You may live in an apartment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t love your back patio. There are so many ways you can turn your boring concrete slab into a fun apartment patio garden!
For less than $100, we took our empty patio and transformed it into a welcoming oasis. All it took was a little work and some creativity. We created a beautiful spot on a tight budget, and you can, too!
This video I created shows how we turned our apartment patio garden into a welcoming place to be! Now that the warmer months are here, we’ll be able to enjoy being outside even more.
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Apartment Patio Garden Supply List
Here is where all of our supplies came from:
Dollar Tree:
- hummingbird feeder
- pots
- gladiolus bulbs
- hanging baskets and liners
- decorative hanging basket hook
- gardening claw
Target:
- slate gardening stakes
Home Depot:
IKEA:
World Market:
- wind chime
JoAnn Fabrics:
- outdoor fabric for recovering cushions
Locally:
- patio furniture
- wooden table
- flowers, herbs, and vegetable plants
These adorable slate garden stakes came from the dollar section at Target! The set came with a piece of chalk, but I decided to use a waterproof chalk marker so the lettering wouldn’t be washed away.
All of these pots (except the one on the far left) came from Dollar Tree! They’re a great value for the money. I appreciate the muted colors and the sturdiness of the plastic.
The gladiolus bulbs came from Dollar Tree as well. Almost all of them came up, and a lot of them flowered! I was pretty impressed.
Before
When we moved into our apartment, we had a clean slate to work with—a plain concrete slab, that is. My husband and I wanted to create a serene space where we could relax and enjoy some fresh air, so we set to work planning our apartment patio garden.
Here are a couple of pictures taken after we started pulling everything together. We had begun planting our vegetables and flowers, and started bringing supplies out.
After
And here we have the finished apartment patio garden! It’s a lovely place to be, and we didn’t have to spend much money.
Our white patio furniture came from Craigslist and from a local sale. It’s all solid wood, and we got it for a great price!
The bright, floral outdoor fabric from JoAnn Fabric’s has held up well. My sister-in-law is an amazing seamstress and recovered the cushions for me.
These black hanging basket frames and inserts came from Dollar Tree as well! Each piece is sold separately, so that makes them just $2 each!
We found our wind chime at World Market on clearance! It has a nice, low chime that sounds so peaceful.
The hummingbird feeder was just $1 from Dollar tree, and it works great! It’s easy to empty and refill the sugar water mixture. The hummingbirds love it, and it’s so fun to see them flitting around out our back window.
Each of these small black trellises were just $1 at Dollar Tree. They worked great until our sweet pea vines got too tall. After they outgrew it, I just added some twine for them to climb on.
I love our sturdy farmhouse-style watering can from IKEA! It works well, and only costs about $6!
Don’t these slate garden stakes look adorable? I love how cute and functional they are, and they were a pretty good price at just $3 for 4 stakes.
Tips to Get Started
Creating a beautiful apartment patio garden can be done on a tight budget!
Pay attention to sales and clearance sections. Check your local Craigslist and yard sales regularly, especially for big ticket items. Utilize your local Dollar Tree store. Visit an IKEA store if you have one nearby. They have an amazing garden and outdoor section with lots of inexpensive potted plants, pots, furniture, and more!
Start an herb, flower, or vegetable garden. String up lights (if your complex allows them). Add some comfy outdoor furniture pieces. Put up a bird feeder or birdhouse.
Creativity will help stretch a shoestring budget, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Happy decorating and gardening!
