Hard work pays off

Before

During

Last year our garden was covered in bindweed, which was strangling our plants. My girlfriend Julie and I knew that we would have to start from scratch, and to protect the new plants we used extra-thick weed matting and a weekly dose of glyphosate.

We decided on a basic design, something we could do ourselves and in a short amount of time. We both agreed on simple planting with a blue theme, which wouldn't need a great deal of attention, as neither of us have a lot of time for gardening, and because it would be used mainly for a socialising space. As far as the plants went, we only kept the bamboo and the tree fern from the original garden.

We were on a tight budget so we were on the lookout for bargains. Most of our outdoor lighting came from pre-season sales, while the slate and gravel came from stockists offering good deals on bulk buying.

While I was digging up the turf, laying the foundations and the patio slabs, Julie was laying the brickwork. It was a lot of hard work but we loved doing it. Sometimes we thought it would never come together, but we were determined to get it done in time for summer.

After

We love our garden now, especially in the evening when the lighting brings it to life. We've also got speakers out there for relaxing music. It looks so much bigger than before and it will be a lot easier to look after.

In total, it took us about 10 days, or five weekends (we only worked on the garden at the weekends). The cost, starting from bare mud and including everything – the furniture, lighting, barbecue, even the speakers – was between £1,800-£2,000. We're now looking forward to a really good summer.

Roger Miller, Crockenhill, Kent