Design solutions

With the right visual tricks, clever planting and a few pro-level layout tweaks, you can make a modest plot feel wider, deeper and far more luxurious than its footprint suggests

Shopping list ● 3x fretwork panels ● tape measure ● 2x 2.4m(L) x 68mm(W) x 21mm(D) smooth planed pine stripwood battens ● pencil ● jigsaw ● sandpaper ● combi drill ● screws ● multi-surface spray paint

The dream for most garden owners is not to have a boundary at all – given a choice we would probably all prefer an unbroken ‘borrowed’ view, preferably of idyllic countryside or suitably breathtaking

How to get the most from every area of the garden

There are plenty of projects that can be done to keep your home looking fresh. The key is to work out which tasks you are capable of as a DIYer, and which require specific skills and safety measures.