No matter the size of your garden, there’s always an opportunity to unleash your very own quirky vibe on your green space. Whether you want to spruce up your front yard or make your neighbours jealous of your back garden, upgrading your landscape doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.

Stuck for where to start? With a bit of creative thinking and our five funky ideas, you can enhance your outdoor area with ease.

Add a garden chandelier

Hit the op shops and have a look for an old chandelier. It doesn’t have to be in great condition, so long as it’s still structurally sound (we don’t want anyone getting hurt). Once you’ve got a suitable one, remove the wiring and get decorating. It’s totally up to you how you want it to look – you can spray paint it a bright colour, string up some solar lights, or even add plant pots so your chandelier is dripping with flowers. Then, hang your chandelier securely from a tree for an eye-catching garden accessory.

Create a succulent topiary

Have a roam around some dollar stores and garden centres for some chicken wire, hanging baskets, succulent plants and plastic pots, as well as any other materials to make your chosen animal shape. Start by making a frame in the shape of your chosen animal, then fill the frame with soil and water. Cover your design with coir or landscape fabric and attach some mesh to the rim before planting your succulents in it.

Use upcycled planters

You can be as creative as you like with this one. From teapots and old bikes to bird cages and suitcases, it’s easy to transform virtually anything into a planter. You can even grow flowers in old shoes, or turn a bed frame will help to perfect a literal garden bed. As long as there’s enough space to add soil and water, you can grow your chosen plants in pretty much anything. Then just arrange your upcycled planters around your yard where they will catch the eye.

Build a unique garden path

A unique garden path can give your space a sense of character and charm, and there are plenty of ways to make your footway pop. You could paint it bright colours to take your garden to new levels – kids will love this idea. Alternatively, you can add some stepping stone or pebbles in fun shapes for a landscape designer look. Stencil stones and patio pavers are also sure to impress. Of course, if you don’t want to re-do your path completely, you can always find some colourful glass bottles to create a personalised path border.

Landscape games into your garden

Make life outdoors more exciting and turn your garden into a playground. It could be something as simple as embedding a grid of nine stones into your landscape for a game of tic-tac-toe. Or you can think bigger, and create a mammoth scaled chess board with DIY pieces. Anyone for Twister? Paint red, blue, green and yellow dots on the grass or add some small coloured stones in the shape of a Twister board. If you prefer a quiet life, paint white dots onto black rocks for an afternoon of dominoes on the patio. 

If you need more help with injecting some life into your garden, check out our listings for professional lawn cutting and maintenance services.