1. Out with the old! Be ruthless and get rid of any plants that aren’t their best any more. Plants don’t last forever, so dig the old ones up and you will have improved your garden instantly. If you put a new plant in their place then you will improve it even more!
2. Make it lush and green! The lawn is often the main area of the garden, so make sure you keep it mowed nicely, and also invest in some lawn food for when it gets a bit brown and neglected. If you water your lawn, do it in the early morning or evening too so the water will evaporate slower. Your lawn will look perfect in no time! This lawn food gets rid of most weeds as well as feeding the lawn: https://www.hayesgardenworld.co.uk/product/scotts-lawn-builder-lawn-food-100sqm
3. Do some border control! Plant some colourful shrubs in borders or raised beds, and ensure they are kept trimmed and neat so you don’t feel like your garden is a mess. Adding some lavender is a good idea as then you also have that lovely smell, and it will last all year round too.
4. Grow your own! You could start by planting some common herbs such as parsley, rosemary and thyme in plant pots near the back door, then they’re handy for just trimming bits off to use in cooking. If you want to start a little vegetable patch, you can get some raised planters to make it easier to tend to them and keep them contained. Check out these 200 litre raised beds: https://www.primrose.co.uk/200-litres-the-chamberlain-wooden-raised-grow-bed-lacewing-100cm-h20cm-p-6357.html?cPath=2_11728_679
5. Light it up! Outdoor lights are a lovely way of making the garden a useful social area even into the evening, as well as adding decoration. A lot of them are solar powered, so you don’t have to worry about having a nearby plug or replacing batteries. You can get string lights which are perfect over the patio, lights that stake into the ground to light up a path, or these simple lanterns which you can either hang, place on the ground or set on the table. https://www.therange.co.uk/outdoor-living/outdoor-lighting/solar-lights/solar-silver-lantern#606154