Having children to look after can place tending to your garden at the very bottom of your to-do-list. However, one mum-of-three proved this doesn’t have to be the case after successfully juggling childcare with a garden overhaul, with impressive results.
Stephanie Williams, a full-time mum to children aged 13, three and two, was keen to improve her plain garden space. After seeing some garden seating priced at £2,000, she opted to recreate it on the cheap.
This was achieved by acquiring some pallets for just £4 from her local food hub. Meanwhile many of her plants and décor were donated by friends and family.
The 31-year-old ex-mental health support worker has been sharing her gardening journey on Instagram (sow_stephanie), including a before/after post which showcases the transformation. Stephanie told LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘We moved into a council property last September, and the garden was pretty bare.
“I’ve never really had a nice back garden, so I was determined to sort it out finally.” Stephanie was inspired to tackle her garden while scrolling through Facebook.
“During lockdown, all I used to see was people building amazing things from pallets, so I had the idea parked,” she added. “I knew I wanted a corner seating area - I’d been to a shop in Liverpool called Taskers and seen the most gorgeous rattan seating area for £2,000.
“I'd gone in there a week before Christmas with my kids so they could see all the Christmas decorations. £2,000 - I didn't even have 2,000 pence probably, not at that time of year.
“So, I just went home and dreamed of this seating area for months on end. I did try and save for it a good few times but with a 13-year-old, two toddlers and a house to run, it just wasn't doable.
As a result, Stephanie had to be creative to find cheaper alternatives to recreate her dream garden, and she duly came up with the pallet idea. “In the house I used to live in, I had built a deck out of pallets and decking boards.
“However, we were desperately overcrowded at the time, so I had to move. I was so gutted pulling all the decking up - all the hard work.
“I got my new house last September, so all the pallets and wood just sat in my new garden over the winter. I thought about doing another deck again, but my new garden was just too big, and it would have meant me buying more decking with money I just didn't have.
“When the spring came, and I started to get the garden sorted, I just thought maybe I could recreate the seating I had seen with the wood, so that's what I did.”
Inspired by the “expensive couch from Taskers”, Stephanie’s décor of choice was based on the trees behind her house. She looked to design a space where she could meditate - “a calming spiritual retreat” - while also being practical for her kids.
“I was so lucky to get a council house surrounded by all these beautiful trees,” she continued. “I still can't believe we live here, to be honest.
“I got the pallets from a man at the Liverpool Food Hub for £4 each. The decking was from a place in Wigan called Savoy Timbers, and it cost around £400 altogether with the screws. The outdoor rugs were £12 each. “
After finishing the outdoor seating, she then aimed to complete the ambience with a variety of plants, trees and other accessories. She said: “To be honest, I've been collecting my plants and trees for a long time, and a lot of them were given to me by friends, family and neighbours.
“In fact, the day after I had finished painting my seating area, I got a phone call - a cousin had sold his house and bought a new one with no garden, so I got an apple tree, a pear tree, a peach tree, a garden vacuum and a hosta. They were all in pots and all for free.
“When people know you're into gardening, they just give you cuttings and dying plants that they want to get rid of and so I've been very lucky with all that stuff. My small grey pots were a birthday gift from my sister from Morrisons for £30 and my suncatcher and pastel coloured wind chime were gifts from my mum. They were from Traveller Finds and they were £5 each. The stuff on there is gorgeous and the different prices are fab too.
“Some of my other pots were a gift from my kids’ nan; they were pots she didn't use anymore. They were blue, so I painted them black with the spare doorstep paint I had.
“I bought the doorstep paint to do the planters that were already here, and it cost around £13 a tin. It was good stuff, a lot better than the masonry paint. I also bought seeds for my wildflower garden from Poundstretcher for £1.50.
“The fire pit was a gift to my kids from their grandad, and the wind chime was from Etsy for £16. The black fence paint was by Spear and Jackson for £10. The masonry paint and wood gloss were both Wilko's own; they were both around £24 each.
“I haven't finished the outdoor cushions yet, but I got the foam and material from a haberdashery in Liverpool called Abakhan. It cost £86 altogether and my mum bought me a sewing machine for my birthday. My lovely new neighbour has made the first one for me and shown me how to make the rest, but that will be a job for the winter now when I have time.
“Some of my best flowers were from Ring O' Bells Plant Nursery in Ormskirk. The plants are so well looked after there and so reasonably priced, I spent about £60 and got a good few.”
After collecting all her supplies, it was time for Stephanie to begin assembling: “First I washed all the paving flags, then I painted all the brick walls and fences. Afterward, I painted all the planters that were already there when I moved in.
“Then it was just a case of putting the pallets where I wanted them and screwing on the decking boards, painting the seating area, and planting and replanting all my new and old plants and flowers. I did this job mostly on Sundays when my kids were at their nan's.
“Moving the pallets was the biggest challenge. When you see them on Facebook, you just think ‘oh yeah I'll be able to do that’. They look like you can just pick them up, but they are really heavy and full of splinters - I had to borrow a van to get them home too.
“Getting them level was another challenge. I bought these little things from B&Q called packers. You just slot them under the top layer of pallets to make them level. They cost about £10.
“If I had to do it again, I think I would paint the walls white instead of grey. That's it really. I wouldn't change anything else because I absolutely love it.”
