We’ve had our first 20 degree weather and there’s much more to come, you know what that means? It’s time to make your student garden THE best summer hangout. Let’s go!
Assess your outside space!
Have you got a corner of weeds building up that’s taking up space for something interesting? Or maybe you have an empty planter, or washing line poles. Whatever your garden has, you can think of a way to use it to make the perfect chill space!
Gardening
Some of us are naturally blessed with a green thumb – others, not so much. However, gardening can be a really mindful and fun activity, and it can make your garden go from 0-100.
Some of our student houses have built-in planters, but if not, not to worry, because you can pick up some tubs or boxes for super-cheap from places like Wilko, B&M or Home Bargains. Pick up a couple of bags of potting soil (Wilkos has 15L ones for 1.50 each!) and get to work. You can choose to go in multiple directions with gardening; flowers, vegetables, plants, herbs. We suggest going for the herbs or the vegetables as you get use out of them and therefore you are likely to continue the upkeep! You can buy herb plants from supermarkets like Aldi and repot them into the bigger containers to make your own herb garden. Some easy vegetables to grow would be potatoes – simply pop them half in water and wait for them to sprout roots and then plant them. Three months later and you should have your first crop!
Total cost: around £10
Lights
Look, fairy lights just fix everything. There is no further explanation needed. If you have some washing line poles already fitted then you could use those to hang the lights, and if not then you could use some command strip hooks! These are perfect for rentals as they can be removed without leaving any damage. You can get some from B&M, Wilkos and Home Bargains for super-cheap! You may also hit the jackpot in Aldi special buys if you’re quick enough.
Total cost: Between £3-£15
Accessories
Adding a couple of outdoor pillows here and there and having some blankets on-hand can really spruce up a space and make it a lot more comfortable for you to chill out in. We suggest getting actual outdoor pillows, as if they end up getting left outside and it rains, they won’t get ruined. If not then you can always pick up some older pillows from a charity shop! This way if they get ruined, it isn’t the end of the world.
Furniture
Most of our student houses are provided with furniture, however if you want something a little different you can always add more, for less! We suggest frequenting places like Facebook marketplace or other selling groups to see what free furniture people have going. If aesthetics aren’t a issue, then you can leave it as it is, but if it is then you can spruce it up however you like! A lick of paint never hurt nobody.
Bird Feeders
This is subjective to your interests, but for us, we always love seeing birds in our gardens. It’s a lovely way to cheer up a day. You can get a hanging bird feeder or even just sprinkle some seed out for them to pick up off the ground.
Total cost: £1-£10
We’d love to see whatever you decide to do with your student gardens! Feel free and encouraged to send us any pictures you have – good luck, and enjoy!