Article Summary
Creating a beautiful garden doesn’t require a large budget. Many British garden owners would spend up to £4,700 to create their dream garden, but with rising costs, many are finding cheaper ways to create something beautiful. From composting kitchen scraps to swapping cuttings with neighbors, there are plenty of ways to bring your garden to life without spending a fortune.
What This Means for You
- You don’t need a luxury patio set or fancy gloves to have a great garden. Innovative ideas and a bit of time can go a long way.
- Planning and choosing hardy, perennial plants that are resistant to pests and disease can make gardening more cost-effective.
- Growing plants from seeds or collecting seeds from a previous crop can also save you money.
- You can also “shop” in friends’ and family’s gardens for cuttings or seed heads, or buy young plants and nurture them to maturity yourself.
- Repurposing materials, such as using old containers as starter pots or creating a mini greenhouse from plastic milk bottles, can also help to reduce costs.
Original Post
You don’t need a luxury patio set, a subscription to a seed club or a pair of fancy gloves to have a great garden. Some of the most charming outdoor spaces have been created with hardly any budget at all – just a bit of time, a few innovative ideas and maybe the occasional raid of the recycling bin.
British garden owners say they would consider spending up to £4,700 to create their dream outdoor space, according to Wickes’s great garden report. However, with rising costs and more people living in temporary or shared spaces, many are finding cheaper ways to create something beautiful.
From composting kitchen scraps to swapping cuttings with neighbours, low-cost gardening was a top priority for readers who responded to a recent Guardian call-out for budget-friendly gardening tips. Whether you’ve got a garden, a balcony or a sunny windowsill, there is plenty you can do to bring it to life without spending a fortune.
Planning
Gardening can be an expensive hobby, a horticultural expert Dr Susanne Lux, says, but you can make it more cost-effective with “good planning, and by choosing hardy perennial plants which are resistant to pests and disease and will return each year.
“Hardy or ‘true’ geraniums are a good choice as they can withstand winter frosts and will bloom profusely for months on end from May onwards.” You can identify hardy geraniums by their open, saucer-shaped five-petalled flowers, she says.
Planting
Growing plants from seeds will save you some cash. Seed packets can cost less than £1 depending on the type of plant. Or you can get seeds for free from friendly neighbours, from wildflowers on the side of the road or from plants you already own.
Containers
Tania, who lives in Swindon, turns used supermarket food containers such as used yoghurt tubs or empty grape cartons as starter pots to get seeds going. “I save these throughout the year and start my seeds in early spring in these. You can also use chocolate trays with clear lids because it keeps the temperature warmer,” she says.
Fences and furniture
A quick way to freshen up your outdoor space is by painting any walls or fences, after filling cracks and smoothing out any messy surfaces, says Susie Worth, who lives in London.
To enjoy your outside space, you will need somewhere to sit, so garden furniture should be a top priority in your garden spending. Clair Albone, a garden expert at Wickes, says you should invest in hard-wearing furniture that will last, so you don’t need to pay to replace it as often.
Lawn
Mowing your lawn according to the seasons can reduce some of the costs associated with looking after it, says Nick Ee, a product and training manager at the tool company Black+Decker.
Alternatively, you can keep costs down by letting your lawn grow wild, creating a wildflower meadow.
Let it grow
Allocating a portion of your lawn to wildflowers is a fantastic way to reduce both maintenance and costs, while also supporting biodiversity. It not only cuts down on mowing but also adds a beautiful, natural feel to your outdoor space.
Key Terms
- Budget gardening
- Hardy perennial plants
- Seeds
- Containers
- Fences and furniture
- Lawn care
- Wildflower meadow
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