Garden MAKEOVER

Hayley Norris' top priority was a multifunctional, low-maintenance outdoor space

When Hayley Norris, 42, a relationship manager, moved into her home six years ago with her husband, John, 43,  and son Alfie, 11, they spent the first few years renovating the house and left the garden, which became a dumping ground for a lot of the building supplies.

Once the dust had settled, she realised that the unloved outdoor space was in desperate need of some care and attention, and while Hayley had lots of ideas about what she’d like, she was fully aware that she was new to gardening and that it really needed to be easy to care for. She also wanted the garden to be a relaxing place for entertaining and to have plenty of storage.

Careful planning

‘The garden wasn’t my favourite part of the house,’ recalls Hayley. ‘The fencing was falling apart and mismatched, the borders were overgrown and the patio was discoloured and cracked. It really wasn’t a place I liked hanging my washing, let alone entertaining.’

Hayley decided she wanted to create a fixed seating area, with a few raised beds and a small shed to keep tools and to double as a place for Alfie to hang out with his friends. She also wanted to be able to step out from the house onto the patio, as it had a big drop down from the house. With help from the rest of the family, she sat down and planned the space, which would include a shed, and cooking and seating areas placed in the best position to catch the sun. The plan was to do most of the work themselves. ‘I knew this would save money, but also appreciated it would take longer – in the end it took six months,’ says Hayley.

Picking essentials