Ten Tips to Save Money on Gardening

It is possible to save money on Gardening and create a gorgeous garden. Traditional gardeners are a thrifty bunch and have an arsenal of practical ways you can use to save money on gardening.

1. My number one tip for saving money in a garden is to make your own compost. Adding compost to your soil at least once a year will improve the quality and if you make your own it’s completely free. Even in a small garden you can buy composting bins for a tiny space. Fill the bin with a mix of green and brown waste. Get the right balance and you will be rewarded with a crumbly compost that costs nothing. For more detailed steps to making home made compost, read our article here.

THESE FLOWERS WERE ALL GROWN FROM SEED.

2. You can save money on plants by growing your own from seed at a fraction of the cost of buying established plants. A sunny windowsill is all that is required to get seedlings off to a good start in the spring. It’s very rewarding to see the first signs of life appearing and to develop your green fingers. If you get together with a local group of other seed growers, it’s possible to do plant exchanges, so you don’t have to grow everything yourself.

 

3. Grow your own food

To save money on supermarket costs, growing your own organic herbs, vegetables and fruit in your garden has the added bonus of a delicious end product. You don’t need a large garden to do this. It’s possible to get creative with containers for veggies or even use a decorative window box for a few herbs.

4. To Save Money on Gardening, Plan Before Buying

Cost conscious gardeners are always planning for the season ahead. This means going into the garden centre with a shopping list in advance. It’s very easy to fall in love with dazzling displays of seasonal flowers in garden centres, so, if you’re a plant-acholic, like me,  be strict with yourself and stick to what you need!

5. Choose plants that seeds themselves around.

Do a bit of homework before you shop and buy plants that will seed themselves around in your garden, year after year, such as foxgloves, verbena bonariensis and poppies.

6. Biggest isn’t always best.

You can save money on gardening by buying smaller pots of plants. If you prepare the soil right most plants will soon catch up. This is especially true with perennial plants (plants that die back every winter and emerge in spring.) Look for the smallest pot you can find and let them grow into the position.

7. Buy bare root plants.

To save money on gardening, it is cheaper and more environmentally friendly to buy bare root plants in winter months, while they are dormant. If you buy plants in containers, they’re more labour to grow, use a lot of water and are heavier to transport, hence the higher cost. Bare root plants are grown in fields so need less watering and are lighter to post or transport.

8. Don’t use chemicals

It’s not necessary to spend a lot on fighting garden pests and diseases. If you get the balance right, nature will do the job for you, and, if you do have a bad infestation, things usually balance themselves out in the long run. For ideas on how to use companion planting to get that balance right, check this article out here.

9. Get a Water Butt and save money on gardening

In the long run having a water butt will save you money on watering your garden. It needs to be connected to the guttering of your garden shed or house roof and some plants and  prefer rainwater so it’s worth doing. Get the largest water butt you can fit into your garden, or even better to join a few together.

10 Look out for second hand tools to save money on gardening

Buying good quality and second hand gardening tools will save you money on gardening in the long run. Visit car boot and garage sales to hunt for bargains!