SORTING out the garden is often at the bottom of everyone's lists, especially when there's the house to focus on.
But one resourceful mum-of-three managed to give her garden a complete overhaul and saved a fortune doing it herself.
Stephanie Williams, 31, a former mental health support worker and full-time mum to three children aged 13, 3 and 2, updates followers about her garden transformation journey on Instagram @sow_stephanie.
She told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "We moved into a council property last September, and the garden was pretty bare.
"I’ve never really had a nice back garden, so I was determined to sort it out finally.
"During lockdown, all I used to see was people building amazing things from pallets, so I had the idea parked.
"I knew I wanted a corner seating area - I’d been to a shop in Liverpool called Taskers and seen the most gorgeous rattan seating area for £2000.
"I'd gone in there a week before Christmas with my kids so they could see all the Christmas decorations. £2000 - I didn't even have 2000 pence probably, not at that time of year!
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"So, I just went home and dreamed of this seating area for months on end. I did try and save for it a good few times but with a 13-year-old, 2 toddlers and a house to run, it just wasn't doable.
"In the house I used to live in, I had built a deck out of pallets and decking boards.
"However, we were desperately overcrowded at the time, so I had to move. I was so gutted pulling all the decking up - all the hard work.
"I got my new house last September, so all the pallets and wood just sat in my new garden over the winter.
"I thought about doing another deck again, but my new garden was just too big, and it would have meant me buying more decking with money I just didn't have.
"When the spring came, and I started to get the garden sorted, I just thought maybe I could recreate the seating I had seen with the wood, so that's what I did.
"The shape of the garden was just perfect for doing the design, inspired by the expensive couch from Taskers.
"The decor and the way it feels were inspired by the trees behind my house, I think.
"The trees give it a really spiritual feel, and I wanted somewhere I could meditate - a calming spiritual retreat - but also somewhere practical for my kids.
"I was so lucky to get a council house surrounded by all these beautiful trees. I still can't believe we live here, to be honest.
"I got the pallets from a man at the Liverpool Food Hub for £4 each.
"The decking was from a place in Wigan called Savoy Timbers, and it cost around £400 altogether with the screws. The outdoor rugs were £12 each.
"My small grey pots were a birthday gift from my sister from Morrisons for £30 and my suncatcher and pastel coloured wind chime were gifts from my mum.
"They were from Traveller Finds and they were £5 each. The stuff on there is gorgeous and the different prices are fab too.
"The fire pit was a gift to my kids from their grandad, and the wind chime was from Etsy for £16.
"The black fence paint was by Spear and Jackson for £10. The masonry paint and wood gloss were both Wilkos own; they were both around £24 each."
After gathering everything she needed it was time for Stephanie to start with the transformation.
She said: "First I washed all the paving flags, then I painted all the brick walls and fences.
"Afterward, I painted all the planters that were already there when I moved in.
"Then it was just a case of putting the pallets where I wanted them and attaching the decking boards, painting the seating area, and planting and replanting all my new and old plants and flowers.
"I did this job mostly on Sundays when my kids were at their Nan's.
"Moving the pallets was the biggest challenge. When you see them on Facebook, you just think 'Oh yeah I'll be able to do that'.
"They look like you can just pick them up, but they are really heavy and full of splinters - I had to borrow a van to get them home too."
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: "Stephanie’s garden has undergone a serious makeover.
"The space looks much brighter now, and pallets have come to the rescue once again. Why spend £2000 on garden seating when you can pick up pallets for just £4 each?!"
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