Not only is your garden a beautiful retreat from indoor living, it’s also a place of color for some, and for others, a lot of greenery. If you’re one of the latter group, you may be looking for ways to add some bold color to your garden without tearing up your original display or redesigning your entire garden. (That sounds like a lot of work!)

Adding new elements to your garden can be a great way to bond with young or older children, whether by making small crafts (like the rock caterpillar below) or by tackling larger projects, like sprucing up a garden trellis to create an outdoor escape or study area.

So if you’re in the market to spruce up your existing yard, or gathering ideas for an entirely new landscaping project, we’ve found some clever and inexpensive ways to add bold color to your garden.

1. Add More Colorful Plants and Flowers to Your Existing Display

The most obvious way to add color to your existing garden is to simply plant more varieties of flowers! However, this can add a lot of work and cost, so if you’re not willing to re-do your garden so that it looks like this beautiful example we have plenty of other ways to add a splash of color to your garden.

Source: Houzz

2. Colorful Urn Water Features

Source: Lovetoknow

A water feature is a clever way to add color and atmosphere to your garden. Bubbling water can be so relaxing, and it’s simple to find a few colorful urns to create a fantastic display. Just make sure to add a few river rocks around them to aid in drainage.

3.  Recycled Tin Can Planters

Source: Decoarmonia

A cheap way to add color is to recycle old soup cans or coffee cans. Once they’re cleaned out and washed, pick a few bright colors, get some samples from the paint store, and paint the cans to suit your style. Drill some holes for drainage in the bottom and add some colorful plants, like the geraniums above, and you’ve got a great, colorful display.

4. Colorful Sectional Cushions and Throw Pillows

Source: Stealmag

If you have the space, try adding a colorful outdoor seating option. Shown here is a curved pair of sectionals covered in bright blue cushions and a rainbow of accent pillows. The accents pick up color from each of the plants surrounding the seating area.

5. Craft a Cute Rock Caterpillar

If you have small children, or even just an inner child you’d like to embrace, try creating one of these adorable rock caterpillars. You just need glue, paint, a couple of sticks, and some rocks to get started on your own “garden protector.” Make yours as long or as short as you like!

Source: Nelliebellie

6. Hang a Cozy Hammock

For those who like to relax, add a bright hammock to your patio or between a few sturdy trees in your yard. It’s a perfect place for napping or sunning on a beautiful day.

Source: Homedit

7. Add or Craft Your Own Decorative Stepping Stones

Placing a few decorative stepping stones throughout the garden can add a sense of unity to your different displays. Try making your own out of broken pieces of china, or painting a concrete stepping stone to fit your desire.

Source: Alwaysintrend

8. Set Up a Colorful Sun Parasol Display

Not just for the beach, a colorful sun parasol can be a great way to create shade and atmosphere in a garden that gets a lot of sun, or to create a shady picnic spot.

Source: Hartmanuk

9. Mosaic Solar Stake Lights

A small, subtle way to add color to your garden is to line the pathways with small solar lights, like these mosaic lights. Solar lights are a great pick to save on energy costs and stay green.

Source: Homegardenretail

10. Build a Display of Bright Birdhouses

A cluster of bold, brightly painted birdhouses can be both a fantastic display and a great craft to do with your kids. Find different designs and group them together amongst your flowers or trees. Or, you can hang them on a tall privacy fence to dress it up.

Source: Avirginiashire

11. Painted Concrete Statuary

Without the paint, these concrete snail shells wouldn’t be nearly as cute. And although snails are not usually welcome in a garden, these brightly colored statues dress up an otherwise neutral water feature.

Source: Lovetoknow

Awesome Snail Cement Pots…

12. Dress Up a Trellis or Gazebo with Fabrics and Accessories

Installing a wooden gazebo or trellis in the middle of a larger garden and hanging bright fabrics, placing bold throw pillows and cushions, and hanging paper lanterns can be an excellent way to create an outdoor retreat that’s comfortable and colorful.

Source: Bhg

13. Paint Concrete Cinder Block Herb Gardens

If you’re creating a concrete cinder block container garden, try painting the blocks before you stack them. It’s a great way to add subtle or bold color to a small herb garden.

Source: Toovia

14. Re-paint a Garden

A small, short fence surrounding a veggie or herb garden is a great canvas to add color to. Don’t worry about finding the exact color you want: just paint a white fence to suit your needs!

Source: Lowe’s

15. Painted or Tiled Walkways

If you really want to go bold, you might paint your walkways or tile them in a gorgeous pattern. Above is a dumbfounding display of craftsmanship and whimsy that transforms this already stunningly colorful garden. The pathway resembles a rainbow river flowing through the garden.

Source: Lovetoknow