Gardening
Gardening Basics
By
Stacy Fisher
Stacy Fisher
Stacy is an expert writer for The Spruce covering home DIY projects and crafts. She has over 18 years of journalistic experience, appearing as a DIY expert on the Dr. Oz Show and several radio shows. She has published hundreds of articles and co-authored a book.
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Updated on 03/07/24
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These DIY garden ideas will help you upgrade your current garden or create a new space to grow your favorite plants, all without spending a bundle. These easy and budget-friendly ideas are the perfect backyard projects for both small spaces and large backyard gardens.
Some of these projects will take just a few minutes, while others are a great way to spend a weekend outside. From building raised beds to container gardening to using upcycled materials for clever garden solutions like pallet planters, trellises, hanging gardens, and DIY fountains, these ideas will help you stretch your creativity (and your dollars).
Here are 35 DIY garden ideas to give your yard a new look this year.
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DIY Raised Garden Beds
Add to your garden or start a new one by using one of these raised garden box plans. Built with beautiful cedar planks, these raised beds are a lovely and functional DIY garden idea on a budget. You'll have them for years and they'll stand up to the elements nicely.
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Window Box Planters for a Shed
A window box planter gives you a small space for just one or two items to grow. Here, one is built into the window of a shed, creating a little extra space for a garden. This DIY garden idea is perfect for small spaces—learn how to build the crate and whitewash it to get a rustic look.
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DIY Succulent Garden in a Fountain
Instead of being grown in a pot, these succulents are growing in a DIY outdoor fountain container garden. The layers of succulents spill over onto the next, creating a full, layered look.
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DIY Pallet Garden Walkway
With just two pallets, you can create a DIY walkway that goes right through your garden. You can leave them natural or paint them to get a whole different look. The best part is how easy this is to put together.
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Greenhouse With Custom Flooring
Having a whole greenhouse for your garden might be the ultimate dream. This project shows you how to take any greenhouse and add a paver floor. The floor is then stenciled, giving it a whimsical feel.
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Solar Fountain
Add a solar fountain water pump to any large vessel along with some water-loving plants. This makes a beautiful living decoration that can be placed anywhere in the garden or yard.
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DIY Small Space Vertical Herb Garden
The smallest of spaces, even vertical ones, can be turned into a garden. This herb garden is contained in a weed barrier that's had pockets sewn in to hold the plants. You can make these any size you want, so they fit perfectly in your space.
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DIY Repurposed Patio Chair Garden Planters
Upcycle an old, thrifted patio chair into a vibrant garden design idea. A few coats of bold-colored spray paint will prepare the DIY chair for its new life as a planter. It looks great sitting among the garden beds.
Repurposed Patio Chair Garden Planters from Sustain My Craft Habit
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Cold Frame Garden Beds
DIY cold-frame garden beds keep your vegetables warm even during the coldest of weather. It's like having a small greenhouse that you place over your plants during the winter months. These have a beautiful black finish, making them almost look like pieces of art.
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DIY Trellis Herb Garden
A simple trellis is built with the directions in this project. It's given a simple coat of paint before the buckets are added on with hooks. You can plant whatever you want in these but the size makes it perfect for herbs. It's a petite DIY vertical garden that's going to save you precious square footage, and it's a great garden idea for small spaces.
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Container Gardens
You can grow a garden in just about any container. This guide takes you through the whole process from selecting the flowers to getting the container garden-ready. There are a lot of great tips and hints here to help you build some beautiful container gardens.
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DIY Stenciled Garden Stepping Stones
Pathways within a garden really make it something special. These easy-to-make stepping stones are just pavers that have been stenciled with paint. Choose your own design and colors to match your garden for this easy DIY garden idea.
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Cement Garden Beds
Here are some garden beds that are kept low to the ground and are made out of stylish concrete. It's a budget-friendly project that will give you a new way to grow your garden.
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DIY Rainbow Vertical Garden
Gardens can be quite colorful and there's no reason that your garden decor shouldn't be too. This rainbow vertical garden is painted in bold colors and gives lots of room for new plants.
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No Dig Garden
A no-dig garden is a garden where the soil is left as undisturbed as possible. It's supposed to mimic how soil is formed in nature. Here, a no-dig garden is placed inside a bathtub sat among the vegetable plants.
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DIY Hanging Basket Garden
Another way to take your garden vertical is by using some baskets to create planting space. Here, three baskets are used and they're put together with some colorful rope. It's hung on the side of a house but you could hang it anywhere in your yard or garden.
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Wooden Obelisk
An obelisk is a type of trellis for climbing vegetables and plants and this one is made from wood. Besides being functional, it looks like a piece of art among your plants. Just one looks special but a pair of them could be used to flank the garden entrance.
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DIY Mason Jar Wall Garden
A chicken wire frame is used to hold up mason jars for this fun DIY garden idea on a budget that can be hung on the wall of a shed or your home. Flowers are grown in these jars but it would make a wonderful hanging herb garden. It's a rustic, farmhouse look that may just look like it fits right in with your porch decor.
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Kid's Garden
Kids can really connect with gardening and you can foster that interest by building their own gardening space. This mini garden is low to the ground and perfect for a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, and flowers. It has a raised bed for the plants, special pots for herbs, and a lattice so the vegetables can grow vertically.
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Tomato Trellis With Conduit
If you're growing tomatoes in your garden, you can add a trellis that acts as a support for your tomatoes, allowing them to grow vertically. The tomatoes will love all the extra growing room and you'll love that the pests on the ground can't reach your tomatoes. It's made to last season after season, being made of sturdy conduit.
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DIY Pallet Planter Box for Cascading Flowers
This specially built planter encourages flowers to grow in all different directions so they look like they're cascading over each other. This one is made from wooden pallets, and with each year gets more and more stunning. You can keep it natural like shown here or stain it for a more polished look. Pick out flowers that bloom the majority of the summer so you can enjoy them as long as possible.
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Protective Plant Cover
If you have some unwelcome visitors to your garden, you'll want to take every step you can to protect your plants. Aluminum and wood are used together to create this sturdy protective plant cover that can be used year after year. It will give your plants a fighting chance against those critters.
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Hanging Gutter Planter and Stand
Here, a wooden frame is built to hold sections of a gutter. Growing inside those gutters is a cute herb garden. The gutters have been painted which gives them a fun look. Growing plants vertically is a great way to save space, and with this one, you'll do it in style.
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Hose Holder With Pallet Wood Planter
A clever way to hide away your garden hose is with a hose holder. You can make your own with this simple building project. Pallet wood is all cleaned up and used for the structure. The top can be used as a shallow planter and inside is where you can tuck the hose away. There's even a drawer pull added to make getting putting back the hose easier.
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Budget-Friendly Gravel Garden Path
A garden path can be budget-friendly and still look like it really belongs in your garden. Here, gravel is used for most of the path with some stones used as edging. The whole process from digging a trench to finishing the path is included in this tutorial.
Budget-Friendly Gravel Garden Path from Craving Some Creativity
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DIY Chevron Lattice Trellis
A trellis will help all those vegetable vines grow like peas or cucumbers. This chevron-style DIY trellis is updated from the classic and especially looks good when used as a pair. Find a place for the trellis inside your garden or sit against a structure for a new area to grow.
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Wooden Garden Bench
A garden bench looks great in any garden and gives you a place to sit and enjoy your space. This beginner woodworking project has you build a bench that looks like something out of a designer magazine. With clean lines and a simple profile, it's going to look wonderful in any garden.
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Defined Garden Bed
Garden beds can be defined in all different ways and this one has a clean crisp edge that really divides the plants from the yard. This DIY garden design idea could be used in all your flower beds or on the edge of your vegetable garden.
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DIY Mosaic Tile Window Box
This tutorial has you take an existing wooden window box and make it into something special. Mosaic tile is added to give it a clean and modern look. Choose whatever color goes along with your home or garden for the best look.
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Teapot Garden Decor
If you want something purely decorative for your garden, this piece of decor will fit right in. It's made with an old teapot and some decorative beads. When placed among the vegetables it looks as though it's watering all on its own. Incorporate some lights to make it just as pretty after dark.
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Free-Standing Strawberry Garden
This adorable DIY strawberry garden has two hanging baskets where strawberries are being grown. The sign can be customized to say whatever you like about your sunny strawberry patch. It can be built lower to the ground if you want the kids to help too.
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Inlay Garden Markers
Garden markers help tell you where you have your produce, herbs, and flowers planted. This easy DIY garden idea is especially handy for vegetables because the plants can look very similar when they're small. Here, the garden markers are carved with an inlay, but you could get a similar look with vinyl and a stencil.
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DIY Raised Garden Bed for Vegetables
Choose a place in your backyard for a garden or flower bed and then use pavers to create the edging around them. These stones will last longer than wood, especially if you live in a wet area. Stack them up either two or three planters high for a stylish garden design idea.
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DIY Garden Fence
If you need privacy in your yard, then the first DIY garden idea on a budget you should look into is a DIY fence. You can make one out of bamboo, upcycled wood, pallet wood, and even mesh. Climbing plants will help the fence look like an intentional, styled part of your yard.
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Plastic Bottle Garden
Plastic bottles are usually the enemy of the environment, but you can use them in your own garden to start seeds or plant smaller plants and keep them out of the reach of animals. This is one of the most affordable upcycled DIY garden ideas out there and it's super functional.
FAQ
How can I build a garden for free?
To build a garden for free, you just have to get creative. Look for supplies you can upcycle, like wood pallets, containers, and household items that could be turned into planters or raised beds. Research household pantry staples that can be used to amend soil. Keep an eye out for free plant or seed giveaways.
What is the best garden layout?
A raised bed is one of the best garden layouts for growing vegetables and other edible plants. No matter what type of garden you have, you'll typically want to put taller plants in the back, then mid-size, then smaller plants so all plants get enough light exposure.
How do you make a low-maintenance garden?
The easiest way to plant a low-maintenance garden is to make native plants that do not require regular pruning, deadheading, or water. Plants that are built to survive in your environment will require the least care. Then, look at raised beds or other vertical gardens that will keep weeding to a minimum.
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