It's the time of year when lots of people are doing work on their gardens.
Nothing reminds you your outdoor area could do with a clear up much like summer sunshine, but it's often expensive to re-vamp your garden.
But one DIY guru saved hundreds by using simple hacks – and she said the space now brings big "Love Island vibes".
READ MORE:Couple save £3,000 transforming 'wasteland' garden into chic outdoor bar
Mandy Wilson, 51, from Cheshire, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "I have been working on my garden over the last five years to make it a maintenance-free space with a Mediterranean feel.
"I am particularly inspired by Ibiza as I lived there for years and I miss the outdoor living.
"I did not want to have to spend a lot of time managing the garden because I have back issues and arthritis."
As well as this, Mandy said she didn't have time to maintain a garden, so she wanted to make sure the makeover was modern.
She wasn't happy with the garden as it looked before, as it was "plain".
Mandy was keen to brighten it up, so they had somewhere they could sit and relax during evenings and weekends.
It took a while for them to complete the project, as they had to stick to a budget.
"I made one investment, which was a weatherproof printed board from KAYDOR Signs," Mandy continued.
"While shower curtains may be cheaper, I wanted something that didn’t fade, so I spent more money instead of spending it over time replacing shower curtains which are not designed for the outdoor elements."
She added: "I cut a number of designs – words and animals, including a lizard – from waste grass, using a Stanley knife.
"I love art and I really enjoyed getting creative. I affixed the designs with Gorilla outdoor tape.
"These designs would have cost at least £20 if I had bought them ready-made."
She made giant pencils by using leftover fence posts.
If Mandy had bought them online, they would have cost at least £15 each.
She then snapped up items to go around the garden, and picked some bits up for free on Facebook Marketplace.
Mandy already had one of the garden sofas, and a friend was getting rid of the other one, so she managed to snap that up too.
The savvy shopper also picked up the decking furniture for just £20 a piece as the seller wanted to get rid of it.
She said: "The face statue was only £30 and I have seen similar ones for over £100 online, so I was pleased with this bargain.
"A family was redoing their garden and it didn’t match their décor anymore so I was happy to take it off their hands.
"All the other decor was under £20 each from Marketplace. I took my time looking regularly and only got pieces I felt would really fit in with the garden overall.
"Now that the garden is complete I absolutely love it. I have saved £100s on the decor by making it myself or picking it up cheaply.
"I have been told by friends and family that now my garden looks like part of the Love Island villa which is part of the vibe I was going for!"
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