Absolutely Bushed

Landscaping on a Budget?

        Landscaping on a budget doesn't mean settling for a shabby yard. From plants to patios, from window boxes to water features, learn how to save money while designing an attractive yard from the resources below.

  Lawns

Many homeowners obsess over lawn weeds, and their obsession drives them to spend money unnecessarily on weed killers. If they're successful in these witch-hunts against weeds, the result is a monoculture. But some experts counsel us to accept a certain percentage of weeds in the lawn. Their argument is that lawns with some diversity remain healthier than lawns reduced to a monoculture.

This argument goes doubly when the "weed" in question is clover. Clover is a nitrogen-fixer, sharing this ability with other cover crops in the pea family. Clover will fertilize your lawn for free!

  Hardscape

Water features needn't break the budget to make a big splash in your yard. Modern pumps and pond liners are inexpensive and easy for do-it-yourselfers to install, as I discuss in my article on water fountains. Add some stones and an extra bit of effort, and you can even build small waterfalls. Scrounge around for free stones at construction sites (obtain permission!) or on the property of your country cousin.

Not only water features but other hardscape projects can be easier than beginners at first imagine. It's just a matter of choosing the path of least resistance. For instance, brick patios laid in sand are easier to build for do-it-yourselfers than those laid in concrete. By planning properly, it is also possible in many cases to avoid having to cut any of the bricks, a task daunting enough to drive many a homeowner into paying someone else to lay a patio for them. Similarly, bypass the pricey pros and lay your own stone walkways in sand. It may not look like the Pros did it when you are done but if it's not a high visibility area then that is probably okay.

  Cheap Plants

Obtaining cheap plants requires an adjustment in our attitudes. Many of us grew up buying plants from sources that specialize in the gardening trade. Such plants are high-quality, but that quality comes at a price. When shopping for cheap plants at sources that do not specialize in the gardening trade, we must resist the temptation to compare "apples to oranges."

For instance, cheap flowers at supermarkets will, in many cases, be of a quality inferior to that of the same plants found at your local nursery. But such landscape plants will be less expensive, too, so the comparison is rather unfair. What you have to ask yourself is,

"Do I have the time to sift through the cheap plants, in order to select acceptable specimens?"
"Do I have the time to give these cheap plants some extra TLC once I've planted them?"
"Is the time expended in #1 and #2 above justified by the money that I save?"

If you answered these questions with a "Yes," then you're well on your way to success in landscaping on a budget. Like the tips for saving money above, purchasing cheap plants can result in a yard that looks like a million bucks but costs you relatively little. But there are two caveats in buying cheap plants:

If you don't know what to look for to determine a plant's health, bring along someone who does. At the very least, inspect plants to see if they have any bugs on them. If they do, then they're not worth bringing home even if they're free!

Once your cheap plants are in the ground, practice proper plant care. Of course, this is always sound advice, even for high-quality plants. But in the case of cheap plants, a little extra TLC may be in order. For instance, if the plants have been stressed at the store, you may have to be extra-meticulous about watering and feeding them properly.

Water Conservation

But landscaping on a budget goes beyond obtaining cheap plants. Some plants require more water than others, and water is an increasingly precious commodity. Drought-tolerant plants are better than most at fending for themselves, which lowers your water bill. Selecting drought-tolerant plants is one part of an overall water-conversation approach known as "xeriscaping." You can also save money on watering by installing automatic irrigation systems and by applying a good grade of mulch for your flower beds, this will also really help to retain moisture.

 Containers and Fertilizer

Container-gardening makes a lot of sense if space in your yard is limited. The idea makes even more sense if you can obtain inexpensive containers and plant them yourself. Inexpensive containers,  can sometimes be purchased at yard sales. Just be careful to scour them out well, in case they harbor any plant diseases.

Whether planting in the ground or in containers, you'll need to fertilize your plants. But why spend more than you need to on fertilizers when you can feed your plants for free? If you're serious about landscaping on a budget, then one of your first projects should be to build a compost bin. Then just place kitchen scraps, raked leaves, etc. into the compost bin, watering and mixing occasionally, and you'll have a ready source of soil amendments -- for free. If that sounds like too much work, some cities offer free compost at designated locations on a first-come-first-served basis. This compost is produced from vegetation removed by city work crews. Three cheers for waste recycling.

If all this fails or seems a little to labor extensive for you well you can always e-mail me or call my office and we will be glad to help you out! (Realize by going this route you just skipped steps 1-5!!) Until next time...Happy Gardening!!

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