These tips and tricks will boost your appeal without draining your wallet.
Landscaping your yard, if done right, can be a rewarding experience and add beauty and value to your home. But landscaping can also be a very expensive undertaking, especially if you go in without a plan or are worried about cutting costs. Before you dig a shovel into the ground or swipe your credit card at your local garden center, remember these 11 landscaping ideas for your garden to save big.
1. Avoid annual meals
Annuals like petunias and petunias are great for filling flower beds and containers with color. However, they only last through the current growing season and will not survive the winter in most parts of the United States. Buying plants every year can be expensive and time-consuming. Instead, choose perennials to landscape your backyard, giving you a more sustainable and affordable garden.
2. Fill the gaps with tall grass
Tall ornamental grasses such as panicle ( Panicum virgatum ), Indian grass ( Sorghastrum nutans ) or gorse ( Diarrhea obovata ) fill the landscape with beautiful texture and movement. Plus, they grow fast, so you can buy them in inexpensive gallon containers and they'll soon grow to full size and fill in empty spaces.
3. Limit the types of plants
While buying a variety of plants for the garden can be difficult, keep it simple by buying no more than five varieties. One type of evergreen, two types of tall shrubs and three types of perennials keep costs low and fill the space nicely without looking cluttered.
4. Plant densely to suppress weeds
Plant enough to provide ground cover to reduce expensive yard maintenance. Weed species use open soil, plenty of light and moisture. In landscape designs, you can minimize weeds by using a mix of large shrubs, perennials and ground covers.
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5. Remove weeds with cardboard
Before planting and spreading plants, cover exposed soil with cardboard to create a biodegradable weed barrier. Using cardboard prevents moisture from entering the soil and inhibits weed growth. Replace the cardboard and mulch every few years to maintain a weed-free landscape.
6. Take advantage of discounts
Spring is the perfect time to plant, and after a long winter it may not be possible to get out into the garden. However, you can save hundreds of dollars by waiting to buy your plants until late spring and early fall when garden centers and department stores are trying to sell off their stock.
7. Divide the plant for free propagation
Most established gardens have a variety of established plants that outgrow their previous owners, many of which benefit from a wide stacking section, such as hostas, herbs, and peonies. Divide the plants in early spring and transplant them to empty spots in the garden before buying them for the next growing season.
8. Keep things handy
Instead of planting an entire garden, you can save thousands of dollars by using pots and containers. Use rock, sand or gravel as landscape filler and container clusters to add color and vibrancy in drier areas. Similarly, in wet areas, plant an invasive groundcover such as wild ginger ( Asarum canadens ) or perennial geranium ( Geranium macrorhizum ) instead of rocks for an easy-to-maintain but lush look.
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9. From seed
If you have the time and patience, planting a garden from seed can be very profitable. A perennial seed mix that includes native wildflowers is perfect for drought and other harsh climates. This also creates low maintenance costs and valuable wildlife habitat.
10. Plant a garden without thorns
Keeping a lawn looking good costs hundreds of dollars a year. Consider grass alternatives such as alfalfa, buffalo grass, or a wildflower seed mix to save on costs. After installation, say goodbye to daily watering and mowing!
11. Build a residential fence
Whether traditional wood, plastic, or metal, fences are not only expensive to install and maintain, but also labor-intensive to keep in good condition. Install a straight fence or hedge instead to save not only initial costs, but also maintenance costs. Popular evergreens like arborvitae and juniper are drought tolerant and soundproof. Flowering shrubs like Novbark create a great wall of color year-round.
Beautifying your garden doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming. These ideas will add a lot of beauty and character to your garden at very little cost.
