When it comes to gardening, many people feel like digging deep is the only route to take. This is, however, not the case. In fact, it is very easy to begin your gardening career on a very small budget and still reap the benefits.
Growing your own garden has a wide range of benefits, from increasing the value of your home, to encouraging a healthy active lifestyle, to reducing your shopping bill, so what are you waiting for?
Swap Seeds
Sowing from seed is ultimately less expensive than buying plants for your garden, this is of course under the assumption that you don’t buy too many seeds. Buying too many seeds is a common process for many gardeners but can the excess seeds be of use? The answer is yes; you just need to know where to look.
Becoming a member of a local or online gardening community is easier than you think and once you’re involved in groups like this you soon realise that help is just around the corner.
Going halves on a new packet with a member of your group (or friend), sealing your unused seeds for next year, or even swapping seeds with friends are now three options you can choose from to save on your extra seeds.
Save on Equipment
Have you made a trip to your local recycling centre recently? If the answer is no, then maybe now is the time. You never know what you could find, whether it’s an almost new pair of garden shears or a repairable wooden bench, it’s worth the trip.
You’re probably thinking it’s very unlikely to acquire everything you need from a recycling centre and you are probably right. So, what else can we do to save on equipment?
Keep your tools to a minimum. You’d be very surprised at how much a shovel, spading fork, hoe and a pair of garden shears can change your garden. With these 4 tools you can achieve a great deal of work and really get your garden underway.
However, at some points you may require a number of different tools to accomplish certain obstacles in your garden. For example, if the weeds shooting through your patio area are just getting too much for you, don’t splash out a brand new weed torch – instead, hire it out for a couple of days! This way, you can obtain all the benefits from it as well as save money in the process.
Be creative when thinking about what equipment to use. Old sinks, used tyres and even apple crates can be transformed into a flower bed with the right care and imagination!
Avoid Annuals
Annuals are brilliant for the established garden, but they’re expensive so for the beginner it is best to avoid them. The problem now is, what will you put in the annual part of your garden or use as fillers for your containers? Usually, a range of annuals in your garden are perfect for colour and character but to avoid the annuals, the best option is house plants.
This may be a shocking surprise but house plants can provide the same character and colour to your annual garden, without the excess expense! Ensure to acclimate the house plants before fully converting them to outside fillers, though, as they could get sunburnt otherwise.
To acclimate your house plants, gradually expose them to the outdoors: firstly, plant them in shade, then in slightly more sunlight and so on until they have fully adapted to the outdoors.
Use Perennials
One of the most cost effective ways to create a beautiful looking flower bed filled with plants to be proud of is investing in perennials that you can divide. Perennials on their own are the best option for a gardener on a budget due to their much longer lifespan but dividing them allows you to make the most of it! Dividing the plant into 3 separate bits, for example, and planting each part in it’s own hole in your flowerbed with some stalk and root will spread the growth for next year.
The beautiful thing about this method is next year, when they have grown, you can dig them up and do the whole process again until your flowerbed is full of colour and beauty!
Author Bio
Kevin Hilton is the marketing manager for GrabCo. He is very passionate about outdoor living and writing about it. His articles are always filled with unique and detailed content for every reader to enjoy. Connect with GrabCo on Twitter.
