I used B&M & Primark bargains to turn my balcony into a tropical paradise – I also made it super private with a £10 buy

The Sun

4 days ago

A MOTHER has revealed that she hasn't got a garden, so gave her balcony a total transformation without breaking the bank.
Whilst she was pregnant, Victoria Wright, who is better known as 'Vickaboox' online, nabbed a haul of bargain buys from B&M and Primark to give her outside space a mega makeover.
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Not only was she able to add colour and style to the balcony, but thanks to a £10 buy from B&M, she was able to turn it into a tropical paradise with much more privacy.
The 29-year-old content creator, who now has a baby boy called Christopher, took to social media to share her balcony transformation, leaving many totally stunned.
The mum-of-one who lives in a flat, showed off her 'basic' balcony and said: 'Let's take our balcony from boring, basic, plain, crusty, dusty to year of the bad B, not the sad B, cocktail in hand vibes and of course we've done it on the cheap using everything from Primark and B&M.'
The influencer then revealed the step-by-step process of the balcony overhaul, as she added: 'So first of all, we cleaned the balcony…then once everything was clean, we laid out our new outdoor rug - this one was on sale in B&M for £12.
'We also got some reed screening from B&M on sale for £10, just to give that tropical vibe and also for a bit more privacy.'
Victoria attached the reed screening with cable ties to ensure it was 'nice and secure' and explained that when they move, they can remove it easily without any damage.
To then give the balcony a bit of colour, she added £1 hanging pots she bought from Primark and planted some flowers.
Following this, she accessorised the space with cheap LED fairy lights and tea light holders.
Thrilled with her balcony's new look, Victoria beamed: 'I think this looks super fun, super colourful, also deposit friendly because we rent, so we didn't have to change anything or make any dramatic changes.
'Just added a little bit of life and a bit of colour. I love it.'
I don't have a garden so made a 10p paddling pool on my balcony - it was brilliant but my downstairs neighbours will never forgive me
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ vickaboox, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 11,700 likes and 70 comments.
8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden
Nick Hamilton owner of Barnsdale Gardens has shared his favourite plants and flowers you should consider adding to your garden, borders and pots.
Tricyrtis
A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is 'as tough as old boots!'.
Penstemon
I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They'll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes.
Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata'
With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it's great asset is that it
will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill - dry shade.
Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue'
A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your
garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant's interest period.
Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem'
If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers.
Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange'
A dwarf version of 'Midwinter Fire' the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days.
Rosa 'Noisette Carnee'
A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, 'noisette' flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November.
Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel'
I've never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade.
Social media users were stunned by Victoria's balcony makeover and many eagerly raced to the comments to express this.
One person said: 'Omg I love it.'
Another added: 'Looks so cute.'
A third commented: 'Looks beautiful.'
"Never thought I'd have balcony envy!'
How to save money at B&M
Shoppers have saved hundreds of pounds a year by using B&M's scanner app.
The scanner lets you see if an item's price is cheaper than advertised on the shop floor label.
Products that are typically discounted are seasonal items and old stock that B&M is trying to shift.
The app is free to download off the B&M Stores mobile app via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
According to one ex-B&M manager, you'll want to visit your local branch at 10am on a Wednesday too.
Here's how you can join the B&M bargain hunt:
Download the B&M app for free on any smartphone with an App Store or Google Play.
Once you've installed it on your device, click on the option labelled "more" on the bottom, right-hand side of the app home page.
You'll then find an option that says "barcode scanner". Click on this and you'll open a camera screen.
Use the camera to hover over the barcode of the product you wish to check.
If the price comes up as lower, take it to the cash desk and it will automatically scan at the lower price.
You don't need to sign up to the B&M app to use the barcode scanner.