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DIY Landscaping Ideas: Cheap and Easy Ways to Transform Your Garden 

man laying turf on new lawn

Every seasoned gardener knows that a beautiful outdoor space isn’t achieved by randomly planting a few trees or shrubs, without any previous planning or research.

You need to think things through, account for every foot of available space, work out what will go where – and put in quite a bit of manual labor, too.

And no, the garden of your dreams won’t come cheap.

However, with a little planning and following a few straightforward rules and DIY landscaping ideas for 2020, you can still have a gorgeous outdoor space without burning a hole in your budget.

Stick around and learn all about it!

5 Budget-Friendly DIY Landscaping Ideas To Try This Year

1. Create Borders

palm trees and flowers topview

DIY landscaping ideas for 2020 don’t get much more budget-friendly than creating simple borders that will separate different areas, such as flower beds, lawns, and other plants in your garden.

It’s an excellent way to create an appealing layout and make the most of the available outdoor space, too.

One way to create prominent borders and outline specific areas of your yard is to use salvaged or recycled bricks.

If you’re going for a natural vibe, you can edge your flower beds with stone or river rock, too.

The options are pretty much endless, though, so feel free to get creative with your borders!

2. Add Bloom Boxes

Have you considered taking your DIY landscaping projects off the ground? 

Making DIY window boxes – which, by the way, are surprisingly easy to build – or adding outdoor shelves is one of the best cheap DIY landscaping ideas out there!

Bloom boxes that sit outside the windows add a charming touch to your garden, without overpowering the area or taking up space.

Whatever the size of your backyard, these window boxes can fit right in the setting – and your budget.

You can make your bloom boxes out of old wood if you already have some lying around the house.

If not, don’t worry – purchasing spare wood shouldn’t be too much of an expense.

3. Do Some Refurbishing

Refurbishing is probably the most cost-effective DIY landscaping idea you could try.

With very little work, you can add wonderfully unique and stunning touches throughout your backyard – and it will barely cost you anything.

For example, some paint and wood stain can transform old lawn furniture and benches into beautiful pieces!

Oh, and if you’re up for some outside-of-the-box thinking, consider refurbishing an old bathtub and turning it into a planter, too.

It’s a bit unusual, but it makes perfect sense:

Tubs are sturdy, durable, and spacious – and they make for adorable DIY refurbished planters.

4. Make Pathways

summer garden pathway

Who doesn’t like to see a lovely pathway incorporated in the landscape?

They make underutilized corners of your backyard more attractive, connect two points of interest, introduce color and texture, and cut down on turf maintenance costs.

And yes, you can make pathways yourself, without hiring professional help.

Using reclaimed pallet wood is one of our personal favorites because it doesn’t cost much, yet lends a ton of character to your outdoor space.

Stepping stone paths are another appealing option worth considering, especially if you want to spruce up the appearance of high-traffic areas.

5. Light It Up

Putting up landscape lighting on easy-to-build light stands is pretty much guaranteed to add a whole new vibe to your outdoor space, even if you make little to no changes to the landscape in general.

Whether you want to add a subtle glow to a large area or want to give your patio a bistro-inspired look, string lights are the way to go.

You’d be surprised at the impact that something as simple as LED, outdoor-friendly lights can make in the style department.

But besides making the outdoor space more aesthetically pleasing, landscape lighting serves another essential purpose – increasing the general safety by improving visibility in all areas of your backyard after sundown.

Final Word

A beautiful landscape typically doesn’t come cheap.

But with so many simple DIY landscaping ideas that don’t cost a ton money, you may still be able to pull it off – and turn your backyard into an awe-worthy outdoor space.

All it takes is careful research, planning, and creativity – and you can have your outdoor dream space at an attainable price!

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