Frugal is not cheap!
Budget Friendly Backyard Landscaping does not you have to have a shabby-looking yard. From plants to patios, from window boxes to water features, learn how to save money while designing an attractive yard from the resources linked to below.
Save Money by Reducing Lawn Size:
What you replace the grass with largely comes down to your personal preferences and circumstances. Since the mulch will not be in contact with the soil, the process of decomposition will be slowed, yielding the money-saving result that you will not have to replace the mulch as often. If you want to dress up the area, there is no rule saying you cannot install a few container gardens there (as you would on a patio).
Water features shouldn’t break bank:
To make a big splash in your yard. Modern pumps and pond liners are inexpensive and easy for do for installing. 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 neighbors. Or go slightly more upscale with a cascading clay pot fountain. 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.
Landscaping on a Budget:
Budget Friendly Backyard Landscaping means to hunt 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. 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 them properly.
Water Conservation Important in Saving Money:
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 perennials 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 garden mulch.
Inexpensive Containers & Free 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, including cemetery logs (which can serve as window boxes) 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 budget friendly backyard landscaping, 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!
See Also:Landscaping With Stones