Hi Guest a fairly cheap option would be to get black plastic and cover the whole area with this. Then cover with either cheap gravel or bark (if you have a recycling centre near you go and see if they have stuff you could use), then just dot a few containers around with plants in them... near us we have a set up called Moray Waste Busters; folk take anything they don't want that a charity shop would not be interested and hand it over - other folk come along and, for a very small fee, buy it. We've bought large clay pots, square plastic pots and all sorts. Folk take their bathroom suites there (want a pond?) the rocks the previous owner carefully placed in the garden that they don't like - you name it! Himself visits regularly just to see if there are any goodies... As for plants for the containers go to coffee morning cum plant sales you will find lots of plants to buy there at lower prices than a GC. If you were nearer us we'd happily give you plants.

that is a good answer, I have a plastic covered nature strip (Geelong council permission granted) with plants of my choice growing through where I made the hole in the plastic, I kill things in containers becasue I forget about them, in the ground they take care of themselves and cuttings from friends and neighbours work well ... thus saving on money, if you are in geelong drop around and I will give you heaps of cuttings and you can see my cheap and low to no maintenance garden from back to front ..

cheers saranfiljka

oops just read you are in UK ... sorry but you can see my garden on facebook its all there under sara drummond