10 DIY jobs you can do in a day to spruce up your garden

When the sun is shining and the weather is warm, there’s no better time to get out into the garden and enjoy those warm rays and the summer air. But if you’re someone who can’t sit still and always likes to have something to do, sitting around or lounging in the sun all day may not be your idea of a relaxed weekend off at all.

Instead, you may rather fill your time occupied with a day of odd jobs, DIY tasks and tinkering around, all the while making the most out of a beautiful day.

If this sounds like you, you’ll know that there really is a fantastic feeling of self-accomplishment after a day spent outdoors, ticking tasks off of your to-do list.

Once you’ve exhausted the normal list of cutting the grass, cleaning your windows, doors and drains, tidying the shed, trimming the hedge and tendering to plants, you may just be scratching your head and wondering what to do next in the garden.

We’ve got some easy, inexpensive and do-it-in-a-day garden DIY spruce-up projects that you may just want to save up for a sunny day.

1. Build a raised sleeper bed

Got a growing patch in your garden that’s looking untamed and a little messy? Or maybe you’re thinking about creating your own herb garden.

Raised sleeper beds are such a simple and easy way to tidy up your garden.

They provide an attractive and highly effective growing environment for your favourite plants, all whilst adding a stylish dynamic to your garden space.

Building your own sleeper beds really is very straightforward, and for most, something that can be done in a day.

All you’ll need to do is gather all of your materials, including sleepers, cement, screws and a weed membrane, prep the area and get building.

Raised sleeper bed kits are a great way of getting started.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy method for building a raised sleeper bed, click here.

2. Brighten up walls, fencing, garages and sheds with trellis

We often spend a lot of time structuring and tending to ground level elements of our garden, such as grass, decking, flower beds and patio areas. But, sometimes, we forget to make the best use of our vertical space.

Trellis is a great way of breathing a new lease of life into a lost and forgotten vertical section of your garden, whether it be the side of a shed, garage wall or even a fence.

It’s an inexpensive, natural-looking garden material that can support a range of climbing plants.

And, if you want instant colour, use wire to attach plastic plant pots to your trellis and fill with your favourite summery plants.

Alternatively, you could create a vertical herb garden

Not only will you have your own ready-made supply of cooking herbs, but garden-grown herbs will also add fresh scents to your outside space.

3. Fit a new garden gate

If your garden gate is looking tired and old, it’s time to tick another job off the list and fit a new one.

Broken gates can make your home targetable to unwanted intruders. And if you’ve got pets such as dogs, rabbits or chickens that need to be contained within a secure garden space, a broken gate could well lead to an escape incident.

There are a few things to think about when repairing a garden gate

It may just be that your gate furniture, such as latches and catches have become broken or rusty. That’s a simple fix, that involves replacing the furniture for new.

But if it’s the actual gate that is old and damaged beyond repair, it’s time to get a new one. Side gates are available in a range of sizes and styles.

You’ll also need fixings and the correct gate furniture to complete your new installation, which can be done in less than a day; another job ticked off the list!

4. Re-point your patio

Are your patio slabs wobbly and uneven? Here’s another one to add to your do-it-in-a-day garden to-do list.

It’s a fairly quick job, but often one that many put off.

However, leaving wobbly paving slabs can lead to accidents or injuries.

The last thing you want is to invite friends or family over, and for someone to trip or injure themselves on a wobbly patio slab. To avoid these issues, you need to make sure your patio is laid evenly.

Wobbly paving slabs come often as a result of grout crumbling between slabs. And, this is entirely normal.

Different weather conditions and temperature changes throughout the year cause cracks and crumbles.

But if you stay on top of it, not only will your garden look beautifully neat and tidy, but you can avoid nasty accidents, too.

How to re-point paving slabs

All you need to do is remove old pointing with a sharp chisel, then clean in between slabs thoroughly, removing all grit, debris and weeds. Next, you can use a mixture of cement and sand to refill the joints. Leave this to dry, and in the meantime avoid walking on the surrounding slabs.

5. Tidy up your garden edging

Are things starting to look overgrown in your garden or a little untidy? Here’s a trick to give your garden a brighter and cleaner look instantly.

Creating edging around your garden is a fantastic way to create clear-cut zones, or garden sections, whilst adding another layer of texture.

There are a few ways you can do this:

Sawn Plank edging

You can use sawn planking on an edge held in position with pegs to create a simple edge. The thin planking can even be curved if you’d like some shape to your borders.

Creating garden edging using sleepers

Sleepers are another great way to do this. You can fit borders around lawns, pathways, flower beds and patio areas using timber sleepers.

Either lay the sleepers directly on the ground. Or, if it’s the clear, flush look that you’re going for, you can sink them into the ground, either vertically (on the shortest side), or horizontally.

And, if you’re feeling extra ambitious, why not give a retaining sleeper wall a go? You can find out more about how to do this, here.

Choosing the right sleepers for the project

Depending on the design of your garden, you may opt for modern, French Oak sleepers, which can be painted or stained. Or, if it’s a more natural or rustic look that you’d like to achieve, Tropical Hardwood sleepers may be the best option.

6. Freshen up your garden path

It’s sometimes the smallest changes and improvements that can make the biggest difference.

One quick way to give your garden a brighter and cleaner look is by tidying up your garden path.

A garden pathway is often one of the most frequently used sections of the garden, but often one that gets neglected the most, too.

Whether it’s putting the washing out, nipping down to the shed or tending to fruits and vegetables, your garden path sees a lot of foot traffic throughout the year.

Weeds, tired-looking paving slabs and overgrown mulchy pathways can really make a garden look messy and unkempt.

Shingle all the way

By using shingle, with minimal effort and spend, you can upgrade your garden pathway, and give your garden a well-deserved facelift!

Removing old paving slabs or mulch may take a little elbow grease, but after that, it’s pretty plain sailing.

The great thing about shingle is that it’s available in a wide variety of colours and sizes, so you really can find something that works with your existing garden layout and design.

And, if you’re worried about weeds, using a weed membrane will help you to maintain a weed-free garden pathway for longer.

7. Repairs and improvements to a shed roof

Typically, when we store something like a BBQ, a bike, tools and paints, inside of a shed, it’s because we want to protect them from the outside elements.

Problems can occur, and household items can become damaged or spoiled if your shed roof is leaking rainwater. Ultimately, it defeats the purpose of storing such items in the shed.

When a shed gets damp, mould spores will start to build upon the walls as well as any items inside, which is far from ideal.

So, what can you do if you’ve got a leaky shed?

If you have a shed that is relatively new, or in good condition, finding the root of the cause and fixing a leak is a good place to start.

You may need to use a selection of materials to fix the problem, including roof felt, nails and plyboard.

You could also replace the roof felt to prevent issues in the future.

However, if your shed is donkey’s years old, is a complete eyesore and broken beyond repair, the safest option would be to replace your shed entirely for new.

This gives you an opportunity to have a fresh start, a good clear out and probably a dump run, but above all, a nice new dry space to store away your beloved items.

8. Build a mini deck

Been thinking about installing a small decked area in your garden for a while? That warm sunny weekend is the perfect opportunity!
Whilst building a larger deck is likely to take longer than a day, a mini, or dinky deck is entirely achievable.

Dinky decks are a great way of incorporating decking in a smaller garden or revamping an unused section of your garden.

Create a spot for outdoor dining, a mini garden chill-out zone, a sun deck, or even somewhere to arrange your favourite flower pots and outdoor ornaments.

Find out how to build your own decking, here.

9. Clean and stain your decking

If you’ve already got a deck, it might be time to give it it’s annual TLC.

Whilst decking requires relatively little maintenance, once a year, you should put a day aside to give your deck a little love.

We’re talking about sweeping, jet washing and applying stains or treatments.

Ultimately, the more you invest in looking after your deck, the longer it will last and the more you’ll get out of it.

Over time, leaves, mud and debris can build up on the deck. Left unmanaged, the decking surface can become slippery and prone to rot and decay which can eventually result in the timber splitting or cracking underfoot.

Cleaning will remove this debris, and on a sunny day, the decking will have time to dry before you apply treatments or stains.

These treatments can work to re-nourish the timber and seal it from insect damage and fungal attacks.

For more info on how to maintain your decking, click here.

10. Give your fence some TLC

On the subject of maintenance, we come nicely onto our tenth and final do-it-in-a-day DIY garden job: fence care.

Now it may not seem like it, but fences also need to be maintained. Just as with decking, the more you put into maintenance, the longer the fence will last.

That warm sunny day is the perfect time to get outside, fix any sections that have been storm damaged, scout out for any rotting timber and loose screws or nails and cut down any foliage that’s interfering with the fence’s structural or visual appearance.

For any sections that need repairing, you can replace broken fence posts, panels, boards and featherboard.

And, if you’re someone who usually paints or stains your garden fence, what better way to spend a sunny day outdoors.

It may be that on inspection, you’re starting to wonder whether it’s time to replace your garden fence for new.

If you’re not sure, check out our guide on how to spot the signs it’s time for a fence replacement.