Easy Outdoor Upgrades Under $75

Turn a trough into a water garden. Fill a container you have on hand with water. Anchor each plant in its own pot of clay soil, topped with a ½-inch layer of pea gravel. Place on bricks so that the plants' crowns are above the water surface.

Grassy aquatic plants, about $9 each; lilypons.com

READ: Easy Upgrades For the Weekend DIYer

Run rope lights under your bottom deck rail for atmospheric night lighting.

American Lighting's indoor/outdoor 50-foot rope lighting kit with mounting clips, about $60; amazon.com