SHOWING off her home to a friend, Libby Guillou opens her back door and reveals the carefully put together garden which is bursting with colour.
Her pal is amazed by the transformation which looks like something you’d see in a glossy garden magazine but without the hefty price tag.
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That’s because green-fingered mum and nan Libby, 57, spent pennies, not pounds, to completely transform her outside space.
But for Libby, the real showstoppers are pinned to the fence – Two £10 shower curtains which she bought from Temu and give the illusion of an idyllic woodland glade.
She says: “I turned an ugly wooden fence into a spectacular Bridgerton-style paradise using two plastic curtains and a staple gun.
“It transformed my garden. People even think the arches and fake gates are real.
“I got the idea when my next-door neighbour did it. Theirs has pink flowers cascading over a faux wall scene.
“When I saw it, I was amazed and because I rent my house, I can take it with me if I leave because it folds up.
“I am a fan of Bridgerton. The scene reminded me of the gardens in the show.”
Turning a fence into a showpiece
According to Libby, fixing the curtains on correctly is key to achieving the look which involved properly stapling on all sides as well as in the middle.
“That’s the key to making your shower curtain display look real. It can’t blow away,” she says. “It doesn’t flutter and come loose. It looks very real, like a posh painting.”
And the curtains aren’t the only thrifty outdoor tricks Libby has used to achieve her own pocket of garden paradise 365 days a year.
She reveals: “My garden blooms all year round thanks to fake flowers from Shein and plastic ivy from Amazon,” she says.
“I bought feature planters and ornaments from charity shops for a quid. My gnomes and hedgehogs’ cost 50p.
“People are stunned by my makeover and the view cost less than £50. I did it for pennies.”
Carer Libby, from Guernsey in the Channel Islands, lives in a three-bedroom semi and wanted a garden that got people talking but was still low maintenance.
“I have lived in this house for 20 years,” she says. “When Storm Ciaran hit in November 2023 my fence and part of the garden was blown away.
“It prompted me to give my backyard a low cost but high impact revamp. I wanted it to be spectacular while spending as little as possible.
“I wanted the garden to be a place for my family to enjoy. I also wanted to be able to enjoy the spring sunshine.”
What’s the shower curtain garden trend?
Sun Gardening Editor Veronica Lorraine says: “While Italy boasts beautiful frescos and the Greek fill their gardens with statues, columns and plinths, it feels a little jarring to see that Brits are turning to £10 shower curtains to vastly improve their views.
But hey, who am I to tell you what works in your own particular space?
The whole point of being outdoors is to feel calm, happy and hopeful, and if a piece of material depicting a rolling countryside makes you feel serene and gives you good holiday vibes, then absolutely go for it.
I guess the key is in the hanging – and making sure there’s no glitches in your fake gates or holes in the rolling hills.
And also, crucially, making sure that no particles of plastic are shedding from the curtain and polluting the soil.
But bringing joy to your garden is the most important factor – and although it might not be everyone’s cup of tea – sometimes you just have to fake it to make it.”
An oasis of bargains
Instead of grass, Libby added pebbles and decorated her ‘arch oasis’ with ornaments picked up from charity shops.
She adds: “I have found amazing vintage pots, gnomes, stone animals, and faux birds to add interest to the garden.
“I made sure to stick to my budget.
“So when I picked up ornaments for between 50p and £2, I was thrilled.
“I also love up-cycling. You can breathe new life into old flower ornaments with a coat of paint.
Garden features that add the most value to a house
A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property.
Sellhousefast.uk carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK.
And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed.
- Shed – 82%
- Patio or paving – 76%
- Secure fencing, walls or gates – 72%
- Outdoor lighting – 66%
- Sturdy decking – 62%
- Water features eg. fountain or pond – 58%
- Modern garden furniture – 54%
- Artificial lawn/grass – 40%
“I have fake flowers from Temu and Shein which are amongst the real plants which give them volume.
“And I can change the plastic flowers when I want a different colour scheme – I even put them in the dishwasher.”
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When asked which is her favourite part of her garden there’s a clear winner – the shower curtains.
And it’s a trend which is becoming so popular, the Facebook group Shower Curtain Gardeners, established in June 2021, has almost 122k followers.
“I love being part of the shower curtain garden groups,” says Libby. “I get ideas from people’s posts all the time.
“I have seen the comments and trolls have a field day calling designs tacky.
“I don’t care. They are entitled to think what they like: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love my garden.
“It is my little paradise.”
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