Outdoor landscape remodeling without plants 

You don't need lots of plants and trees to make a garden space just that: a garden. In fact, you don't need to have any plant life at all in your outdoor space to make it a garden; there are plenty of modern and innovative approaches to landscaping these days that don't involve a single plant at all. 

If you’re in the market for a low-maintenance outdoor space, you could look at decking, paving stones, concrete, sand, beach pebbles, wood bark or chips, tumbled glass, mulch, or gravel. These can all be placed in decorative ways, and even in intricate designs and styles, if that's what you're looking for. Alternatively, they can be simple, with clean lines and straight edges. 

If you are planning on having a garden area that is completely devoid of plant life, make sure that you use landscaping fabric to prevent the growth of any. Otherwise, you will be faced with a weed problem. 

Outdoor landscape remodeling for more privacy

Fences, hedges, trees, and tall grasses or flowers can all be used to give an outdoor space more privacy. In order to work out what kind of privacy-boosting features would be right for your outdoor space, you must work out what kind of privacy, and from what direction, you need. 

If you have a neighbor three streets along that can see you when you're in the hot tub at night, perhaps a pagoda or gazebo-style structure would be best, with overhead coverage that doesn’t completely block out the stars and night sky. 

If you have a next-door neighbor that's definitely bordering on the nosy side, high wooden fences and thick hedges can add more privacy for your outdoor space, but that's definitely making a statement. You’ll also need to bear in mind that you might block your own sunlight in the installation of such items. 

Sometimes, something as simple as a trellis with honeysuckle and other fragrant plants growing up can be enough to offer extra privacy in an open outdoor area. You have plenty of options; it just depends on what kind of privacy you're looking for. 

Outdoor landscape remodeling on a tight budget

One of the easiest things you can do to remodel your garden or outdoor area on a budget, is have a good tidy up. This could be as simple as putting the kids' toys away and giving the barbecue a good clean. 

Clutter instantly makes a space feel smaller, dirtier, messier, and more claustrophobic — and that's not the kind of atmosphere you're going to want in an outdoor space that you want to be welcoming, warm and inviting. 

A lick of paint is a good, relatively inexpensive project to brighten up an otherwise dark and gloomy garden — fences, patios, decking, rocks, etc. 

You could even look at what items you have around the home, or in the family, that are going to be thrown out. Could you upcycle them and turn them into a functional piece for your garden? Would an old dining room table work as a home for all of your newly potted plants, for example? An idea we've already mentioned springs to mind, too: using an old shelving unit as a vertical planter for vegetables, plants, herbs, etc. And you could also consider using an old cabinet or dresser and turning it into a potting table. 

There are plenty of upcycle opportunities to enable you to makeover your outdoor space on a budget. You just need to get creative. (And Pinterest is a great place to start looking for inspiration!) 

Outdoor landscape remodeling for really small spaces

When you have a very small surface area to work with in terms of square footage, it pays to get creative with the vertical space you have on offer. As well as bookshelf-style plant pot holders that can give you more upward space to work with, you should also look at trellis-style plants, pagodas and similar that offer overhead coverage, and also hanging baskets or windowsill boxes. 

Having a really small space doesn't need to hold you back; you just need to know how to use it better. Could you lean an old wooden palette against the wall and hang plant pots from it? Use an old bookshelf in your outdoor space to stack your pots rather than throwing it away? Hang baskets or multi-level growing bags to make use of every available square inch?