EASY GARDEN MAKEOVER PROJECTS
By Suzanna Bain

Love your garden but don't have much time on your hands? Then make the most of your 'room outside' with some of these easy makeover ideas that can be completed in a weekend or less. For gardens large and small, a decorative pergola can be a hugely attractive feature, creating an arch or walkway that really draws you in. Choose wood preservative, outdoor varnish, paint or stain to colour and protect, then plant your favourite variety of climbing rose at the base to trail upwards.

A trellis or two with climbing plants creeping up can look really great and help create that cosy, closed-in feel, as well as adding interest to otherwise dull, plain walls. Liven up blank fences by attaching flower pouches or vertical grow bags to them and planting them up. Stain or paint trellises and paint garden walls to give them a new lease of life, but consider their position and how much light they get first.

Mediterranean hues such as warm yellows, terracottas and burnished reds and oranges inevitably give off a sense of warmth, but blues and purples make a more dramatic statement and provide a wonderful contrast to vividly coloured flowers. If most of your planting is on one level, buy some architectural or structural plants to add a different dimension, such as the spiky-leaved purple flax Phormium Purpureum, variegated yucca Golden Sword or the black grass Ophiopogon Nigrenscens.

Patio area looking sorry for itself? Then get crafty and create exciting decorative effects on plain terracotta or plastic pots, then plant them up with bright pot plants. Those with interestingly textured leaves look great and herbs add a wonderful fragrance. To finish off, trail ivy or the creeping thyme Doone Valley over the rim. If you have a little more cash on your hands -- or less time -- buy them ready-made.

Add some pebbles or coloured gravel at the bases of pot plants and in flowerbeds. Large rocks also look good along the edge of pathways and for the more adventurous, why not turn your hand to building a full-on rockery.

For a more drastic patio or path makeover, lay a new one or put down some decking for a contemporary effect. If time is limited, try giving the area a thorough clean using a good product, together with some high-pressure water.

Putting up picket fencing helps produce that New England look and can give a crisp, ordered feel to your garden, especially if painted gleaming white. It should only stand around three to four feet tall and is likely to cost in the region of £20 for a six-foot length made from pressure-treated timbers.

A water feature will make your garden sparkle, turning it into a relaxing and peaceful haven-like retreat. Large or small, there's something to suit all spaces and gardens from trickling fountains, to huge gushing waterfalls -- well, almost! Everything you need can be found at the local garden centre where you'll get good advice about the right look and size to go for too.

Make sure your new garden can be seen at night with some dramatic lighting. A huge range of designs are available so boring old floodlights aren't the only option. Try fibre optics or coloured bulbs, glass or plastic for a modern and interesting treat but call in a qualified electrician unless you're an expert yourself.

Sitting back and enjoying your handy work with some new patio furniture. Bin the shabby, cracked moulded plastic table and chair set and go for something more sophisticated and inviting. Alternatively, make or buy chair cushions and covers, or try your hand at putting up -- and relaxing in -- a hammock.

Buy some beanbags (you can even get weatherproof ones these days), large scatter cushions and rugs for entertaining, plus some candles and holders for ambience. To keep people warm at night, invest in some outdoor heaters which are more affordable and efficient than ever and an excellent investment for making more of your garden all year round.

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