Re-landscaping my garden

I bought plants and organic fertilizer at Calinan a few days ago to add to my garden at home. Got them for a measly P200.00! Check them out!

 Cheap at P200.00, yeah? Those stalks at the back are horsetail plants

I want to hire a professional landscaper to redo my lawn but I am financially constrained at the moment so I'll have to do it within my means. Translation: I will have to do it myself, hahaha!  I have very little idea about landscaping so I'm browsing the internet for inspiration.

I have always liked to have plants around me. In fact, I have plants indoor, too - in my living room, in my dining room, in my bathroom. I also have one in my office. A few years back I tried my hands at dish-garden making but without success, so I plan to take up formal studies this time. Hmmm, I'll see what I can do about this. I have way too many plans in the my head! I guess this is what happens to a single mom who is left to her devises every Sunday.  Yeah, kids are out with their dad almost every Sunday leaving me home alone. It's not really bad, I am accustomed to this arrangement already and I actually like it. It's quiet at home and the silence allows me time to think and plan, sometimes work on some bring-home office stuff, or do some DIY self-pampering. Ok, got sidetracked there....Let's go back to gardening and landscaping, lol.

This is how my lawn looks at present:

Very dry, right? Lifeless :(

Look, there's a banana tree there! Nobody planted it. 
I decided to let it grow to provide contrast. I actually like to see it there

There's a swing in my lawn that needs repainting, it used to be very blue, 
now it's partly rustic brown, lol

The trunk with few orchids on it belongs to my very sweet Rambutan tree

I want to improve the overall look of my lawn but I cannot do this in a single sitting because for one, I don't have the resources, and two, I don't have the luxury of time. I can only work on my garden during weekends, specifically, on Sundays.

For this plan to materialize, I will need the following:

1.Flower pots, pots, and more pots in different sizes and shapes
2.Garden stones (I hope these are not expensive)
3.Garden soil (the soil in my lawn is silty and compacts very easily, not really ideal for gardening)
4.A shovel
5.A pruning shear (my good old one broke down last week)
6. Cement, sand and gravel, white paint (if necessary)

Purchase of these stuff will depend on my available resources, overall however, I think I am good to go. So, good luck to me!

Help anyone?