The Do’s and Dont's of Decorating
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To establish landscaping with a small budget, you will first need a plan. Then consider the cost of each item and possible alternatives. The cheapest ideas may not be the best, if they require much maintenance time or money. Landscaping ideas for small budgets may take a little more time to become established but can still produce an attractive and usable space.
Garden walkways, borders and walls can be very expensive if you purchase commercial stone. Sometimes, just by asking, you can obtain old bricks and wood from torn down structures. Use these for edging. Gather native rocks and flagstones to make walkways or walls. Expensive wooden decks need regular maintenance. Instead, create maintenance-free patio areas with free stone from a local stream. (Check to be sure there are no laws against this in your area.)
Fences require money to install and maintain. Instead, plant hedges. Although they take longer to become established, hedges will define an area or provide privacy with very little cost. B. Rosie Lerner and Michael N. Dana of Purdue University recommend Amur Maple (Acer ginnala) for tall hedges. This dense shrub requires little pruning and will grow to 20 feet. For a lower barrier, Korean boxwood (Buxus microphylla ‘koreana) will only grow to 4 feet high and form a dense evergreen hedge.
Spend a portion of your small budget on trees. Larger trees will add shade more quickly. If they are not affordable, plant small trees. You can often obtain seeds or seedlings free from friends and neighbors. Within a few years, there will be very little difference in the size. You can start some shrubs from cuttings. Again, go to your friends for these. For flowers, plant annuals and perennials from seed. By mid-season, most will be the same size as the purchased potted ones. Consider incorporating native plants into your landscape. According to Stewardship Garden, native plants will save you money. Often you can transplant wild ones. These will adapt well to your area and resist insects and disease.
Keep your lawn area as small as possible. Grass is expensive. Seeding a lawn is cheaper than planting with sod, but even a seeded lawn will need ongoing water, a sprinkler system, weeding and mowing. You will want some grass, if you have children or pets, and you can hand-water a small patch. However, consider using ground cover for wide expanses to save money and maintenance. Ground cover plants or gravel will need little maintenance, will cost no more than grass and will be permanent. If purchasing gravel, check with local quarries where prices are cheaper than that charged at a garden center. You also can use wood chips or bark if available locally.
Surrounding your shrubs and trees with mulch will help control weeds. Mulch can be expensive. Try the cheaper materials. You can obtain organic mulches like wood chips or straw cheaply or even free. North Carolina State University suggests using your composted grass clippings, leaves and plant debris for mulch.
