Budget friendly gardening: Cost saving tips without breaking the bank
Budgets come in all shapes and sizes. You may think that to create a beautiful garden requires a large budget, but with careful planning and a few tips it is possible to create a beautiful garden space while keeping to a budget.
Let me show you how to garden on a budget.
Small but perfectly formed - When you go to your local garden center or nursery they often sell the same plant in different sized containers. The smaller container will just be a younger version of the same plant in the larger pot. You are paying a higher price for the larger plant. Buy the smaller plant and watch it grow.
Visit your local nursery - Where you purchase your plants from can also make a big difference to the cost of creating your garden. You will find that if you purchase plants from a nursery they will on the whole be less expensive than going to a garden centre.
Double your plant collection for free - This is one area of gardening that I find the most exciting! Increase your plant collection by taking a cutting. A cutting is where you take part of an existing plant, which then roots to create a brand new plant! This creates an identical plant to the original and if I'm honest, when those first true leaves start to show, it feels a bit like magic! I explain in another blog post how to take cuttings, which is definitely worth a read.
Plants are cheaper than hard landscaping - Planting on average is generally less expensive than the hard landscaping, which is something to keep at the front of your mind when planning a new garden. When I say hardscaping, I am talking about fencing, garden patios etc - the elements that need to be built. If you are trying to minimise costs, just be aware that the more hardscaping you have the larger your budget will need to be.
Collect rainwater - Installing a water butt to your outside guttering is quite an easy process. Not only does this reduce the amount of mains water you need to use, if you are on a water meter it can save you money.
Choose perennial plants - When choosing plants for your garden, perennials are a great investment. Perennials are plants that live for several years, meaning that you can plant them once and enjoy them years later. Most perennial plants are also great specimens to take cuttings from, again furthering your plant collection.
Plant swaps - why not swap seeds and cuttings with your friends and neighbours? This is another great way to obtain plants for free, as well as sharing the joy of gardening with those around you.
Save your seeds - Save seeds from your own garden in a small envelope. These can then be sown in a seed tray or directly into the soil to create a new plant.
I hope you find these garden tips useful in creating your own wonderful garden space. Happy Gardening!
