How to Landscape On a Budget
One visit to a landscaping nursery can be discouraging to gardeners on a tight household budget, and quotes for professional landscaping are often cost prohibitive. But with a little patience, planning and willingness to do the work yourself, your yard can be the beautiful outdoor haven you want. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- landscaping seed, fertilizer and misc. supplies
- pots, various sizes
- garden hose
Instructions
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Evaluate the condition of your yard. If you've already got good grass, you are one step ahead of the game. However, if you need grass you will save a lot of time and money by preparing the soil first. If adding topsoil is out of the budget, you can work to improve the condition of the soil you have. Check with your local agriculture extension office about having a soil pH test done. They can advise you on what additives your soil needs in order to produce healthy grass and plantings, so you don't waste money on plants your soil can't support.
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Check out your local nursery's clearance items when you're ready to add plants. You may be surprised to find some lovely plants. Be careful not to buy plants that appear to have any type of disease or fungus, as this could spread to other plants. Look for plants that you can quickly and easily grow cuttings from, such as forsythia. Once your cuttings have established roots, plant them with their full growth size in mind. Always make sure the plants you purchase are appropriate for your planting zone.
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Start plants from seed, whether in pots indoors, or in place outdoors. A packet of seeds costs only a dollar or two and yields dozens of plants or more.
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Invest in plants that spread on their own. Hostas, daylilies and irises, for example, are quick to spread and give you a fuller planted area fairly soon. Ornamental grasses also are an excellent way to fill out a planting area and add brilliant color with just a few plants. Many of them are easy, fast growers. These are plants that need frequent division, leaving gardening friends and neighbors with plenty of these plants to share.
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Mulch is an important part of a healthy landscape. To save on the costs, raked leaves and grass clippings make a wonderful nutritious mulch. The colored mulches at landscaping stores look very appealing but they can also be very costly. Consider a layer of pine straw over your mulch to add dimension and design to your bedding areas.
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Check thrift stores and garage sales for used tools, garden ornaments and lawn furniture -- many of these items just need quick clean up and are good as new. Visit discount stores for late season sales on gardening materials. You might fine some pretty terrific items that you can use later on. Many gardening centers discount bird baths, water features, outdoor furniture and other ornamental items at the end of their peak season.
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Purchase small quart-size perennials, rather than the more expensive gallon-sized plants. Smaller shrubs and trees are cheaper as well. Not only will you save money, but smaller plants will establish better in your garden -- and fill in more quickly than you think.
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Tips & Warnings
Annuals can give your landscape a color boost while you're waiting on your plantings to mature.
Organize your beds ahead of time so you don't waste money on impulse buys that may not work in your landscape.
References
Resources
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