paving stones in various sizes are molded from concrete and built into the garden path. This is a cheap but effective way to create a path in a lowland garden. The red shavings scattered across the steps ensure that the concrete is not damaged by growing weeds and also provides a good contrast in color and texture to the plain gray pavers.

This simple garden path is 100% made from USA made cedar boards. Tied together with a flexible and discreet nylon cord, backyard installation takes just a few minutes. It's also a great choice for backyard owners on a budget, and is naturally low maintenance due to cedar's resistance to rot and harsh weather.

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