Time2Grow

Five Ways to Maximize Your Garden Budget

By Maria Fox, Time2Grow Garden Coach & Consultant

As a Garden Coach and a Consultant, I get around quite a bit (Northern Utah area). I believe I have seen everything from very expensive high-end gardens to humble smaller gardens. Today I want to address how we can design a landscape that is beautiful and yet budget friendly.

Our homes will always be one of the biggest investments we will make during our lifetime. That said, as much as a yard is part of that investment, it can be painful to spend thousands of dollars for curb appeal and a backyard. I usually tell people, just as there is no such thing as ‘No maintenance yard’, there is no such thing as a cheap landscape. However, there is such a thing as ‘low maintenance’ and budget friendly landscape.

So here are five suggestions on how to maximize and stretch your budget in your personal green space.

1 - Write Down Your priorities

Identifying your needs and wants is crucial if you’re on a budget.

Do you need a vegetable garden? Do you need a play area for the kids? How about fencing and some outdoor furniture? Truly the list of needs and wants can get long. That is why making a priority list is important. If you are on a budget, accept the fact that it will not all get done in one year. Remember, gardening is a journey and it’s okay to enjoy the slow ride. Writing down and making a plan will provide you with a guideline and you will avoid costly mistakes and regrets.

2 – Do Your Homework

Consider your soil, climate, and weather. There is nothing more frustrating than to install a landscape only to have half the plants die within the first two years (no joke I see this often). This is the opposite of budget friendly. Unfortunately, it is a fact that Utah is NOT an ideal place to have a landscape or to garden. You can have the greenest thumb in the world, but Utah climate, soil and water will throw you for a loop. But don’t get discouraged, just do your homework.

3 – Hardscape

We all know that hardscape can get pricey, and the sky is the limit of options. I think we all can agree most of us would love a sitting area (preferably covered). How about gazebo, trellises, firepits, garden beds, playsets, water feature and so on? After Robert and I bought our current home, we quickly discovered that a new deck would never be in our budget. After some consideration we decided to DIY our patio by our kitchen door with pavers and chat for literally a tenth of the cost. I wanted a gazebo but having one custom made was not in the budget, so we purchased a kit and built it ourselves. Landscape lights and ornaments such as benches and birdbaths, consider checking online such as FB Marketplace or KSL, it will truly surprise you what people will sell for cheap or give away. Take advantage of all the hardscape resources that are available for free.

4 – Plants

Buying plants can seem really expensive part of a landscape, but it does not have to be that way. I know from experience, including many of my garden friends who have shared cuttings, started flowers from seed, divided perennials or purchased plants on end of season sale in the Fall. If you were to visit my garden, you probably wouldn’t notice the small imperfections that some of my shrubs and trees have (My husband calls them character). Buying at the end of season doesn’t always help with advance planning, but if you have an idea of what you want, you can find some amazing deals (like my Kwanza tree that I bought three years ago for $27). Look for deals not just at your nearby nursery or box stores but be willing to drive a little if it means saving money (even after gas is considered). Robert and I call these “joyrides”. We love driving up north from where we live where plants are at times 30% less.

5 - Saving Water

If we are talking about saving money in landscaping, we might as well talk about being water-wise. Mulching is an excellent way to not only enhance the look of our landscape but also a great way to cut back on water usage. Mulching with organic matter helps with retaining moisture around plants. Ask around for local city green waste landfills that compost and sell to the public. We have always bought our mulch from the local green waste plant. Another big-ticket item in our landscape are our lawns. The less the better.

Lawns require a lot of water and feed to stay lush and green, instead choose native plants that thrive and need minimal water. All this water saving is not only beneficial for our survival in our desert called Utah, but in the long run will save on our water bills.

Conclusion

As I am writing this, I realize that it’s taken my husband and I four years to get our landscape to a place where we feel comfortable with. But it has taken hundreds of hours literally. Use your skills and be willing to learn some new ones. Some say DIY is time and time is money too, that is true for sure, but if your budget is tight and you have the time, then go for it, dare to create your personal oasis, AND don’t forget to have fun!!!