Tips for designing a garden on a budget
Whether you are new to gardening or a garden guru, if you are thinking of redesigning your garden, the process can be a little intimidating and the costs can really add up. But with some planning and research and a little imagination it can be a very enjoyable project.
Plan and do it yourself
Gardening is a great way to spend a Sunday, but if you’re planning to design or redesign your whole garden, it might be a bit daunting. The trick is to plan what you want to do and pace yourself. You don’t want to exhaust yourself in a single day; and gardening should be fun not a chore.
The beauty of planning out your garden design is that you’ll be able to see where you can save money, and where you might need some help from the professionals.
Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends for help either; they’ll usually be happy to lend a hand. Gardening can also be a great activity to do with the grandkids.
Propagate using cuttings
The best way to determine what will grow best in your garden is to look around the neighbourhood. What plants in your neighbour’s garden are thriving?
Once you have a list of the best plants for your area, visit some neighbours and ask if you can take some cuttings. Plants that will propagate from a cutting include geraniums, gardenias, camellias, lavender, hydrangea, azaleas, many succulents and native plants, to mention just a few.
Often all you’ll need to do is cut away stems and leaves so roots can grow in their place and plant the cutting in the ground. But you can also add growth hormone to help propagate a cutting.
Consider native plants
As mentioned above, native plants can often be propagated using cuttings, but they are also naturally suited to your area.
While you might not want to fill your garden with native plants, you can use smaller native plants and grasses for smaller spaces in your garden and take advantage of their easy manageability.
Because native plants have evolved to withstand the climate and can survive with less fertiliser, pesticides and water, a native garden can be easier and much cheaper to maintain.
This gives you greater flexibility; if you were to go on holiday, you won’t have to rely on the kids to look after the garden while you are gone.
Find uses for common household items
When you are designing your garden on a budget you should have a look around the house for ways to save on your garden budget. You can get plenty of ideas on the internet for how to repurpose old and vintage items in your garden. And there are many ways to recycle household items in the garden that you may have been planning to throw out.
Newspaper mulching is a prime example of repurposing a household item. Use your old newspapers to smother weeds, allowing your flowers and veggies to grow unhindered.
Have your grandkids grown out of their nappies? Use left overs in the place of water hydrating crystals in the bottom of pot plants. They’ll act as a reservoir and will keep the plant moist without drowning it.
Egg carton seed storage
Egg cartons and toilet rolls can be used as seed starters, while toilet paper makes great seed paper. You could even try your hand at composting. But if that’s a little too much for you, you can just use your tea leaves as a nutritional boost for your plants.
So start planning your new garden, enlist the help of family and friends and have a look around your house and online for some inspiration.
Did you design your own garden? Share your tips with the Over60 community in the comments below.
To find more great tips on gardening and design, please visit the Australian Outdoor Living website here.
Image: Getty