Low-Cost Garden Design Tips
Designing a garden doesn't have to be an expensive task. There are lots of beautiful gardens all over the UK that have been created on a limited budget, to prove the point.
In this guide, you will find some useful ways to help you save money on your garden design project too.
Plan Carefully
Before you start to garden, you need to decide on your available budget because, without a decent start-up plan, it is often hard to know how to proceed.
The other things you need to consider are what you want to do in your garden and determine your priorities.
For example, will you need a place for children to play, a seating area, vegetable patch or water features?
Why not make some rough designs on paper?
Once you have these initial ideas in place, you can easily find some free garden design apps online, and produce a better, more detailed design.
Another good idea is to tidy up your garden, in preparation for any major work; this will help you to see more possibilities or problem areas.
Inexpensive Touch-Ups
To instantly brighten a dull and tired looking garden or patio area, painting with bright colours can be a good way forward.
This can cheer up walls, doors, tables, chairs and old wood fences.
You can also look for old pots and unusual planters, to add a special touch of originality to your garden. Cheap plastic planters and pots can be painted with yoghurt and water, to give them an old, weathered look.
Some people look for old sinks or barrels, though these are not quite as cheap as they used to be. Yet, if you look around or go to farm sales, you can still pick up some bargains.
You can even swap your unwanted, unused items for garden furniture on internet sites.
These low-budget garden design ideas can create instant gardens, without much effort or strain on your finances.
Planting Your Garden Without Breaking the Bank
If you’re unsure about what plants to buy, or what would grow best in your area, ask at a local garden centre, as they have plenty of trained staff on hand. Then you can look online for the most competitve prices for your purchases, as they can vary quite a lot.
Other ideas include asking friends or neighbours for their spare seeds or cuttings, or visiting farmers' markets, jumble sales, plant sales and fêtes. These are all good places to find plants, shrubs and seeds at a reasonable price.
You may even already have some plants in your garden, from which to take seeds or cuttings. Propagating your own plants from seeds is much cheaper than buying seedlings or plants.
The added benefit is that you have done the work yourself, and you can see the seeds turn to seedlings, then on to fully-grown plants, giving you a feeling of immense satisfatcion.
You can recycle old pots and containers to grow your new seeds, saving even more money with your garden project.
You can also produce your own personalised labels, as well as a diagram showing where you want your plants to go.
There are so many different varieties of plants - some fragrant, others colourful and many to help you attract wildlife.
If you're unsure about anything, just ask a friend or family member who is in the know; they may well be able to save you some money.
Organic Compost
Another way to save money is to create your own compost.
Build a cheap compost bin from scrap materials and begin to gather household food waste, such as egg shells, old vegetables, leaves and shredded paper.
Don’t use dead plants, meat or processed foods, as this can lead to problems.
Once aired and rotted down, this fantastic compost will not only save you hard-earned pennies spent on shop-bought compost but, again, you will feel a sense of pride in having produced something yourself.
Hungry plants always benefit from good composting and mulching.
Budget Garden Seating Areas
There's no need to pay over the odds for garden furniture, either. You can find some superb sets at very reasonable prices, as long as you shop carefully.
The best place to start is Buy Fencing Direct's superb range of garden furniture.
After you've done that, why not hunt for bargains amongst our range of outdoor living or read some more of our gardening advice?